Virginia Willis is the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all! Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2008).

A graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, Virginia produced Turner South’s Home Plate and the DVD Shirley Corriher’s Kitchen Secrets Revealed!

Previously she honed her attention to detail as the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living Television where she supervised the food segments for the Emmy-award winning television show. With MSLTV, Virginia was also responsible for preparing private meals and events for Martha and her guests--including among others, President Clinton, Aretha Franklin, and Julia Child.

As Executive Producer for Epicurious on The Discovery Channel, she traveled the world taping fantastic stories about food--from harvesting capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano to making authentic mustard in Dijon.

Virginia's wide and varied food career started in Atlanta as an apprentice to Nathalie Dupree. She worked with Dupree on four PBS series and cookbooks, including the James Beard award-winning Comfortable Entertaining.

She also spent several years as an editorial assistant with culinary authority Anne Willan on various projects including Cook It Right, an exhaustive tome that documents the various states of "doneness" (and over- and under-"doneness") of everything from whipped cream to braised pheasant.

Virginia is a president of the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a member of The Atlanta Community Food Bank Advisory Board, Georgia Organics, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Southern Foodways Alliance, and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Visit Virginia online at www.virginiawillis.com.