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Terry Thompson-Anderson

Terry Anderson began her grown-up life with a BA in English from the University of Houston. Having been raised by a mother who did not cook, she found herself as a new bride who, likewise, did not know how to cook. Saved from a life of culinary deprivation by a mother-in-law who was a fine southern cook from Macon, Georgia, Terry became fascinated by this new world of cooking. After a move to Austin, Texas, she began to take avocational cooking classes at every cooking school that opened.

By the time her husband was transferred to Louisiana in the early 1970’s she was hooked on cooking and began teaching classes at a small cooking school/cookware shop in Covington, Louisiana, by the name of Granny’s Kitchen. Through the owner of the school, Terry met Nathalie Dupree, who became her inspiration and mentor. Nathalie sponsored Terry as a Charter Member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), through which she earned the CCP designation. After studying extensively with Nathalie, who was then the director of Rich’s Cooking School in Atlanta, and doing an internship under her direction, Terry sought professional studies at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Maryland, under the direction of Francois Dionot. She received that institution’s Le Diplome in the study of Haute French Cuisine. After completing studies at L’Academie de Cuisine, Terry studied baking and pastry with Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of the The Cake Bible, in New York City. She also took courses with Shirley Corriher in the study of food science and Madeleine Kamman at the Beringer School for Professional Chefs at Beringer Winery in Napa Valley.

Shortly before his death Terry had the privilege, along with five other women culinary professionals, to spend a week of intensive study with James Beard at the Stanford Court Hotel kitchens in San Francisco.

Terry founded her own cooking school, Cooking Inc., in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1979. The cooking school was featured in the December, 1983 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. This feature drew requests from students all over America and some from Europe. It also brought a call from Café Nola in Philadelphia, requesting her to do staff training in their restaurant kitchen. The results were popular and brought requests for similar training from restaurants in many areas of the country from California to the Finger Lakes region of Wisconsin to New York City to the hills of Tennessee. She also began traveling as a cooking teacher, teaching at avocational cooking schools from New York to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. Living in South Louisiana offered Terry the opportunity to network with many chefs and local food personalities including Lee Barnes, for whom she taught at the legendary Lee Barnes Cooking School in New Orleans for many years. Through the New Orleans food scene Terry met the legendary Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse, who was then the chef at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. She learned eagerly from these new friends. Terry also studied the New Orleans sub-cuisine, Creole-Italian foods, with Sal Impastato, Chef/Owner of Sal and Judy’s Restaurant in LaCombe, Louisiana.

In 1986 Terry opened her own restaurant, Café Raintree, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, serving contemporary Cajun, Creole and fine southern foods to a loyal following. Personal tragedy caused the loss of the restaurant in 1991 and a move back to her childhood home of Houston, Texas. She accepted the position of Executive Chef with the Halliburton Corporation. She held that position until 2004, in charge of menu, food production, procurement, staffing, training and food and beverage management for the corporation’s Hunting & Fishing Lodge/Conference Center in Brazoria County, Texas.

Terry has written three cookbooks, Cajun-Creole Cooking, heralded as “the best Cajun-Creole cookbook on the market” by the Los Angeles Times (HP Books 1986 and 1984; Shearer Publishing, 2003); Eating Southern Style (HP Books 1988 and 1993); and the award-winning Texas on the Plate (Shearer Publishing, 2003). She also served as editor for The Cooking School Cookbook (Diamondhead Academy, 1988.) Her fifth book, Lone Star Eats, is currently in progress. Terry has also written for many local and national publications, including Bon Appetit, Cook’s Magazine, Cuisine, Food & Wine, Gourmet Retailer and Food Arts. She was the restaurant critic for Mississippi Coast Magazine for three years.

In 2004 Terry moved to Fredericksburg, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country to launch a line of food products, produced and marketed by Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, Inc., based on recipes from Texas on the Plate. The line has expanded and now offers 27 sauces, rubs, salsas and pestos. She is sought after as a culinary consultant/chef, cooking teacher, cooking demonstrator and lecturer/panelist at food and wine events. She remains a loyal member of the IACP, the Southern Foodways Alliance, the prestigious Les Dames d’Escoffier and The Wine Society of Texas.

Jane A. Nickles

Jane A. Nickles is the wine instructor at the Texas Culinary Academy and a certified sommelier recognized as a “Specialist in Wine” by the Society of Wine Educators. She brings to her teaching over 20 years as an executive chef and food and beverage director for major hotel companies, including Holiday Inn Worldwide and Bristol Hotels and Resorts.

Miss Jane, as her students call her, is the author of WineSpeak 101 and regular wine columnist for Eat and Drink Austin Magazine.  In July of 2006, Jane was invited to introduce her book and discuss her unique teaching methods at the 30th National Conference of The Society of Wine Educators in Eugene, Oregon.  Her signature seminar, “WineSpeak 101” was named a “Best Bet” by the Austin-American Statesman.

 In addition to her responsibilities at the Texas Culinary Academy, she is director of wine education for the fundraising group “Women Gone Wine” the faculty advisor for TCA student wine club, wine director for Austin Women and Wine, and wine director for the annual Umlauf Garden Party. Jane has recently been called “Austin’s favorite Wine Guru” by the Austin Blogger, and “The charismatic and knowledgeable Miss Jane” by Austin Woman Magazine.