Our speaker this week is Elizabeth Williams, President and Director - Southern Food and Beverage Museum
Always fascinated by the way the lure of nutmeg and peppercorns motivated the exploration of the world, Liz Williams was lucky to be born into a family of Sicilian heritage in New Orleans. She grew up eating in two great food traditions. She is a founder and President of the SoFAB Institute, the parent organization of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Much of her research and writing centers on the legal and policy issues related to food and foodways. Her book, coauthored with Stephanie Jane Carter, The Encyclopedia of Law and Food, was published by Greenwood Publishing in 2011. In 2013 AltaMira published New Orleans: A Food Biography. Her book at the drinking culture of New Orleans is due out in fall 2015, published by LSU Press.
A graduate of Louisiana State University (BA, English) and Louisiana State University Law Center (JD) she has served in the U.S. Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG). She has practiced law in Washington, DC and Louisiana. She has written many articles for a variety of magazines and journals, has served as judge in many cooking competitions, and has consulted internationally on the food of New Orleans. Travel is an excuse to eat in new places. She is a member of the Folklife Commission, State of Louisiana.
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