Priscilla Martel

Who is Priscilla Martel?

Priscilla Martel is an award–winning American chef, food writer, and consultant notable for desserts, baking, pastries and fireplace-cooked meals. Her recipes appear in magazines such as Food & Wine. She is a contributing writer at Flavor and the Menu Magazine. She teaches and has written textbooks including ebooks used to teach students of the culinary arts. Martel married prominent Connecticut restaurateur and chef Charlie van Over, and the couple often collaborate on recipes and cooking. Martel and van Over have cooked for 60 Minutes reporter Morley Safer, Chef Jacques Pepin as well as the late Broadway actor Peter Kapetan at their home in Connecticut. Martel and van Over were co–owners of a restaurant in Chester called Restaurant du Village. Her cooking often reflects a Mediterranean emphasis. She has a particular interest and expertise in almonds and desserts of the northeast. Martel and van Over hold patents regarding baking processes.

Martel attended Phillips Academy in Andover and graduated in the school's first co–educational class in 1974. Her classmates included jazz Grammy–winner Bill Cunliffe, software financier Peter Currie, actor Dana Delany, painter Julian Hatton, poet Karl Kirchwey, writer Nate Lee, television producer Jonathan Meath, editor Sara Nelson, and sculptor Gar Waterman. She graduated from Brown University in 1978.