Cookbooks have evolved over the last 50 years from straightforward recipe guides to books more reflective of the personalities, ethnicities, and foods that shape our diverse culture. Cookbook author Joan Nathan and journalist Barbara Fairchild have had front-row seats to this evolution/revolution. 

Joan Nathan is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and other publications. She is the author of twelve books, including Jewish Cooking in America and The New American Cooking, both of which won James Beard Awards and IACP Awards. Nathan’s latest book, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories is a treasury of recipes and stories—and an invitation to a seat at her table.

Barbara Fairchild is best known for her more than three-decade career at Bon Appétit magazine, including over ten years as Editor-in-Chief. These days, Barbara is a public speaker, avid restaurant goer/watcher, frequent traveler, and the Chair of the Los Angeles Council of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP).