Alice Bezjian

Mrs. Alice Bezjian was born in Egypt of Armenian parents. The family moved to Asia Minor for a short time and later to Syria, finally settling down in Beirut, Lebanon. At an early age, Mrs. Bezjian was introduced to the joy of cooking by her maternal grand-father. He was a widely travelled man, who had been around the world at a time when travelling was neither easy nor fashionable. He used to bring new recipes from far away places and cook large dinners for the whole family. He said that cooking was fun, but the greatest pleasure was sharing one's creative dishes with appreciative friends. In Beirut, Mrs. Bezjian took cooking lessons from the best known chefs in the country. Later, she herself gave lessons, teaching her students how to cook and present the food in creative and appetizing ways. In 1964, she moved to Los Angeles with her family, where she and her husband started a gourmet delicatessen store. The store was extremely successful. It became a landmark for gourmet cooks and gourmet food lovers. Mrs. Bezjian was always there, graciously dispensing recipes and her culinary expertise with her customers. Sunset Magazine and New West wrote articles about the store, and a few of her recipes were published in those magazines. She has retired since then. But she still goes to the store frequently, to see her old customers and exchange ideas and recipes.