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BIO “What I enjoy most about food is its ability
to inspire cultural pluralism in a way that everyone can relate to”
Amy Riolo
Amy Riolo is an internationally recognized culinary expert specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culture and cuisine. As
an award - winning author, lecturer, food historian, food writer, culinary consultant, and
cooking instructor, Amy promotes her philosophy of cooking and living with both pleasure and health. Her
first book, Arabian Delights; Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula
has received rave reviews (Capital Books). Her second book Nile Style; Egyptian Cuisine and Culture
(Hippocrene Books) won the World Gourmand Award for "Best Arab Cuisine Book" in the United States in 2009. She has
also completed The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, (American
Diabetes Association) which will be released in March 2010.
Amy’s popular lectures range in topics and include everything from Middle Eastern business etiquette to the history
of various cuisines. She has been an invited guest speaker for The Smithsonian Institution, The National
Museum of African Art, The Walters Art Museum, The Kennedy Center,The Textile
Museum, The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, The Embassy of Yemen, Welcome to Washington
International, Montgomery College, Les Dames D’Escoffier, The Egyptian Cultural and Education Bureau,The Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria
Sister City Committee and the Mycological Association of Washington, DC. Amy also makes frequent
appearances on numerous television and radio programs both in the United States and Egypt including Fox TV, CBS, Montgomery
and Fairfax County TV, Nile TV and WHYY.
She has also writes freelance articles for Cooking Light Magazine and her work has appeared in
the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Cornell Alumni Magazine, and Egyptian newspapers. A graduate of
Cornell University, Amy has experience in vocational, recreational, and children’s instruction, as well as corporate
team building and cultural/culinary events. Her knowledge of the Italian, French, Spanish, and Arabic languages has enabled
her to interpret many cultures and cuisines with intimacy and ease. She regularly teaches cooking classes at Sur
la Table in Arlington, Virginia, CulinAerie in Washington, DC, and for private organizations. A successful culinary
consultant, Amy enjoys developing menus, recipes, training seminars, and themes for corporations, restaurants, and hotels. Amy
is often asked to work as a consultant for museums where she creates menus and décor which represent the theme of new
collections. In addition, she works with curators to incorporate sensory components like scent, touch, and taste into the
schedule of events, allowing museum patrons to fully experience each exhibit.
Amy is a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, Culinary Historians of Washington, Les
Dames d’Escoffier (Executive Board), Welcome to Washington International (co-chairs the Gourmet Committee), Cornell
Club of Washington (Restaurant Series Planning Committee), The Hospitality and Information Service (a member of the Embassy
Liaison Committee) Baltimore – Luxor – Alexandria Sister City Committee (chairperson of
the Baltimore Friends of the Alexandria Library), and the World Digital Organization in Luxor, Egypt (Honorary Member). Amy
is based in the Washington DC, area and leads culinary tours to both the Mediterranean and Middle East.
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