Mollie Katzen facts for kids

Mollie Katzen was born on October 13, 1950, in Rochester, New York, USA. She is a famous American cookbook author and artist. Mollie is well-known for her unique, hand-drawn cookbooks. These books often feature vegetarian recipes.

Her most famous cookbooks are Moosewood Cookbook (published in 1977) and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest (published in 1982). Even though her books focus on vegetarian food, Mollie herself is not a strict vegetarian. She has written 12 cookbooks in total, including three special ones for children.

In 2007, her Moosewood Cookbook was honored. It was added to the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. This is a very important award for cookbooks. Later, in 2017, her original papers and work were collected by the National Museum of American History. This museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution, a famous group of museums in the USA.

Early Life and Education

Mollie Katzen grew up in Rochester, New York. Her family was Jewish, and their traditions influenced her cooking. She believes her interest in vegetarian food came from her family's kashrut practices. Kashrut is a set of Jewish dietary laws.

When she was younger, Mollie also loved music. She went to the Eastman School of Music throughout grade school and high school. There, she studied the oboe and piano. She even earned a diploma from the Eastman Preparatory School.

In 1968, Mollie started college at Cornell University. Later, she earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts. She studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. Mollie has a brother named Daniel Katzen. He used to play the horn for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Cooking Journey

Mollie's cooking journey began early. In 1969, while she was at Cornell University, she cooked at a place called the Ithaca Seed Company. This was a café that served macrobiotic food.

After studying art, Mollie found another cooking opportunity. She heard a radio ad for a restaurant called Shandygaff. She went there and asked for a job. She ended up cooking and creating new recipes for two years. During this time, she was greatly influenced by the "Farm-to-table" idea. This means using fresh, local ingredients. It was a big part of the new California cuisine style.

In 1972, Mollie went back to Ithaca. She helped her brother Josh and their friends open a new restaurant. They named it Moosewood Restaurant, after a local tree. Mollie worked there until 1978.

Cookbooks and Television

Mollie Katzen is famous for her cookbooks. Her TV show, "Mollie Katzen's Cooking Show," was on PBS from 1995 to 2000.

In 2013, she published her most recent cookbook. It is called The Heart of the Plate. Mollie considers this book to be her best work.

Personal Life

Mollie Katzen has two children. Her son, Sam Black, was a dancer for many years. He danced with the Mark Morris Dance Group. Later, he became the director of the dance company.

From 1983 to 2022, Mollie lived in Kensington, CA. Since 2022, she has moved back to the East Coast of the United States.

See also

• Joanne Weir's Cooking Class
• Martin Yan
• Jacques Pépin