Winter 2008 Issue

2007 Alumni Achievement

Bill & Cheryl Jamison

Cheryl Alters Jamison, MA ’77 PAA, came home this fall to receive UIS’ most prestigiou alumni honor, the UI Alumni Achievement Award, for attaining outstanding success, national and international distinction, and for reflecting admirably on her Alma Mater through her award-winning food and travel writing. Ironically, Jamison has never taken a single cooking class, “Because,” she said, “I never really thought about being a cook or a cookbook writer.” She learned to cook from her grandmothers in their kitchens, and by her own trial and error. “I’m glad to have a home cook background,” she said.

Jamison also teaches cooking classes – in France. She takes small groups of people to the Dordognne region of southwestern France, where she teaches traditional French country cooking. This is not the gourmet food of Paris or other metropolitan areas.
“These are hearty, homey flavors,” she said, “made with lots of duck fat.”

A native of Galesburg, Ill., Jamison studied art at Illinois State University, and in 1977, received her master’s degree from UIS in community arts management. After graduation, she worked with arts groups in Oklahoma and Texas before settling in Santa Fe, N.M. Her interest in the region’s culture and cuisine ultimately led her and husband Bill to switch careers to cooking and travel writing.

Jamison’s experience with and knowledge of food and cooking have given her an intimate understanding of the role food plays in our modern lives. “Two things are happening in the world of food,” said Jamison. “First, the availability of good food is increasing. Second, there is a greater appreciation and value placed on the local agriculture. People recognize that food grown locally tastes better, it’s more affordable, more sustainable, and certainly, food security is more reliable.”

One might ask, “What is good food?” Most importantly, said Jamison, “Any good food starts with good ingredients – even the lowly hot dog,” which, if made from real meats and casings, are delicious and have none of the toxic, preservative-laden meat fillers taking up space or numbing taste buds.

“The food industry has us convinced that cooking is too complicated,” said Jamison. “It takes too long, and the kids won’t like it anyway. We’re convinced we don’t have the time or the know-how to fix good meals, so they’ll just do it for us.”

Jamison agrees that cooking can be intimidating. But, she says, success in the kitchen comes from a little curiosity and a willingness to try something new. She says cooking isn’t as hard as it looks and it’s a great opportunity to connect with children or grandchildren.

Jamison’s success is due in part to the fact that she spends time in the kitchen – in many kitchens. She and Bill have researched and tested the recipes themselves multiple times. Jamison includes the histories and traditions of the foods in her cookbooks. And while she respects the traditions and cultures surrounding food, she also helps the reader see that cooking isn’t impossible. She adjusts the recipes to ensure their practicality and ease in American households, but also retains the recipes’ authenticity.

Jamison specializes in Southwestern cooking, outdoor barbeque and entertaining, and world travel. She’s authored over a dozen books on cooking and has received the coveted James Beard Foundation award not once but four times. She has also received the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ award, as well as the Julia Child award.

Look for the Jamisons’ new book, “Around the World in 80 Dinners” – a narrative about their food adventures – due out this spring. They chose their destinations according to the food they wanted to try, took three months off and used 440,000 frequent flyer miles to experience the best food the world has to offer.