His vivid and energetic record of that experience, The Making of a Chef, takes us to the heart of this food-knowledge mecca. Here we meet a coterie of talented chefs, an astonishing and driven breed. Ruhlman learns fundamental skills and information about the behavior of food that make cooking anything possible. Ultimately, he propels himself and his readers through a score of kitchens and classrooms, from Asian and American regional cuisines to lunch cookery and even table waiting, in search of the elusive, unnameable elements of great cooking.

    She identified with Jewish cultural attitudes, but not with the institutions; she had fond memories of her Jewish grandmothers, but she found their religious practices irrelevant to her life. It wasn't until she entered the kitchen--and world--of her mother-in-law, Miriam, a Holocaust survivor, that Ehrlich began to understand the importance of preserving the traditions of the past. As Ehrlich looks on, Miriam methodically and lovingly prepares countless kosher meals while relating the often painful stories of her life in Poland and her immigration to America. These stories trigger a kind of religious awakening in Ehrlich, who--as she moves tentatively toward reclaiming the heritage she rejected as a young woman--gains a new appreciation of life?s possibilities, choices, and limitations.

    Selected from her nine books, here are classic essays on the food of Provence and of Paris, on Italian fish markets and Middle Eastern herb gardens. There are nearly 200 recipes: appetizers, soups, eggs, fish, meat, poultry, vegetables, sauces, breads, preserves, and desserts. Whether discussing the pains of rolling puff pastry or the ease of making pizza, railing against the practices of English bakeries or praising the sausage rolls at the H�tel du Midi, David always speaks her own mind. Best of all, she's a contagious enthusiast: she makes you want to rise from your chair to travel, shop, or try your hand at an omelette. "Reading her," writes Julian Barnes, "you have a strong sense of a person whose cardinal principles are truth and pleasure. Perhaps it is not absurd to compare her effect on a certain sector of tired, hungry, impoverished '50s Britain with Kinsey's effect on America."

    F. K. Fisher began reflecting aloud over a large collection of old family photographs, envisioning a scrapbook of people, places, and times past. A Welcoming Life showcases these photographs, with extended anecdotal captions taken from Fisher's published and unpublished writings.

    F. K. Fisher's letters are made public for the first time. Selected and compiled by her younger sister, her longtime secretary, and a close family friend, these highly personal pieces reveal some of Fisher's most private moments over six decades, giving ample display to her sharp wit and affectionate humor, her ongoing reflections on loss and the power to change.M. F. K. Fisher: A Life in Letters features an introduction by Anne Lamott and includes thirty-two pages of photographs from Fisher's family collection. Standing alongside her nonfiction, fiction, translation, and journals, this collection represents an important addition to the oeuvre of one of America's great literary talents.

    Carol Field goes trolling through Italy's back roads to find these true guardians of the Italian culinary heritage, and weaves their stories, wisdom and dishes together in a wonderful cookbook that celebrates their history and preserves their timeless wisdom. In these pages are the authentic meals enjoyed by generations of Italians. There are savory breads such as Gnocco Ingrassato (made with crunchy cubes of pancetta), such fruit preserves as Le Pesche d'Estate (peaches in lemon and sugar syrup), sumptuous sauces like Salsa Piccante alla Senape (spicy mustard) and mouthwatering meat dishes like Agnello in Umido (braised lamb with green olives). And what's a meal without dessert? Tempting fare like Crema Bacchica (literally, Bacchuss pudding -- a cinnamon-and-clove-scented pudding flavored with wine) and Torta di Mandorle e Cioccolata (chocolate almond tart) will elicit heartfelt cheers of "magnifico" from grateful gourmets.

    Includes a comprehensive chapter on crust-making. "Witty . . . beautiful, as sweet as you know what, I ate it up."--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB, GOOD COOK CLUB, AND CONTRY HOMES AND GARDENS selection.

    The book presents all the recipes from both of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television series of the same name, as well as new recipes. Guidance is included on where to find the ingredients.

    Chitrita Banerji presents recipes from Bangladesh and West Bengal in India.