Celebrity Chef Dan Souza Draws Crowd at Annual Meeting
It was standing room only in the Meeting Room on November 7th as nearly 100 people gathered to hear Westford native and celebrity chef Dan Souza speak about his experience as Chief Content Officer at America’s Test Kitchen.
“I never thought I’d be on this side of the podium,” Dan began, recalling the many enjoyable hours he spent at the J.V. Fletcher Library as a child. “So I’m going to take a picture of all of you!”
America’s Test Kitchen, which is often referred to as “ATK,” is celebrating 25 years in business. To mark the occasion, they created a cookbook called America’s Test Kitchen 25: 500 Recipes That Changed the Way America Cooks. Attendees flocked to the table where copies, which Dan donated to the Friends, were available to be purchased and signed.
“It’s like your favorite band’s greatest hits album,” Dan said of the cookbook. “Most people no longer grow up learning to cook. Our primary purpose is to be teachers. The recipes range from beginner to advanced. There’s something for everyone.”
Gail Flannery, owner of Sweet Visions Patisserie and Fine Art, said she is a “big fan” of Dan Souza, and purchased a copy of the cookbook, despite having a collection of close to 1000 cookbooks already. She was there with Linda Benoit, a longtime friend of the Souza family who has known Dan since he was very young. “I watch Dan [on America’s Test Kitchen’s TV show] whenever I can,” Linda said. “He is so inspiring.”
Linda Benoit and Gail Flannery
Dan is best known for his role as a cast member on America’s Test Kitchen’s Emmy Award-winning television show. He began his career at ATK as a recipe tester in the kitchen. After an appearance on the TV show went well, he became a regular. He later became editor in chief of Cook’s Illustrated magazine. He recently got promoted to Chief Content Officer for the company, a position he says keeps him very busy.
Dan described in detail the rigorous testing process the company uses to develop its recipes. “We have 45 test cooks,” he said. “It’s the heart of what we do.” He explained that often home cooks use recipes and cooking methods that have been passed down over generations. The test cooks aim to challenge those methods. “We make no assumptions,” he said. “We question everything. One of our mottos is ‘We make the mistakes so you don’t have to.’”
ATK, which is located in Boston’s Seaport district, houses the largest privately held cookbook collection on the East Coast. When the test cooks are developing a new recipe, a process that takes about six weeks, they reference these books, along with digital material.
The process does not end when the cooks have completed their in-house testing. ATK invites home cooks to test the recipes in their own kitchens before it publishes them. Dan explained: “We ask people, ‘Would you make this again? Would you add it to the repertoire of dishes you make for your family?’” The company looks for an 80% “yes” response in order to deem a recipe a success.
Friends board member Chris Steinhauser, who creates our weekly newsletter, is one of those 40,000 recipe testers. “I became a fan of ATK in 2020, when we were all locked down. I purchased the 20th Anniversary Cookbook; it became my most-used reference book, and the wonderful food got me through a difficult time.” Chris said meeting Dan at the Annual Meeting was “a dream come true” and that she is “a fan for life!”
Board Member Chris Steinhauser was excited to meet Dan!
Dan had many fans in the audience, including his mom, Marty Souza, who is a long-time Friends book sale volunteer. The crowd erupted in laughter when Marty raised her hand during the Q&A session. “Mom, you know you can ask me a question any time, right?” Dan said. “Are you sure you want to do this now?!” Marty asked how many people in the room were part of the at-home recipe tester community, and a number of people raised their hands.
Sarah French made the trip from Eliot, Maine to hear Dan speak. Her daughter has been friends with Dan since elementary school, and Dan was the “man of honor” at her daughter’s wedding. Sarah was there with Nancy McElaney of Westford. Nancy’s children also went to school with Dan, and she recalled going to “many meetings at Nabnasset School” with Marty Souza over the years. Val Stanton of Westford does not have a personal connection with Dan, but said she is “interested in all things cooking-show related,” and wanted to check out the presentation and buy a cookbook.
Val Stanton purchases a signed copy of the ATK 25 cookbook.
“Spending time in the kitchen has so many benefits,” Dan said. “Cooking for others combats loneliness. It is good for your health. And it can build confidence.”
The Friends thank Dan for his time and generosity, and we thank the community for your attendance and your continued support of our mission of helping the library do more!
To view additional photos from this event, visit the the Annual Meeting page.