"Please don’t let me be late. Please don’t let me be late. Please don’t let me be late. The refrain echoed in my head as I grabbed my résumé and purse from the passenger’s seat and raced out of the car. I glanced at my watch: 3:10 p.m. Ten minutes late. My stomach lurched. I bolted up five steps and grabbed the door handle of Chez Panisse, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the United States.
With the strength that would change my life forever, I heaved open the front door. This was my Mecca, the epicenter of California cuisine, and I was about to meet the mother of it all, Alice Waters.
As I walked through the door, the smell of garlic, lemons, and herbs permeated the air. Cases of perfectly ripe purple Mission figs, small golden beets with bright green tops, and bright orange Fuyu persimmons were stacked near the door. Cooks in pristine white jackets rushed around in the downstairs kitchen, all of them intent on their respective tasks…"
This has been a pure passion project and my new book is here!! I hope that the recipes and stories inside inspire you in the kitchen as much as the people I’ve been honored to cook with and the places I’ve explored have inspire me.
P.S. Can't wait? Give this recipe for my Autumn Salad a try! I’ll be demonstrating it Sunset’s Savor the Coast event in Paso Robles this month!
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