About Niki

Professional Life

My career took me from marketing and event planning to education. I am a professor of practice and program director of the Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management program at Southern Illinois University. For over 10 years, I have taught cooking, event planning, marketing, and tourism classes to college students. I am a food nerd, history buff, tourism geek, family historian, and freelance food writer.

You can read more about my professional career on LinkedIn. Feel free to connect with me there.

My food writing has been featured regularly on the TASTE food page published by The Southern Illinoisan Newspaper as well as their quarterly magazine, Life & Style.  My writing has also appeared in newspapers across the country including the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Napa Valley Register, and the Missoulian in Montana. I have also been a guest on WSIU In Focus, KMOX St. Louis radio, Illinois Public Media’s The 21st Show, and The Spiel.

You will sometimes find me working with local groups like the Jackson County, Illinois 4-H to teach kids (and adults!) how to cook, or you may see me pop up with cooking demonstrations at the Murphysboro, Illinois Farmer’s Market.

During 2020-2021, I worked with Food Works of Southern Illinois developing a variety of recipes that were provided to LEAF Food Hub customers. The recipes helped promote shopping locally for food during the height and aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2013, I was blessed to be part of a local initiative – Good Food: Local – that was funded by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to teach people how to cook using specialty crops. We worked with over 1,000 people ages 3-87 and, thanks to many of our local farms, sent each home with a bag of fresh produce!

Food Philosophy

I grew up around food. My mom ran a catering business out of our home when I was little, then my parents owned an Italian restaurant in my hometown for several years. Later, she spent a long portion of her career in destination management where all of her food and travel loves came together.

Mom is an OG culinary tourist – a “foodie”. We were always traveling to experience new restaurants, food festivals, or just to check out something she had seen on a cooking show. Those were days long before the Food Network existed when we watched cooking shows on public television. I still enjoy old episodes of Yan Can Cook and The French Chef.

These experiences influenced my career and my food philosphy. I believe food can play a significant role in connecting us with different cultures and with our past. Through food, we can learn about the customs, traditions, and history of places and the people that inhabit them. Every culture has unique flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques, and by experiencing them, we can appreciate the diversity and richness of our world.

Food is a powerful link to our own cultural heritage and family traditions. Many of us – myself included – have treasured family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. These are a tangible connection to our ancestors the the times and places in which they lived. I love cooking from my grandma’s recipe box. My memories of cooking in her kitchen come to life every time I prepare one of her recipes.

Articles and Other Creative Work

My primary outlet for food articles has been newspaper and regional magazines. As a result, many are not available online or are behind paywalls. I have over 300 articles published with The Southern Illinoisan newspaper and many more syndicated through Lee Enterprises. Enjoy the below selection.

Collaborations with Southern Illinois University Press

Host a winning Super Bowl party with tips from SIU “food nerd” and expert. Collaboration with SIU News. 2/6/23

SIU food nerd and dietitian advise resolving to cook at home more in the new year. Collaboration with SIU News. 12/20/22

SIU expert and ‘food nerd’ offers tips for creating happy holiday meals despite rising prices. Collaboration with SIU News. 11/7/22.

Kick off your tailgate right with tips from SIU “food nerd” and expert. Collaboration with SIU News. 9/9/22.

SIU “food nerd” and expert offers tips for safe summer outdoor eating. Collaboration with SIU News. 7/29/22.

Selected Articles

‘Southern Illinois Eats’: A successful social experiment. Life & Style Magazine. 7/19/22.

Breakfast Bites: Start your day with a tasty sandwich. St. Louis Post Dispatch. 5/18/22.

Cornwall Cuisine. The Southern Illinoisan. 4/12/22.

Bubbling Deliciousness: Stew, an ancient, economical dish, that can be prepared in a variety of ways. St. Louis Post Dispatch. 11/10/21.

Exploring Upland South Cuisine. The Southern Illinoisan. 7/7/21.

Broadcast Media Interviews

Cooking at Home More. Total Information AM. KMOX St. Louis. 1/19/23.

Dr. Niki Davis gives advice on Thanksgiving Planning. Total Information AM. KMOX St. Louis. 11/16/22.

The Davises Eat Live Broadcast

My husband, Chili, and I began live broadcasts of our cooking show a few weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic locked us down in March 2020. People were panic-shopping where we live and the grocery store shelves were empty… very empty.

I was receiving an outpouring of questions about how to manage in a home kitchen, especially given the low food inventory locally. So, I got home one night, looked at Chili, and said, “grab a beer, we’re hitting Facebook.”

Over 130 friends and family joined us that night to talk about cooking. We loved being able to help folks take the first step back into their kitchens and renew a love – or at least appreciation – of cooking.

What started as “we’ll just do this a couple of times to help our friends” turned into a weekly cooking show we call The Davises Eat. You can watch live on Facebook and YouTube on Mondays at 6:30 PM central. Join the Fun!

Once we were out of the pandemic, we decided to keep broadcasting – not because we want to be famous but because we love spending time together and with those who watch. Chili loves showing people how to mix drinks. I love talking about how cooking from scratch (or mostly scratch) isn’t as hard as it seems. We pull together a full dinner with a cocktail drink in about an hour.

Want to chat? Please contact me.

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