Donna Nordin, a pioneer in the development of Southwestern Cuisine, was born and raised in San Diego, California. At the age of eighteen, while studying abroad in Rouen, France, a compelling urge to work with food was set in motion. She was soon enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and the rest is history.

Sharing the Knowledge
Donna's reputation as a leading creative force in the culinary industry soon spread and her cooking talents and instruction techniques were in great demand. Upon relocating to San Francisco, California, she began a teaching career that has taken her around the world.

In 1976, she opened her own cooking school, La Grande Bouffe, in San Francisco. In a short time, enrollment grew from a few hundred to thousands. She was invited to demonstrate her skills in trade shows, department stores and on television. She returned to France several times during the years and in 1979 studied with Gaston Lenotre, world renowned pastry chef.

By the end of 1980, teaching appearances throughout the country had become Donna's full-time occupation. She has always been eager to share her considerable talents with others so that they too might discover new ways of designing innovative menus.


Terra Cotta Takes Root
While on a cross country trip in March of 1984, Donna visited Tucson, Arizona, for three days of teaching. Affected by the spectacular climate and unique native ingredients, she began to spend an increasing amount of time in Southern Arizona. In autumn of 1984, she became head chef for Gourmet to Go, Inc., Tucson's largest and most successful catering company. As plans for a Southwestern restaurant evolved, Donna and her new partner (and soon to be husband), Don Luria, eagerly began conceptualizing the menu by developing and testing recipes. Their restaurant, Terra Cotta, opened in July 1986 to rave reviews and a noticeable air of excitement. With Donna as the Executive Chef, the restaurant was an instant success and continues to be one of Tucson's most popular and nationally recognized restaurants.

In January 2001, Terra Cotta moved into their new Tucson location on Sunrise Drive. Donna takes great pride in ensuring that the new location lives up to the proud reputation Terra Cotta has earned.


Donna Nordin Rises to the Top
Donna was selected as one of 50 chefs featured on the PBS television series, "Great Chefs of the West." Her segments, filmed at Terra Cotta, currently air on over 300 PBS stations across the country. Her recipes are featured in the companion book, "Southwest Tastes." In 1999 she was one of the fifteen chefs featured on the PBS series "Savor the Southwest." Then in 2001 she will be seen on the Discovery Channel's "Great Chefs of America" and the Food Channel's "Regina's Vegetarian Table."

Feature articles on Donna were published in several issues of Gourmet and Bon Appetite magazines. Countless other publications have singled out Donna's extraordinary talents, including Phoenix Home and Garden, Tucson Lifestyle, Desert Leaf, Restaurateur of Arizona, Scottsdale Scene and Arizona Chef's magazines.


Additional accolades for Donna's work include:

Making a Difference
Donna continues teaching whenever possible. She teaches periodically at Culinary Concepts in Tucson, Les Gourmettes and Sur La Table in Phoenix. Donna is in high demand around the world and travels throughout the year sharing with others who have a passion for turning food into a memorable experience.

Donna and her husband, Don, are also active supporters of the arts in Tucson, and beyond. They are members of Arizona Opera, the Tucson Museum of Art, Ballet Arizona, and the Arizona Theater Company. They also support the Tucson Jazz Society and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and are the only restaurateurs to underwrite a symphony performance. In 2002, Terra Cotta donated over $50,000 to nearly 100 local and national charities, schools, churches, and other foundations. In addition, Donna and Don are active members in the American Institute for Wine and Food, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Council of Independent Restaurants of America, and the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts.