Pamela Sheldon Johns

Who is Pamela Sheldon Johns?

Pamela Sheldon Johns is the author of sixteen cookbooks specializing in Italian traditional and regional ingredients. She lives at Poggio Etrusco, her organic farm/Bed & Breakfast in southern Tuscany and produces an extra-virgin olive oil called "Pace da Poggio Etrusco."

After earning a Master's Degree in Education/Administration, Pamela taught cooking and food service to students with disabilities in southern California for ten years. She took a leave of absence in 1986 to pursue a love for cooking which began with employment with one of L.A.'s finest chefs, Joachim Splichal. This led to a management position with Ma Cuisine Cooking School for two years. When Ma Cuisine closed in 1989, Johns embarked on a freelance career that, over the last twenty years, has included teaching, Food photography|food styling, cooking school administration, food writing, innkeeping, and agriculture.

In 1992, Johns and her husband, artist Courtney Johns [www.JohnnyJohns.com], moved to Santa Barbara where she started the cooking school at Jordano’s Marketplace. At this same time, she also began working as the representative of an Italian culinary program, and her first cookbook, Healthy Gourmet, a James Beard nominee, was published. When Jordano’s Marketplace moved in 1996, the cooking school was closed. This created the opportunity to further develop the culinary workshops in Italy and devote more time to food writing.