Andrea Jourdan
Andrea Jourdan (born 1956) is a Canadian chef, ghost writer and a culinary author with over 100 published cookbooks. Early life. Andrea Jourdan was born in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. She studied political science and French literature. Career. After several years in France during which she encountered chefs Joël Robuchon and Bernard Loiseau, Andrea and her husband, American film director Philip Jourdan, opened their first restaurant "Chez toi chez moi" in Los Angeles. A second restaurant was opened in Montreal. Her love for European cuisine sees her return to Europe, more specifically in Italy, where she hosted the  TV series "Mangia! Mangia!" created for the American market and which aired from 1996 to 1998. She then wrote and self-published her first cookbook in English, "The Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Lucca" which provides several recipes with the product and details numerous olive oil producers of Lucca in Tuscany. In 2001, Andrea Jourdan opened a gourmet grocery store in Montreal called "Les Petits Plaisirs d'Andrea" and closed it due to unfortunate circumstances. Along with TV host and actress Francine Ruel, she participated for 2 seasons (2002-2004) on the summer TV series "L'été c'est péché" (summer is a  sin), where several local celebrities collaborated daily discussing aspects of each deadly sin. For author Chrystine Brouillet, chef Ian Perreault and Andrea Jourdan, the theme was gluttony . In 2011, Andrea Jourdan published her first cookbook in French, "Spoom, Desserts envoûtants" which won in 2012 the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Best Photography of cookbooks published in French Canada. Followed two best-selling titles on tartares, carpaccios and pies: "Tartares et Carpaccios" and "Tartes en folie". Since 2013, her "Complètement" cookbook series has been published by Éditions de l'Homme and titles are e-published in English under the name "Absolutely  . The concept of each title is to propose 30 original recipes around a single subject. Two of her cookbooks have won the coveted Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2015: Recevoir toute l'année avec Andrea" (Best Entertaining cookbook - French Canada) and Le garde-manger d'Andrea (Best Easy Recipes cookbook - French Canada). Andrea Jourdan is also a weekly columnist to the "Food" section ("Saveurs") in the newspaper "Journal de Montréal" After closing the first gourmet shop "Les Petits Plaisirs d'Andrea" on Laurier Street, Andrea opened on March 9, 2016, a new gourmet location, "Andrea Jourdan La Boutique" in Jean-Talon Market, where  she shares a variety of original food products imported from all over the world as well as her own unique culinary creations, amongst which her infamous FBV (fraise-basilic-vodka or strawberry basil vodka jam). Publications. , Jourdan has written over 100 cookbooks. She has ghostwritten many cookbooks for several Canadian chefs. See list of publications below.