Born and raised in the Heartland, Chef Kurt Michael Friese got his BA in photography at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa before graduating from the New England Culinary Institute , where he later was a Chef-Instructor. With nearly 30 years of professional foodservice experience, he has been chef and owner, with his wife Kim McWane Friese, of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay for 12 years. Devotay is a community leader in sustainable cuisine and supporting local farmers and food artisans. Recently Kim promoted him to “Chef Emeritus,” and he now devotes most of his time to writing about and advocating for sustainable cuisine.
Friese is also the founding leader of Slow Food Iowa City, which helped to build the 12,000 square-foot garden and orchard at Elizabeth Tate High School. He serves on the Slow Food USA National Board of Directors and his columns and photos on food, wine and travel have appeared regularly in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of A Cook’s Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland (fall of 2008, Ice Cube Press) and Chasing Chiles (2011 Chelsea Green).