Julia della Croce
Cookbook author, journalist and teacher


For twenty-five years, through her books, lectures, classes and television and radio appearances, Julia della Croce has helped educate Americans about Italian food and advocated for preserving artisanal food industries and sustainable food choices.

Born in New York of Italian parents, she is an award-winning cookbook author, journalist, teacher, and consultant. Her latest books include a regional trilogy from Chronicle Books: Umbria: Regional Recipes from the Heartland of Italy, 2002; Veneto: Authentic Recipes from Venice and the Italian Northeast, 2003; and Roma: Authentic Recipes from the Eternal City and its Region, 2004. Veneto was nominated Best Italian Cuisine Book at the World Cookbook Awards in Spain. Her fourth book, The Vegetarian Table: Italy, (Chronicle Books, 1994), was nominated for a James Beard Award. In 1999, she won the prestigious Diplome d'Honneur of France for the French language translation of her sixth book, The Classic Italian Cookbook (DK Publishing, London).  Along with The Classic Italian Cookbook, Ultimate Pasta, published by Dorling Kindersley in 1997, was translated into 13 languages.

Her published works include articles for many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Food & Wine, Cook’s Illustrated, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, the New York Daily News, Art and Antiques, and Tastes of Italia magazine.

Julia della Croce is familiar to many who have seen her numerous national television appearances, including the CBS Morning Show, Live with Regis, the Food Network and PBS (Epicurious).  She has been featured on Italian, Canadian, and Japanese television documentaries, and has been a frequent contributor to many prominent radio shows throughout the U.S., the U.K., and Australia.   

Julia della Croce is also a popular traveling cooking teacher and lecturer.  She has taught at the James Beard Foundation, The New York Cooking School, Institute for Culinary Education, and Cucina Italiana, and traveled as a guest chef to many prominent cooking schools throughout the United States, Italy and Britain. She also conducts culinary tours of Italy. In 1992 the James Beard Foundation distinguished Julia della Croce as “One of America’s Best Cooking Teachers.” As an educator,  she has lectured about food for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in Philadelphia, The New York Culinary Historians, the American Institute of Wine and Food, the Italian Trade Commission, Alma Viva Cooking School in Parma, Italy, and many other organizations.

In 1993, Julia della Croce was honored for her contribution to Italian culinary literature by the Italian government.

Julia della Croce has a B.A. in humanities and an M.A. in political science from Fordham University. She attended the New York Cooking School.  Her  cooking career began with the launching of St. Mawr Sailing Cruises, Ltd., a charter boat operation that offered dining cruises on Long Island Sound.

She is working on her twelfth book, about Italian finger foods and aperitifs, and is pioneering a healthy food program at Rockland Country Day School in Congers, New York. She lives in Nyack, New York.