Norman Van Aken papers

Collection

Norman Van Aken papers

• 1957-2023 July, bulk 1985-2022 (Production)

14.96 linear feet (15 boxes)

“In his adopted home of South Florida he imaged a cuisine that would wed the raw and rustic powers of the diverse immigrant cultures that comprise the population there to the classic techniques of gastronomy that have survived the test of time and trends. The revolution for a new style of cooking was born and Norman christened it a 'New World Cuisine.'” - Norman Van Aken, Correspondence, 1993 December 2.

A 2016 MenuMasters Hall of Fame Inductee, noted restauranteur, and the first chef to use the term "fusion cuisine" in its modern definition, Norman Van Aken (1951- ) is a celebrity chef primarily known for his "New World" fusion cuisine. Drawing from the flavors and culinary traditions of Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, Asia, and Africa, his impact on the culinary arts has been internationally recognized since the start of his career. His culinary influences on Florida's own local cuisine and restaurant culture are still observable to this day, especially to those who dine nightly at his Orlando restaurant.

This collection serves as a meaningful look into his career as a chef and culinary expert, and his personal life as a man with a deep interest in his family's past and present. The Norman Van Aken papers include documents, correspondence, photographs, manuscript drafts, menus, ephemera, recipes, and more, which showcase the personal life and professional career of one of South Florida's most celebrated chefs. Researchers with an interest in gastronomy, the history of South Florida's restaurant and food culture during the 1990s-2000s, or interpersonal relationships between celebrity chefs, may find this collection useful in their studies.

This collection is arranged into five series: I. Personal Life, II. Correspondence, III. Photographs and Audiovisual materials, IV. Professional Life, and V. Publications.

Records in Series I (Personal Life), Series III (Photographs and Audiovisual Materials), and Series IV (Professional Life) are primarily arranged by subject, and more generally by genre or format. Records in Series II (Correspondence) and Series V (Publications) are arranged chronologically at the folder or item-level whenever possible.

This collection is open for research. Some folders may be restricted due to containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII) or items with potential material value.

This collection is kept in an off -campus storage facility. Please contact Special Collections at asc.library@miami.edu with the boxes you are interested in prior to your visit, and allow up to 1 week for delivery of materials.

Van Aken, Norman papers Finding Aid © 2021 University of Miami. Requests to reproduce or publish materials from this collection should be directed to asc.library@miami.edu.

• anglais
• allemand
• espagnol

• latin

Gift of Norman Van Aken, 2019-11.

This collection is expected to receive additional accruals in the future.

• Florida culinary history collection

Finding aid created and updated by Kalani Adolpho, 2022-02. Revised by Jordan Jedry, 2023-08.

• Celebrities
• Cooking
• Tourism -- Florida
• Food
• Restaurants
• Restaurateurs
• Celebrity chefs
• Dinners and dining
• Food tourism
• Cultural fusion
• Florida, South
• Gastronomy

• Florida
• Florida, South
• Coral Gables (Fla.)
• Orlando (Fla.)

• Van Aken, Norman (Sujet)

• Photographies
• Menus
• Périodiques
• Périodiques » Newspapers
• Coupures de presse
• Correspondance
• Périodiques » Magazines (periodicals)
• Périodiques » Magazines (periodicals) » Magazine clippings
• Recipes
• Audiovisual materials
• Scrapbooks