Louise McCready Hart

Because her own mother didn't like to cook, Louise McCready watched the Food Network, read cookbooks, and worked at a catering company. After transforming a summer of truffles, gelato, and olive oil in Florence, Italy into the Lexington Herald-Leader’s quarterly travel section’s cover piece, she knew she wanted to combine her two passions: writing and food.

During a semester abroad in Paris, Louise not only perfected her French and sampled France’s several hundred cheeses, but she also started visiting daily markets to pick the freshest produce and chat with the merchants. Returning to Paris for the following two summers to work at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, Louise researched and wrote a book on the biographies of the 20th Century U.S. Ambassadors to France which will be published in 2010. She is currently a freelance writer and has worked at Gourmet (RIP) and Vogue.

From an initial interest in food, chefs, and restaurants, Louise now understands the proverbial power of the fork. Deeply concerned about the effects of humans' insatiable diet on the environment, animals, and other people, she tries to convince others that the words sustainable and local are creeds to live by, not just popular buzzwords. Louise earned a B.A. in French and English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters degree at NYU’s Journalism School in their magazine department. For daily doses of her writing, check out www.bluegrassfed.com.