Barbara Fairchild may have bid adieu to Bon Appetit, but after more than 30 years with this iconic publication, the former editor-in-chief has some savory words and sweet tales to share.

Barbara Fairchild stepped down as Bon Appetit’s editor-in-chief this past November when the magazine was relocated from Los Angeles to New York City. Her career with the magazine spanned more than three decades, beginning as an editorial assistant in 1978. She is presently a freelance food and travel writer, editor, speaker, consultant and writes a monthly column, “Appetite for Life,” for the online food magazine Real Eats.

A leader in the culinary world, Ms. Fairchild was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in American Food and Beverage” in May 2000. Her frequent television appearances have included NBC’s Today and Dateline, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN, and the Food Network’s Iron Chef America.

Listen in as Ms. Fairchild gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how she helped guide Bon Appetit to its leadership as one of America’s most revered food publications. She also gives us her perspective on America’s evolving food scene, talks about the future of food publications in the age of the internet, and discusses her latest book, Bon Appetit Desserts.  

Ms. Fairchild is interviewed by Scott Warner, program chair for the Culinary Historians of Chicago. A sampling of pastries from Bon Appetit Desserts will be served by Chef Dobra Bielinski, owner of Delightful Pastries.

Recorded Saturday, June 25, 2011 at Kendall College.