Laurie Woolever has been writing about the world of food for nearly thirty years. A graduate of Cornell University and the French Culinary Institute, Woolever started as an assistant to chef Mario Batali, helping him write cookbooks and launching her freelance journalism career in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and others.

She was an editor at Art Culinaire and Wine Spectator magazines and then became the lieutenant to TV travel host and former chef Anthony Bourdain, whose memoir “Kitchen Confidential” introduced the world to the secrets of the restaurant world. She co-authored two books with Bourdain, and after his death, wrote “Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography.” She won a James Beard Award in 2025 for “Richard Hart Bread.” Her own memoir, “Care and Feeding,” was an instant New York Times bestseller. Her writing has also appeared in Rolling Stone, GQ, Vogue and other publications.

Woolever now lives and works in New York City, but her journey began in the newsrooms of Syracuse. A native of Chittenango, she first learned the fundamentals of journalism as an intern at the Syracuse Herald-Journal, prior to its closure in 2001.

On Wednesday, September 30th she spoke at the Everson Museum auditorium about the lessons she has learned over three decades in the food and media industries and why your information diet matters (almost) as much as your food diet.

Central Current would like to thank Pastabilities, The Salt City Market, Gerharz Equipment, and the Noble Cellar for supporting this programming.

Editor’s Note: This podcast reflects the opinions and perspectives of the host and guests and is not a product of our editorial staff, including Central Current’s editors and reporters. The program may be edited in post-production for length and clarity.

Photo credit: David Scott Holloway