Tucson Festival of Books

Sherry Monahan


Sponsored by Colleen Gavin

Sherry Monahan became enchanted with food at a young age. Her paternal grandfather was a cook at a lumber camp and her father and aunts and uncles loved to cook. She studied home economics in middle school and fell in love. When her modeling career didn’t take off, she turned back to cooking and studied restaurant management. She didn’t want to spend 100-120 hours per week in the kitchen, so she fuels her food passion by writing about it. She also has a love of good wine, some beer and cocktails. She enjoys visiting wineries and distilleries and discovering new labels. Her creative cooking skills produce some tasty meals, but it also lends itself to mixing drinks. She loves trying old classics and concocting new ones.

She began her writing career when she combined her passion for food, travel and history. She penned her first book, "Taste of Tombstone," in 1998. That same passion landed her a monthly magazine column in 2009 when she began writing her food column in True West entitled, "Frontier Fare."

Monahan is a culinary historian who enjoys researching the genealogy of food and spirits. While there’s still plenty to explore about frontier food, she’s expanding her culinary repertoire to include places and foods from all over America and beyond.

She holds memberships in the James Beard Foundation, the Author’s Guild, Single Action Shooting Society and the Wild West History Association. She is the past president of Western Writers of America (2014-2016), a professional genealogist, an honorary Dodge City marshal and a member of the Most Intrepid Western Author Posse.

Her new book is "Signature Dishes of America."

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Awards: Will Rogers Medallions (5 in various years) Western Heritage Award (2010) and Glyph Award (1999)


Scheduled events:
Food in America: Let's Dig In
Who hasn't passed through Hatch, New Mexico, and wondered about what life is like in the green chile pepper capital of the world? How did America's famous chefs bring to life their signature dishes such as Eggs Benedict and Green Goddess Dressing? Come find out, and bring your appetite with you.

Student Union Sabino (Seats 87)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 9, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Memoir / Essays / Creative Nonfiction
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA BookStore Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Kelley Cleary Coffeen, Sherry Monahan
Moderator: Carolyn Niethammer
Wild and Wicked Women of the American West
Two western historians share tales of the most notorious, mischievous, and wayward ladies on the Frontier – from soiled doves to suffragettes.

Student Union Santa Rita (Seats 110)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 10, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
History / Biography
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA BookStore Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Chris Enss, Sherry Monahan
Moderator: Jan Cleere

Books:
Signature Dishes of America
Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic Hotels and Restaurants
Culinary
Globe Pequot Press
January 2023
ISBN 9781493072644
248 pages
Buy now

Mrs. Earp
The Wives and Lovers of the Earp Brothers
History / Biography
TwoDot
December 2013
ISBN 9780762788354
176 pages
Buy now