SUNY Delhi Dedicates Special Collections Room to Food Journalist/Visionary

DELHI, NY (12/01/2010)(readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi will dedicate the Carol Brock Special Collections Room Friday, December 3 at 4:30 p.m. in the Resnick Library and Learning Center.

Carol Brock, food critic and founder of Les Dames d'Escoffier, donated her personal collection of over 3,000 volumes to establish a resource for SUNY Delhi culinary arts students. The volumes span from cooking to entertaining to biographies on notable chefs such as Julia Child, James Beard and Auguste Escoffier.

"This is a priceless gift to our students from a grande dame of culinary arts," said SUNY Delhi President Candace S. Vancko. "Carol Brock's collection is a resource that will inspire future chefs and restaurateurs for years to come."

Brock served as a private chef to the editor and head of Hearst magazines, preparing their luncheons for 23 years. In that role, she has entertained notable historic figures including The Duke of Windsor, U.S. President Herbert Hoover, The President of Mexico, and Israel's Head of State.

For 35 years, she was involved in food photography from development of recipes to food styling, and served as a Daily News food reporter, writing feature stories as well as recipes for the weekly food section. Brock was also a restaurant reviewer for the Times Ledger when she began collecting books on the culinary arts.

As a preeminent chef, Brock championed women in the culinary industry and established the Les Dames d'Escoffier in the mid-1970s. This professional organization totals 1,200 women members of the food and beverage, and hospitality industries. Members include chefs, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, journalists, authors, historians, educators, management executives and publicists. The organization hosts 25 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.