CHRIS AQUILINO Chef owner of Picasso’s Plate Cuisine, Chris has previously served as Chef de Cuisine at the Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, NY, and currently hosts monthly five-course beer and wine pairing dinners at Earth Fare Market and Café.

DAPHNE ARTHUR Formally trained at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, Dee Dee has served as Michael Douglas’s private chef, as a chef on a yacht in the Bahamas, and as head of a catering company called 3d Gourmet

MARK BRENNER A lauded biologist holding a doctorate in environmental engineering and specializing in aquatic ecology and field history, Mark’s contagious love of wild food brings a special dimension to the table.

TERRELL BRUNET A native of Louisiana, Terrell found his gift in the kitchen of the legendary Antoine’s of New Orleans. Former chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and Manager of the Left Bank Restaurant and Elite Café in the San Francisco Bay area, he currently serves as a culinary consultant in Sonoma County, California.  Terrell will be hosting the Sonoma classes to be offered from December 1-5.

NAN CHASE. A longtime garden writer, Nan has been creating organic “edible landscape” gardens in western North Carolina since 1981 and has mastered the art of preserving the harvest of fruits, herbs, vegetables, nuts, and wildflowers for year-round enjoyment. A resident of Asheville, she is the author of Eat Your Yard! (Gibbs Smith 2010) and a governor of the Daniel Boone Native Gardens.

BRIAN COLE Master beer judge and brewer, Brian is a founding member of MALT, and a winner the Ninkasi award. A biologist in addition to brewer, he has been heralded as North Carolina Brewer of the Year.

MARY COLLINS-SHEPARD. A culinary expert and Techniques Class instructor for Williams-Sonoma, Mary enjoys not only creating and sharing fresh, healthy dishes but teaching others to do so as well, feeding both passions simultaneously.

EVE DAVIS Chair of Asheville’s Slow Food Convivium, Eve runs Hawk & Ivy Bed & Breakfast in Barnardsville, where she cultivates a tremendous garden and conducts natural foods cooking classes.

KAREN FERREL Head of a private catering venture known as My Plate is So Full, Karen's dynamic enthusiasm infuses those around her with energy to get going and try something new.

MICHAEL GENTRY Ten year owner and operator of a catering company in Charleston, SC, and exhibitor at the Organic Growers’ School, Michael offers year-round weekly cooking classes (Everyone Cooks) on the Warren Wilson campus.

EBERHARD HEIDE Long a veteran of the wine business, Eberhard, originally from Germany, opened his own thriving store, The Asheville Wine Market, in 1993. His expert pairing of each ingredient with a complementary bottle turns an ordinary dish into a divine experience.

SAMANTHA IZZO Chef owner of Simply Red Bistro at Sheldrake Point Vineyard on the shores of Lake Cayuga, South African native Chef Izzo (otherwise known as Mama Red) presents a special menu that focuses on comfort food. Sam will be our host chef for October’s Ithaca session.

KATIE KEYES An avid cook from a young age, Katie is a graduate of SSCA 2005.  Her expertise in herbs as a practicing aromatherapist lend an essential element to our Cooking for Vibrant Health week.

BILL KLEIN  Executive Chef at Fig’s Bistro in Biltmore, NC, Bill has worked as a progégé of Madeline Kamman, as well as in such noted French establishments as L’Hotel de Lion d’Or in Romorantin, Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, and Michelin 3 star Le Beurhiesel in Strasbourg.  Chef Klein applies his wealth of French cooking technique to a cuisine that exemplifies the essence of food—simple, essential, rich and true.

PATRICK LANDEZA Hawaiian musician, songwriter, producer, educator and chef, Patrick is famous at the Swannanoa Gathering for his luaus, which bring Guitar & Contemporary Folk week to a celebrational close while blending food and music with color and punch.

GENEVIEVE LENAIN Chef and owner of Les Deux Gourmets in Paris, Geneviève is an energetic wonder-woman who has made a bold niche in the world of sharing French cuisine.  She will be hosting our Paris 2011 sessions in her stellar demonstration kitchen, in the 12th arrondissement near Bastille.

TODD LEVICK  Vice President of Asheville’s Dining Innovations, Todd is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University, and has held the position of executive chef at the Savoy and at Biltmore’s Doubletree.

LAUREY MASTERTON President and owner of Laurey’s Catering in Asheville author of Elsie’s Biscuits, Laurey has been peppered with prizes, including Small Business Person of the Year for the State of North Carolina, Small Business Leader of the year for Asheville, the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award and the Athena Award.

WALLY MARIA MAZZUCCO A native of Friuli in northern Italy, Wally conducts cooking classes out of her home in Weaverville, where she also passes on the joys of Italian language and Italian ways.

DIANA SCHMITT McCALL Passionate about food and its relation to place, Diana currently coordinates community gardens in Black Mountain and teaches cooking classes in Black Mountain's public and private schools as well as at local food distribution sites and farmer's markets.

DEBBY MAUGANS  Blogger, author of  Small Batch Baking and Beyond the Bowl: A Cereal Lover’s Ultimate Cookbook, Debby has over 25 years of food-writing experience.  You will be charmed by her lively manner and put at ease by her simplicity.

CHUCK NELSON  A Marriott and Ritz Carlton veteran, Chef Charles E. Nelson brings nearly 15 years of hands-on food and beverage experience to the Table at Crestwood in Boone, NC.
Throughout his career, Nelson has been featured in various publications including Charlotte Weekly, Charlotte Observer, Anonymous Gourmet and Extremechefs.com.

CYNTHIA PIERCE With over twenty years of professional culinary experience working in restaurants, bakeries, and catering in New York City, Cynthia has served as pastry chef for The Market Place Restaurant in downtown Asheville, and now runs her own food service business.

IAN ROBERTSON A native of England, the force behind the creation of Warren Wilson’s organic garden, and current Dean of Work for the college, Ian is a cornerstone of the SSCA. His guided morning walks around campus bring the notion of service and environmental stewardship to reality, demystifying the steps that bring ingredients from ethereal to material.

SUSI GOTT SEGURET A resident of the French hexagon for almost twenty years, Susi has studied at the Cordon Bleu and with several of France’s top chefs, and holds a diploma in gastronomy from the Université de Reims. Founder and director of the SSCA, she is passionate about taste and how it extends from our palate into our daily lives. 

VIJAY SHASTRI  Passionate about great food and wines, chef and certified sommelier Vijay Shastri showcases classical as well as innovative European and Indian cuisines at the Flying Frog Café, one of the Asheville's many unique dining establishments, an eclectic journey through the eyes of a family rich with culture & diversity.

BARBARA SWELL Author of eight cookbooks including Old-Time Farmhouse Cooking and The Lost Art of Piemaking, Barbara has offered instruction on a wide variety of traditional cooking skills, both at the John C. Campbell School in Brasstown and at her own Log Cabin Cooking Classes.

JENNIFER THOMAS A graduate of A-B Tech's Culinary Program with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, Jen has a background in fine and graphic arts and has just opened a The Montford Walk-In Bakery, offering delectables and classes out of her home space.

DENNY TRANTHAM Executive Chef at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Denny’s Southern Appalachian culinary skills are reflected in his innovative and diverse Southern Elegance Cuisine served in the Blue Ridge Dining Room. Working closely with the local farmers, Denny is able to provide the freshest ingredients while supporting the local economy. 

THIRZA VALLOIS A Post-graduate of the Sorbonne, Thirza Vallois has lived in Paris for over thirty years and knows the city stone by stone.  Author of the invaluable Around and About Paris series of guidebooks, she will lead us on a gastronome's tour of undiscovered quarters during our May 2011 session.

MARC WILLIAMS An ethnobotanist with a Masters in sustainable development, Marc has studied plants intensively while learning to use them for food, medicine, and beauty. He has spent over a decade working at a multitude of restaurants and farms while traveling extensively throughout North and Central America and Europe.