Evan Kleiman

Host of Good Food

Evan Kleiman. renowned owner and executive chef of one of LA's favorite restaurants, Angeli Caffe, and best-selling author of numerous cookbooks, including "Cucina Fresca" and "Pasta Fresca," is host of Good Food. Kleiman brings to Good Food a rich and varied background -- as scholar of Italian cooking and culture, entrepreneur and trend-setter for the popular trattoria concept, avid gardener, and admired teacher and chef -- which has won her the esteem of her culinary colleagues both here and abroad.

Good Food is flavored with Evan Kleiman's unique philosophy toward food, borne out of a fascination with the traditional cooking methods and culture of the Italian kitchen -- a passion that led her to the homes and trattorie of Italian women during travels spanning nearly thirty years. The show is enhanced by Evan's unusual rise to culinary heights, learning her craft at her mother's side as opposed to spending years training at a fancy cooking academy.

After a short stint pursuing a film career, Evan joined Mangia restaurant as night chef and kitchen manager. She quickly made a name for herself and was recruited by Verdi Ristorante di Musica in Santa Monica to be its executive chef.

After a year at Verdi, Evan decided to pursue a longtime dream of writing her own cookbook, "Cucina Fresca," Evan's first cookbook written in collaboration with Viana LaPlace, a former colleague from her days at Mangia, was published by Harper & Row in 1983 and launched a new side to Evan's career. It became a best-seller, as did her other cookbooks, "Pasta Fresca," published in 1988, and "Cucina Rustica" in 1990. "Cucina del Mare," her first solo effort published in 1993, received a rave review in the February 1995 issue of Gourmet Magazine. Her most recent works are "Angeli: Pizza, Pasta and Panini" released in June 1997, and "Pizzeria," part of a four-color photographed series published in 1997.

About the same time that her writing career was taking off, Kleiman opened Angeli Caffe, the first of the Angeli Restaurant Group. Launched in December of 1984, Angeli Caffe was designed to serve "simple rustic food in a modern environment," according to Kleiman. Garnering rave reviews, the restaurant's success prompted Kleiman to open Trattoria Angeli in 1987 and Angeli Mare two years later.

In addition to her restaurant and writing pursuits, Kleiman also serves on the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Farmers' Market and on the Board of Overseers of The Chef's Collaborative 2000 -- organizations which are devoted to educating the public on issues of sustainability. She also holds special tastings, teaches at her restaurant and at local schools, and leads travel programs to experience the cuisine of France and Italy.