A Slice of Literary Orange

Author 
Ruth Reichl

in Conversation with Laurie Ochoa

Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 6:30pm

Ruth Reichl is recognized as one of the most discerning voices in the food world, with accolades as a bestselling author, revered restaurant critic, and culinary industry influencer. Her icon status stems from groundbreaking roles in food journalism, including lead restaurant critic at the New York Times and Editor-in-Chief at Gourmet magazine. She is the New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, the cookbook My Kitchen Year, and two novels including The Paris Novel. She has been honored with six James Beard awards. In 2024, she received the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Laurie Ochoa is the general manager of food coverage at the Los Angeles Times and previously served as the paper’s arts and entertainment editor. She worked with Ruth Reichl as executive editor of Gourmet magazine and was editor in chief of LA Weekly during a period when the publication won more national journalism awards than any alternative newspaper in the country, including the Pulitzer Prize awarded to her late husband, Jonathan Gold. She is the co-founder of the literary journalism magazine Slake: Los Angeles, a two-time James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner, and co-author of Nancy Silverton’s Breads from La Brea Bakery. 

Books available for purchase, courtesy of Lido Village Books. No registration required, all ages welcome. Early arrival suggested.

Laguna Hills Community Center
25555 Alicia Pkwy
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

For more information, call (714) 566-3072 or email ocpl.programs@occr.oc.gov

This project is funded in part through a grant from the California Department of Aging and administered locally by the Orange County Office on Aging.