When Tanya Holland enrolled at the University of Virginia in the mid-1980s, she had no idea she was laying the groundwork for a culinary career that would one day bring her back to Grounds as an instructor.
The acclaimed chef, author and “Top Chef” competitor graduated in 1987 with a degree in Russian language and literature – not exactly a typical path to the kitchen.
“I had applied to all science programs, math programs, and I got here, and I wasn’t interested. I wasn’t doing well,” Holland recalled. But, she added, “I was doing well in Russian, and then I started studying the literature, and I just loved it.”
Holland says her years at UVA helped shape her understanding of how food, culture and history connect, setting her on the path to a nationally recognized culinary career. (Contributed photos)
Her intellectual curiosity about culture, language and the connections between people turned out to be the perfect foundation for a life in food.
This summer, Holland returns to UVA to teach From Hemings to Holland, a 10-day, three-credit course currently accepting students. The class traces the evolution of Virginia culinary customs from James Hemings, the enslaved French-trained chef at Monticello, to Holland’s own work in California and beyond.
“I have learned about James Hemings and his contributions over the years that I’ve been in the industry,” she said. “I love a good alliteration, so I thought Hemings to Holland. There’s just such a direct correlation.”
Tanya Holland: It’s Tanya Holland, and I’m very excited to be teaching this June, Hemings to Holland, African American, French-trained chefs with roots of Virginia. This class is going to be incredibly interesting. I have a few guest speakers, we’re also going to do some hands-on cooking, learning some French techniques, we’re going to visit Monticello and get a very curated behind-the-scenes look. This is going to be such a great opportunity for all of you to hang out with me. I also will tell you about my first restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen, that this cookbook is based on, and some of my time on Top Chef, traveling the world as a culinary ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and whatever else you want to know. Hope to see you.
The connection runs deeper than a clever title. Holland trained in France long before she knew much about Hemings, pursuing the same culinary techniques Hemings mastered more than two centuries earlier. Hemings learned classic French preparations – stocks, sauces, the building blocks of a professional kitchen – and brought them back to Virginia. Holland sees that legacy everywhere: “Bechamel, which is the base for a creamy macaroni and cheese,” she said, tracing the lineage with a smile.
The dish has become something of a signature teaching moment for her – from Disney Cruise Line cooking demos to, soon, UVA’s own teaching kitchen. “I love teaching younger people how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, and how easy it is, and to put it in the context of James Hemings and his background.”
The course is deliberately interdisciplinary, weaving together culinary history, sustainable agriculture, Virginia wine culture and environmental thought. Students will visit Monticello, tour King Family Vineyards and cook alongside Holland in hands-on kitchen sessions.
Guest speakers include James Beard Award-winning food writer and culinary historian Michael Twitty and Leni Sorensen, a nationally recognized culinary historian and educator whose research focuses on the intersection of food, agriculture and culture in the American South.
“The restaurant business is very interdisciplinary,” Holland said. “You have to know history – you want to know who and what came before you. That’s how you innovate, and that’s how you continue to create.”
