Corby Kummer is executive director of Food & Society at the

Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...

, a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science, and a senior editor of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

''. Kummer is the author of ''The Joy of Coffee'' and ''The Pleasures of Slow Food'', the first book in English on the Slow Food movement, He has been called "a dean among food writers in America" by ''

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''.

Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, '' ...

once said of him, "I think he's a very good food writer. He really does his homework. As a reporter and a writer he takes his work very seriously." He has received si
James Beard Journalism Awards

Early life

Corby Kummer is a son of Dr. Seymour I. Kummer of

Ellington, Connecticut Ellington is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. Ellington was incorporated in May 1786, from East Windsor. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 16,426. History Originally the area in what is now Ellington was named ...

, and F. Ruth Kummer, and is a stepson of Joan Kummer. He attended high school at

Loomis Chaffee The Loomis Chaffee School (; LC or Loomis) is a selective independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, including postgraduate students, located in Windsor, Connecticut, seven miles north ...

, and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Career

In 1981, he joined ''The Atlantic'' magazine, where he wrote a longstanding and influential column on food, cooking, with a special focus on Italy and sustainable farming and food-making processes. In 1995 and 1996, he was a restaurant critic for ''New York'' magazine, leaving in 1997 to write restaurant reviews for ''Boston Magazine''. From 2013-2016, he was the editor-in-chief and publisher of IDEAS: The Magazine of the Aspen Institute. From 2013-2016 Kummer served on the nominating committee of the Tony Awards. From 2013-2016 Kummer served on the nominating committee of the Tony Awards In 2014, he became executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute. From 2014 through 2016 he was also restaurant critic for ''Atlanta Magazine''. Kummer appears frequently on television and radio programs, including as a judge on The Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and a weekly appearance on WGBH's Boston Public Radio. He is a senior lecturer at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

Friedman School. Every week he is a featured commentator on food and food policy on WGBH's Boston Public Radio. He has been restaurant critic of ''New York'', ''Boston'', and ''Atlanta'' Magazines and food and food policy columnist for ''The New Republic''. In May 2021, Kummer with Andrés, Rick Bayless, and Russell Jackson published, "Indoor dining must return. Just not the way we knew it," an opinion-editorial in the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. Together with Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry, Kummer co-hosts the live web series, ''Conversations on Food Justice''. He is executive director of Food and Society at the Aspen Institute.

Awards

Kummer is the winner of five James Beard Journalism Awards, presented by the

James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...

for food writing. His most recent was in 2008. He has been a finalist for the

National Magazine Awards The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...

.ASME Searchable Database: http://www.magazine.org/asme/magazine_awards/searchable_database/index.aspx

Books

* ''The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying'' (2003) * ''The Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and Recipes'' (2008)

References

External links

Official biography and articles at ''The Atlantic''

Official Twitter feed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kummer, Corby 1950s births Living people American food writers American male non-fiction writers American restaurant critics The Atlantic (magazine) people James Beard Foundation Award winners Loomis Chaffee School alumni Yale University alumni