Nancy Verde Barr
Chef, Author, Teacher


Nancy Verde Barr is the author of  Backstage with Julia: My Years with Julia Child (John Wiley & Sons, May 2007), a novel, Last Bite: A Culinary Romance, (Algonquin, June 2006),  and three cookbooks: We Called It Macaroni, (Knopf, 1991), now in its sixth printing and in paperback and a finalist for both the IACP and James Beard cookbook awards; In Julia’s Kitchen With Master Chefs, with Julia Child, (Knopf, 1995), winner James Beard Book Award; and Make It Italian, (Knopf, 2002), a finalist for a James Beard Award.

Nancy was a contributing author to Time-Life Books' Great Meals in Minutes (1986) and International Great Meals in Minutes (1985), and The New Cooks’ Catalogue, (Knopf, 2000).  She was assistant writer to Julia Child for Cooking with Master Chefs (Knopf, 1993) and was responsible for writing all the chefs’ biographies. Since 1984 she has published numerous articles in Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appétit, Cook's Magazine, and Fine Cooking.

From 1980 to 1998, Nancy served as Executive Chef to Julia Child for live demonstrations, television, and the monthly features in Parade Magazine. From 1980 to 1990 she was the culinary producer at Good Morning America (ABC) for their weekly food segments and in Italy for their well-received series, Julia Child in Italy.  She was producer, writer and talent for Savor, a subscription video food magazine and for several commercial food videos. She consulted, wrote and produced for the Food Network and was the culinary producer for Julia Child’s PBS series, Baking at Julia’s. She is the on-air host for a series of short television spots, Cooking with Common Sense, on Rhode Island Public Television.

Nancy has spoken nationwide to live audiences and made numerous appearances on network, public and cable television as author, Italian food authority and product spokesperson. She lectured and led panels on writing and television production at IACP conferences, AIWF conferences and at The Symposium for Professional Food Writers at the Greenbrier. She has also arranged and led numerous cooking tours to Italy to promote the cuisine and culture. She has taught cooking classes throughout the United States and for eight years ran her own non-professional cooking school in two Rhode Island locations. The James Beard Foundation awarded her “One of the Best American Cooking Teachers” in 1988.

Nancy Verde Barr holds a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Rhode Island and a Cooking Teacher's diploma, with honors, from Madeleine Kamman’s Modern Gourmet programs in Newton Center, Massachusetts and Annecy, France.