Tag: Alice Waters

The 2026 Johannes van Dam Prize

5 February 2026

On February 2nd, the prize-giving ceremony of the 2026 Johannes van Dam award took place in the main auditorium of the University of Amsterdam. Previous winners of the prestigious Johannes van Dam award are Harold McGee, Yotam Ottolenghi, John Halvemaan, Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters, Claudia Roden, Alain Passard, Asma Khan and Jeroen Meus. 

The 2026 Johannes van Dam prize was awarded to Jonnie and Thérèse Boer. In 1992 they opened their restaurant De Librije in Zwolle (the Netherlands). One year later they received their first Michelin star and since 2004 the restaurant holds three Michelin stars.

Inspiration

In 1965 Jonnie Boer was born in Giethoorn, not far from Zwolle. He was proud to use and serve local products (fish, game, herbs, plants, roots, meat) in his restaurants. One of his many signature dishes was zander with apple syrup and Riesling accompanied by a glass of Chardonnay. Very often guests were impressed by the quality of the zander. Jonnie would happily explain that the fish was caught in a river, two kilometers from the restaurant. If they served lamb, it wasn’t from New Zeeland or from Sisteron or Pauillac, it was from a farm in Giethoorn, managed by Jonnie’s nephew. Why import it from France when quality is available next door?

Nature was the basis of his food and techniques. In this video (in English) for instance, he uses oysters to kick-start the fermentation process. Brilliant idea! His style was imaginative with a focus on the food and the customer.

Thérèse Boer is co-owner of De Librije, sommelier and overall responsible for the restaurant. Together they wrote several books, most of them in Dutch. One of their books in English (PURER: Cooking, Wine & Spirits Bible) is available via the usual channels.

Sadly, Jonnie Boer passed away in April 2025 at the age of 60. Thérèse and her team continue running the restaurant, and they were able to keep the three Michelin stars.

The Prize

Professor Louise Fresco, chair of the jury of the Johannes van Dam award, emphasised that for decades Jonnie and Thérèse Boer led the gastronomic development in the Netherlands. With the award the jury also wanted to recognise their mentorship for younger generations. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer have put the Netherlands firmly on the global culinary map. They are pivotal in the history of Dutch food and cooking.

Johannes van Damprijs 2026 © Allard Pierson / Maarten van Haaff
Louise Fresco and Thérèse Boer - the 2026 Johannes van Dam Prize © Allard Pierson / Maarten van Haaff

Chez Panisse

4 April 2022

Alice Waters’ restaurant is called Chez Panisse, which is also the title of her Menu Cookbook, published in 1982. The book is centred around menu’s, emphasising the importance of combing dishes to create a balanced dinner or lunch.
In the introduction she describes how as a child she wanted fresh green beans and charcoal-grilled steaks every birthday dinner. And how she would sit out in the strawberry patch, happily eating fresh berries. In 1963 at the age of 19 she went to France for a year, to eat. Back in Berkeley her love for food transformed in opening her restaurant Chez Panisse in 1971.

Activist 

In the chapter What I Believe About Cooking she writes as American chef and activist. She discusses how the US as a nation is removed from any real involvement with food and how the US people (and probably many more) are alienated by frozen and hygienically sealed food. She writes: ”Food should be experienced through the senses.” And also: “… we have been indoctrinated into believing that by making food preparation easier and less time-consuming, we’re gaining valuable free time. No mention is ever made of what we lose by this whittling away at our direct contact with food or what better things we might do with the time thus gained.”
We couldn’t agree more! There is so much fun and love in buying, cooking and enjoying food. Sit down, take your time, and talk about food, wine and life.

Favourite

One of our favourites from Chez Panisse is her eggplant soup with dots of red bell pepper. Not difficult to prepare and a joy to eat and serve. The taste is rich yet light, fresh and uplifting. The combination of egg plant, garlic and red onions plus bell pepper works very well, probably because both are charred. Use vegetable stock and you will have a great vegetarian starter. 

Other titles by Alice Waters include We Are What We Eat (A Slow Food Manifesto) published in 2021, The Art Of Simple Food (I and II) and My Pantry (2015). (Audio) Books are available via your local bookstore, the well known channels and Chez Panisse.

Chez Panisse
Egg Plant Soup ©cadwu

Symposium on the History of Food

12 December 2021

Next year on February 11th and 12th, the 7th Amsterdam Symposium on the History of Food will take place in Amsterdam. You can also join online, for € 40,00 only. Lunch not included of course. This year’s theme is Food and the Environment: The Dynamic Relationship Between Food Practices and Nature. 

Program

The key note will be delivered by Ewout Frankema, Professor of Rural and Environmental History at the Dutch Wageningen University and research fellow of the UK Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Amongst the speaker are Christian Reynolds on The evolution of “sustainable” and vegetarian recipes from manuscripts and cookbooks to online and Amber Striekwold on The Dutch Alternative Food Movement.

Ceremony

On Friday 11th the program will close with the Prize-giving ceremony of the 2022 Johannes van Dam Prize and the 2022 Joop Witteveen Prize. Previous winners of the prestigious Johannes van Dam Prize include Yotam Ottolenghi, John Halvemaan, Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters, Claudia Roden and Alain Passard (see picture).

Join the Symposium

Additional information and the registration form are available on the website of the symposium.

Alain Passard speeches after having received the Johannes van Dam Prize 2019 © cadwu
Alain Passard speeches after having received the Johannes van Dam Prize 2019 © cadwu