Chef Odessa Piper helped put Madison on the culinary map during her 30 years as chef and owner of L'Etoile in the city's downtown. Now, she is returning home to a champion a cooking with local foods.
Several years ago, Piper sold the restaurant to chef Tori MIller and his sister. These days, Piper lives in a suburb of Boston and working to bring together farmers, educators and cooks. She calls herself a "restaurant chef in recovery."
Piper is returning to Madison for a while to deliver the keynote address at the annual Cheese Society Conference this week. Her message is using local, fresh foods.
In the early days of her career, Piper said she remembers cooking with standard USDA cheese before she discovered the handmade, artisanal cheeses of Wisconsin that she later brought to the public at L'Etoile, famously calling them cheeses with "voice."
While in Madison, Piper said she is excited about visiting the Dane County Farmer's Market and filling up her sister's refrigerator with fresh produce. She said she is also collaborating on a farm-to-table dinner at L'Etoile with Miller.
An early pioneer in the local food movement, Piper intends to keep at it, bringing locally grown, fresh food "to the street."
