Leaving and Living

Catharine Noel began her 33 year career in culinary arts with a degree in Pastries and Regional Cuisine. She built on her decade-long position as Chef at the beloved Lucia’s Restaurant, the “Chez Panisse” of Minneapolis, before going on to teach new chefs at Le Cordon Bleu, as a Culinary Arts Instructor. She especially loved her classes in Baking and Pastry, regional cuisines, sauces and butchery. 

She also owned and operated an alfredo dining and learning center on her farm in Wisconsin, called The Roost, further developing chefs in entrepreneurship, gardening and animal husbandry. Together, they provided products for CSAs and Farmers Markets. Also at The Roost, Catharine built a commercial kitchen and organized collaborations with local chefs to present high-end community dinners at her “Hoop House”. She built a pizza oven that, heated to 1000℉, could make a pizza in 2 minutes, which she offered at community dinners and also at local farmers markets. 

Her latest endeavor is as Pastry Chef at the Swift House Inn in Middlebury Vermont, and as a hobby is earning her master gardener certification, furthering her passion to share the glorious relationship between land and food.