Patrick Hollis is a public historian and the Executive Director and Curator of the Hazen Historical Museum Foundation. He is the editor of the republished 1911 The Tennessee and Virginia Cookbook. Patrick's current research examines the cultural history of Knoxville, East Tennessee, and the United States. He is a former cook and chef who honed his culinary skills in Knoxville’s burgeoning restaurant scene. Since childhood, he always had a taste for history and while still working in the back of house, earned his B.A. in History from the University of Tennessee. Blending his two passions, Patrick studied public history at James Madison University where he concentrated on food, the South, and cultural conceptions of taste. In his time at Mabry-Hazen House, Patrick has researched and hosted historic dinners which examined what people in Knoxville and the United States ate, who they ate with, how they ate it, why they ate it, and what it meant to them. Patrick is passionate about food from researching its history, dining out, learning new techniques, and most importantly bringing friends and family around the table to share food, drink, and experiences.