Award-winning authors of BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, DINING OUT,
CHEF'S NIGHT OUT and the 2004 IACP Cookbook Award Finalist THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF

(Circulation: Our e-Newsletter goes out to 12,327 subscribers — among the most passionate food and wine lovers across the United States and around the world. For a FREE subscription for your favorite food enthusiast, simply enter an automatic subscription here.
To contact Andrew and/or Karen, please email Dornenburg@aol.com.)

I. FEBRUARY GREETINGS FROM ANDREW & KAREN

II. NEWS BRIEFS

III. OUR e-NEWSLETTER's 1st ANNIVERSARY: From 2,000 to 12,000 Readers in One Year

IV. SAY CHEESE: Cheese and Wine Pairing

V. WHERE WE'RE EATING: In New York, San Francisco, Tampa

VI. THE JOSH REPORT: A PostScript on One Young American Cook's Adventures in Spain —
and Reports of Your Own Global Culinary Adventures

VII. IN THE NEWS: The Latest Ink and Air Coverage of Our Books

VIII. OUR READERS WRITE: From Across the U.S. and Around the World

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

The approaching President's Day weekend — and the recent resignation of White House chef Walter Scheib — took us back to our 1996 James Beard Award-winning book BECOMING A CHEF and its first chapter on "Chefs: Yesterday and Today." On page 19 of the 2nd edition (2003), we share the December 8, 1992, letter to President Clinton written by Alice Waters on behalf of the Chefs' Coalition:

Dear President-Elect Clinton,

We, chefs from across the country, believe that good food, pure and wholesome, should be not just a privilege for the few, but for everyone. Good food nourishes not just the body, but the entire community. It increases our awareness of the sources of life and of our responsibility to preseve all life-sustaining resources. Chefs know this, farmers know this, and with your leadership, the whole nation can be reminded of it. Good food is about seasonality, ripeness, and simplicity. Where there is good food — food that is delicious, wholesome, and responsibly produced — good health readily follows. The broader health of our nation is in peril. By your example at the White House, our hopes for the restoration of the nation's health will be nourished.

By promoting the value of organically-grown fruits and vegetables, your table would reaffirm Thomas Jefferson's ideas of a nation of small farmers — caring custodians of the land whose work would greatly benefit from your endorsement. Similarly, a discriminating quest for fish and meat of quality would herald the need to care for our waters, pastures, and the areas surrounding them.

We urge you to select a White House chef who embraces this philosophy. The President's own table would then be a singular expression of long-absent values. Set with honesty and integrity, it would speak profoundly to the American people...."

Times have changed: Some kids used to grow up aspiring to become President. Now, many more seem to aspire to become chefs — or even, based on the barrage of inquiries recently received in the wake of this newly-available position, the White House chef.

As the ideals and principles stated in Waters' letter above still hold true today, we hope that President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush will heed its message in their appointment of the next White House chef. Like the Jeffersons, the Kennedys and the Clintons before them, the Bushes have a critical opportunity to influence American gastronomy. Let's hope it's for the better.

Delicious wishes,
Andrew & Karen

II. NEWS BRIEFS

* OUR NEXT BOOK: We're thrilled to be immersed in the research for our next book on food and beverage pairing. WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT will be published by Bulfinch Press next year and, so far, our research has been delicious: We've had the pleasure of enjoying food and wine pairings at Enoteca Viansa (located next to the Hotel Triton, a hip boutique hotel) in San Francisco, Bern's Steak House and SideBern's in Tampa, The Modern at the MoMA and Per Se in New York City, and several other very special restaurants. We'll share more details below, and in the months to come.

Please let us know about the restaurants you think are doing an extraordinary job with food and beverage pairing, and any extraordinary sommeliers who might have opened your eyes to both classic and cutting-edge combinations of food and wine. You can email us at Dornenburg@aol.com.

* EXPLORING FOOD & LOVE: We just returned from leading our first-ever program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires. In honor of Valentine's Day weekend, we taught a February 11-13 course entitled "Eat, Drink and Be Married: Exploring the Relationship Between Food and Love."We packed a rental car full of some of the most delicious items New York City has to offer and headed to Lenox, where we enjoyed everything from music meditations, one-on-one inquiry exercises, and literally blind (i.e. blind-folded) tastings of everything from chocolates to peppers with a wonderful group of couples from six different states. (The winner of the group's blind olive oil tasting was our own personal favorite: the bottle of Casa Pons Extra Virgin Olive Oil we brought back from Spain with us in October.) Having received excellent reviews of this new program, we're looking forward to teaching it in other locales across the United States.

* OUR EMAIL ADDRESS: We just discovered that some of you had been emailing us at the Topica.com return address that appears on our e-Newsletters — and wondering why you never heard back from us! Please note that this is a send-only address, and if you emailed us there we never received it (and you doubtless received a bounce-back message). Please email us at Dornenburg@aol.com.

* WEB SITE LINKS: You probably know that "well-connected"Web sites have certain advantages on the Internet. We appreciate your providing a link from your Web site to ours at www.becomingachef.com, and are happy to provide reciprocal links as a courtesy to other culinary-related sites. Simply email CookbookRave@aol.com with a link to our link on your site, and we'll reciprocate.

* NEW ORLEANS, HERE WE COME: It's hard to believe it's been more than a decade since we've made it to New Orleans — where we're headed next weekend to keynote the FENI (Food Educators Network International) Summit the morning of Saturday, February 26th. We're definitely looking forward to lunch at Uglesich's, which top chefs including Frank Brigtsen, Todd English, Anne Rosenzweig, Susan Spicer, Charlie Trotter and Norman Van Aken raved about in our book CHEF'S NIGHT OUT. If you have other tips of your favorite spots in New Orleans for our trip, we hope you'll let us know at Dornenburg@aol.com. And check out our next e-Newsletter and our regularly updated Blog to read where we ended up!

III. OUR e-NEWSLETTER's 1st ANNIVERSARY: From 2,000 to 12,000 Readers in One Year

This month's e-Newsletter marks the first anniversary of its regular publication. In its honor, we wanted to revisit our first e-Newsletter, which went out to a scant 2,000 readers and grew — through your supportive word-of-mouth — to more than 12,000 readers as of this month.

In our first issue, we took a risk and shared the story of how the diamond had fallen out of Karen's engagement ring, and how we were able to recover it with the help of Fahrusha, who has been named one of the top 10 psychics in New York City in a New York magazine cover story. (To read the original story, click here.) We were heartened by your responses, in which many of you shared confidentially your own inexplicable experiences.

What a difference a year makes! What seemed so daring for us to reveal then is practically commonplace now: Today, you can turn on your television on Monday nights and see the show "Medium," Patricia Arquette's portrayal of how real-life psychic Allison DuBois has used her gifts to help solve crimes, which NBC just picked up for a second season.

And now the "Today" show is even seeking out those who have had "supernatural" experiences (e.g. receiving accurate information from a psychic, etc.) for an upcoming series on the metaphysical. (To view the "Today" show's public request, click here.)

Karen's curiosity led her to join a group of professional women (from investment managers to doctors) who meet monthly in Manhattan to study intuition with Laura Day, bestselling author of Practical Intuition and The Circle. Participants report markedly improved access to gut instincts and creative ideas, which have greatly benefited their work. Day's insights have prompted raves from the likes of Brad Pitt ("I believe in the gut, and I believe in Laura Day") to Nobel laureate Dr. James Watson, who co-discovered DNA ("Intuition isn't mystical. It's a sort of background sense of how things should work; it's facts hidden in the brain. Intuition is logic. Laura Day guides you step-by-step through a systematic approach to getting in touch with this important faculty.").

A year ago, Fahrusha predicted, "Your food books will soon make you a household name. Has the Food Network approached you yet?" Not yet, Fahrusha — but given your track record of accurate predictions, we'll plan to keep you posted!

IV. SAY CHEESE: Cheese and Wine Pairing

Champagne is not the first beverage most of us think of when we consider what to pair with cheese. For example, port typically comes to mind for Stilton, Sancerre for goat cheese, and Claret for Cheddar.

However, the cheese experts at the Artisanal Cheese Center (which sells some of the highest quality cheese available in America today) came up with an inspired selection of three cheeses that pair beautifully with Champagne. We enjoyed a tasting of them with a split of Champagne for Valentine's Day — and were so impressed that we've convinced chef-owner Terrance Brennan to offer our readers a 20% discount on all first-time orders (except Cheese of the Month Club memberships) placed the rest of this month at http://www.artisanalcheese.com. Simply enter the coupon code "CHEF" during checkout.

The three cow's milk cheeses we enjoyed in the Champagne cheese course include Bleu d'Auvergne (the successful pairing of blue cheese with Champagne which surprised us most!), Constant Bliss (a very savory rich-on-rich combination), and Fontina Val d'Aosta (which echoed our recent enjoyment of a pairing of Gruyere with Riesling). When paired with Champagne, these work well either before or after a fine meal. Here's how Artisanal describes each:

* Bleu d'Auvergne: "This traditional cow's milk cheese hails from south-central France 's Auvergne region. Its soft pate features blue veins throughout and a grassy, herbacious, pungent flavor."

* Constant Bliss: "This fabulous little raw cow's milk cheese, made exclusively from fresh, uncooled evening milk, comes from Jasper Hill Dairy in Greensboro, VT. Inspired by French Chaource, it is chalky, silky, and milky with a strong rind. It has a very clean, creamy flavor, with hints of mushroom at the finish."

* Fontina Val d'Aosta: "The renowned Alpine cheese from the high slopes of the Val d'Aosta in northern Italy. Silky in texture, pungent and complex with a nutty after taste, this cow's milk cheese is an Italian cousin to the Gruyere family."

Right now, Artisanal is featuring a Cabernet cheese course of three cheeses its experts discovered to be particularly synergistic with Cabernet Sauvignon — which we look forward to trying next!

V. WHERE WE'RE EATING: In New York, San Francisco, Tampa

* BERN'S STEAK HOUSE, Tampa — One of Karen's first-ever cellphone calls to Andrew was placed from the Dessert Room at Bern's Steak House in 1997, when she was in Tampa dining solo the night before delivering her acceptance speech for the Melitta Bentz Award for Women's Achievement at an annual conference of The International Alliance for Women. "Omigod," Andrew remembers hearing her rave, "we have to come back to Bern's together some time — it's absolutely unbelievable!"

Last month, we finally had the chance to visit Bern's together. Nearly eight years of build-up still did not prepare Andrew properly for our extraordinary evening there, enjoying everything from locally-grown produce in our salads to coffee made from beans roasted daily on the premises. We began by perusing the 55th edition of Bern's legendary (183-page) wine list. However, we opted not to limit ourselves to a single bottle, but instead put ourselves into the hands of the sommelier to select for us various wines by the glass (which ranged from some wonderful Rieslings to California reds dating back to the mid-1960s). We enjoyed the last of the season's stone crab claws and an exceptional steak before proceeding to the Dessert Room upstairs. When situated in our cozy private "wine cask" featuring piped-in music from the live piano player in the other room (or one's choice of several other varieties of recorded music), we were allowed a sneak peek at Bern's newly-updated 57-page dessert wine list. Once again putting ourselves in the hands of the sommelier, we enjoyed a bottle of 2002 Macari from "back home"in New York (Long Island).

Talking about quality is one thing; delivering it is another. Bern's is a family-run business that is a case study of how to not only strive for but to achieve excellence. For food and wine lovers of all stripes, it's an experience that is simply not to be missed. http://www.bernssteakhouse.com

* SIDEBERN'S, Tampa — We ate not once but twice at SideBern's during our unintentionally extended visit to Tampa. Perhaps it was fortuitous: On our first night, we found ourselves so full we passed on dessert. However, when the Northeast's snowstorms postponed our return to New York City, we had an opportunity to return to sample three dessert wines (from three different regions) offered by the glass along with an impressive array of desserts: Chateau de Stony Muscat de Frontignan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2001; Chrysalis Petit Manseng, Virginia, 2001; and Chambers Rosewood Tokay, Rutherglen, Australia, NV, with our key lime coconut tart, Tahitian vanilla crème brulee, and Valrhona liquid center cake. All the food at SideBern's was excellent — and the desserts were well worth saving room, and/or returning, for!

SideBern's is far more than simply Bern's "little sister" of a restaurant. If you picked up SideBern's and plunked it down in the middle of Manhattan, it would likely be a three-star restaurant — or even a four-star restaurant in many other cities. What a surprise, and a delight, to find this level of cuisine, ambiance and service in a place like Tampa. http://www.bernssteakhouse.com

* THE TAHITIAN INN AND SPA, Tampa: After reading about Bern's and SideBern's, those of you tempted to grab the first JetBlue flight to Tampa to check them out might be wondering where to stay during your visit to Tampa. We have the answer: The Tahitian Inn and Spa served as our home for four nights in Tampa, and we can't imagine ever staying anywhere else. Tampa's oldest independently-owned hotel (which has been around for more than 50 years), The Tahitian Inn recently underwent remodeling and now boasts beautiful suites, many with jacuzzis and kitchenettes. We fell in love with the Tampa mainstay The Tahitian Inn Coffee Shop on its ground floor — not necessarily for its reliable diner fare, but for its charm: It's a convenient place to grab breakfast in the morning or a "MoJoe burger" in the afternoon, and to enjoy a chat with the friendly waitresses. And the Inn's new Serenity Spa is truly lovely, even by critical New Yorkers' standards: each of us had one of the best massages of our lives. http://www.tahitianinn.com

* DB BISTRO MODERNE, New York City — Jean-Pierre ("J.P.") Francois is one of the nicest maitres d' in Manhattan — so on our visit to DB this week (prior to seeing a performance of "12 Angry Men" which features the fabulously talented Michael Mastro, whom we had the pleasure of meeting when Karen served on the Board of Naked Angels theater company), we were sorry to learn that New York will be losing J.P. to Las Vegas when Daniel Boulud opens his new restaurant there this spring. Still, what better reason to pay a visit? We'd already been looking forward to visiting Las Vegas upon the opening of Steve Wynn's newest restaurant, whose kitchen will be headed by Food & Wine Top 10 Chef Eric Klein (formerly of Maple Drive restaurant in Beverly Hills). Despite being a city with so many restaurants to choose from, Las Vegas should eagerly anticipate these two forthcoming additions. http://danielnyc.com/dbbistro/

* ENOTECA VIANSA, San Francisco — A few steps away from the gateway to San Francisco's Chinatown, you'll find a wine bar that has one foot in Sonoma and the other in Tuscany. Enoteca Viansa is truly a must-visit: Viansa wines can only be tasted at this enoteca or at the winery — and are sold only in these two locations and online. The offerings change, but if the 2002 Farnetta is offered, have a glass — and we suspect you'll want to buy some bottles to bring home, as we did! The wine is velvety with nice fruit and an amazing finish. http://www.viansa.com/about/enoteca_viansa.html

* HOTEL TRITON, San Francisco — Those wanting to visit Enoteca Viansa will be delighted to learn of the hip, fun boutique hotel right next door. Hotel Triton, which is part of the Kimpton hotel chain, is well-located near Chinatown, Union Square, and Nob Hill, and offered us a unique San Francisco experience: We stayed in its "Carlos Santana suite," which featured psychadelic decor and Santana memorabilia. Completing the theme, the room was equipped with Santana CDs and DVDs. We're already looking forward to our next visit and to trying out the other "celebrity suites" (whose themes range from Jerry Garcia to Woody Harrelson). Hotel Triton, 342 Grant Avenue; (415) 394-0500. http://www.hoteltriton.com

* THE MODERN at the MoMA, New York City — How many clues do you need to figure out that a new restaurant is something very special? In our experience, the first clue is that Danny Meyer's name is on it. But if you need more evidence, The Modern is also located in the newly-renovated Museum of Modern Art; features the cuisine of chef Gabriel Kreuther whose resume includes stints as the chef at Jean Georges and L'Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton (where he earned three stars); and boasts one of our favorite sommeliers in New York City: Stephane Colling, whom we first had the pleasure of meeting at Compass and who went on to dazzle us at Alain Ducasse (with, of all things, Greek whites, Long Island reds, and even a Chilean red paired with a chocolate dessert). We recommend spending a day at the MoMA, and a night at The Modern — continuing your enjoyment of great art over dinner by looking out over the MoMA's sculpture garden. http://www.ushg.org/

* PICHOLINE, New York City — We don't always take advantage of New York City's bi-annual Restaurant Week, but our recent lunch with our dear friend Rikki Klieman at Picholine reminded us what a fabulous opportunity it is to visit or re-visit some of the best restaurants around town and enjoy a three-course lunch for only $20.12 or a three-course dinner for $35. Terrance Brennan (also chef-owner of Artisanal and the Artisanal Cheese Center) offered two different choices for each course, and we tried (and loved) them all: the white bean soup and the venison sausage, the cod and the chicken, and the malted chocolate cake and the exotic fruit soup. The two special glasses of BV Chardonnay and Merlot available were quite modestly priced at $7/glass. We also sampled a dessert from the regular menu which featured a garnish of three miniature doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar that won all our hearts (especially since Rikki is married to the world's greatest cop Bill Bratton, so we all know our doughnuts!). Our visit to Picholine was such a delight that it definitely accomplished what every restaurant hopes during Restaurant Week: great word of mouth and a promise to return very soon! http://www.artisanalcheese.com

BTW, for out-of-towners who want to plan their next trip to New York City around Restaurant Week, check back at http://www.nycvisit.com for Summer 2005 dates.

VI. THE JOSH REPORT: A PostScript on One Young American Cook's Adventures in Spain —
and Reports of Your Own Global Culinary Adventures

A generation ago, serious aspiring chefs would make pilgrimages to cook in France, where the world's best restaurants were then located. If "Spain is the new France,"what would it be like for a young American chef to cook in Spain today?

In our past couple of e-Newsletters, we shared the story of Josh Silverman, a young cook we had the pleasure of meeting when we keynoted the Cascadia Culinary Conference on Washington 's Whidbey Island last May, as he ventured to Spain to try to land a cooking position. (To access those reports, click here or here.)

A few weeks ago, Josh wrote to us from Germany, "Thanks again for including my story in your e-Newsletter. I always enjoy your e-Newsletters....I loved the quote by Neem Karoli Baba.  I have often found much inspiration in stories of him and his teachings."

Shortly thereafter, we also heard from Kathy Silverman (aka "Josh's mom"), whom we'd also met at the Cascadia Culinary Conference: "You know, there really are no words for my gratitude for your encouragement and support of Josh as he enjoys his amazing European adventure. He is truly having a rich and delicious journey!  I'm actually very inspired by a combination of your e-Newsletter and Josh's travels to enhance my own culinary skills. I'm hoping to begin with a class called Saveur Cooks Authentic French, taught by Louise Hasson at Bon Vivant Cooking School in Seattle."

Josh's stories prompted several of your own reminiscences and recommendations of global adventures, a few of which we're happy to share below:

"Thanks for your e-Newsletter. I particularly enjoyed the terrific article about the American working in Spain. It reminded me of my 15 months in South Korea, where everything arrived 'live' and things we would normally throw away were re-created into a hot soup or broth. Who knows what I actually ate!"
—Sophie Davies, Cordon Bleu / Australia (www.lecordonbleu.com.au)

"Reading Josh's story made me re-live (if only for a moment) my own journey.  I was seeking an internship in France to supplement my pastry apprenticeship and the learning that had taken place here in the States.  I posted a note on www.boulangerie.net (a site for French professionals) and actually received several emails in response.  One, in particular, piqued my interest: a small bakery in Martigues, France.  Somehow, I mustered the courage to pursue and make that journey and, as they say, the rest is history.  What a wonderful experience!  I made the trek to Paris and trained my way through the countryside to Marsailles, then Martigues.  Like Josh, I would encourge all chefs to make the trek to foreign lands and seek cooking opportunities.  What an amazing thing to walk across the street every day to 'see what's fresh' at the fruit and produce vendor, then walk back across the street to utilize it in savory (quiche, pizza) and sweet (pastries, tarts, cakes) items.  And the fishmonger was two doors down, as well.  I did, however, see the trend occuring to bring in 'supermarkets' for convenience.  I still make products that I saw made in France, and I still correspond with my French friends via email.  While my French is horrible and their English is moderate, the human and personal connections remain strong.  Aside from the cooking, I feel very fortunate to have made these friendships.  The people you meet along the way...that is what it's all about!"
—Katherine Keeley Pappas, Chef/Owner, Katherine's (Bakery/Cafe/Catering) / Denver, CO

”I've been enjoying your e-Newsletter enormously, and think you may be interested in my newest culinary venture: culinary vacations.  There are two locations: In Vermont, they take place in my 18th century converted barn, and in Umbria, in a small castle in a perfect Umbrian hill town.   The Italian programs give guests a chance to see Umbrian life from a family perspective — we spend a day in a salumeria with Francesca's father, making proscuitto and salami, make traditional pasta with Francesca's mother and aunt, and go truffle hunting with her husband.  It's a real demonstration that life in this part of New England is remarkably like life in rural Europe, and the food we cook together is extraordinary. Best wishes to you both,"
—Deborah Krasner / Vermont and Umbria, Italy (www.deborahkrasnersvermont.com)

"This summer I am returning to China as a volunteer with Global Language Villages, which offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience China through interactions with Chinese students. Chinese children get immersed in the English language and culture for 14 days. Volunteers have an unforgettable cultural experience and develop lifelong friendships. The 3-week program begins with a 1-week tour. No teaching experience or knowledge of Chinese is required. It is the least expensive service-oriented adventure available: The session runs July 6-28 and costs $2195, which includes almost everything: airfare from most major cities, all accommodations, local transportation, tours, and most meals. Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information."
—Janet Stark, Harvard MBA / New York, NY (janetstark@yahoo.com)

VII. IN THE NEWS: The Latest Ink and Air Coverage of Our Books

We're always happy to serve as resources to the media on food-and-wine-related topics. Journalists are welcome to contact us for comment at Dornenburg@aol.com or (212) 642-5870.

"Even Top Chefs Learn From Cookbooks: Do professional chefs need to use cookbooks? Yes and no. Yes, since the alternative is to commit a slew of basic recipes to memory, and no, because experienced chefs don't learn anything new from duplicating another cook's work. However, many of our local kitchen pros are avid collectors and regularly slip between the covers to sniff out a new ingredient, a fresh flavour twist, or an inspiring reminder of what got them hooked on cooking....The gravy-stained pages in her copy of Marion Cunningham's The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1945) are proof, says Margaret Chisholm, executive chef at perpetually busy Culinary Capers catering, that she's 'nailed chicken cacciatore', adding that 'any book with 30 potato recipes is pretty great.' For pro-level reference, Chisholm and her team point to a beat-up copy of Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page's CULINARY ARTISTRY (1996), which, beside its inspiring how-to-be-a-chef content, includes a handy flavour-matching table. 'It's stuff we all know, but it really speeds up the work.' Rhonda Viani, pastry chef extraordinaire at West, also revisits 'those great flavour maps' in CULINARY ARTISTRY 'to spark an idea then see where it leads'."
—Andre Lariviere, The Georgia Straight in Vancouver (Canada's largest urban weekly) (February 17, 2005)

"THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF....The latest book by our dear friends, bestselling culinary authors and husband-and-wife team Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page! Since we're doing a little bit less touring than we used to, we have a little bit more time at home to make a mess in the kitchen...and Andrew and Karen's book is steering us toward new and delicious things , most of which our Waffle-House/road-honed palates would never otherwise think of. Between chapters, we have been lucky enough to accompany Karen and Andrew to some amazing New York City restaurants (for example, the brand new 'Modern' at The Museum of Modern Art — Danny Meyer's latest — where we got to sample the amazing menu at a special 'friends and family' pre-opening dinner!). Let Andrew and Karen share their unparalleled food expertise with you, too."
—e-Newsletterof the rock / pop band GrooveLily (February 2005)

"Potluck was given a whole new dimension at the annual birthday bash for Citymeals-on-Wheels co-founder Gael Greene held at the Greenwich Village brownstone of Billy Kornreich and Eileen O'Kane. The guests were all excellent cooks, including actor Joel Grey, Le Bernardin owner Maguy Le Coze, Quilted Giraffe founder Barry Wine, Flavors caterer Pamela Morgan (who made the smoothest and lightest hummus of all time), restaurant consultant Ed Schoenfeld (the best ribs) and chef Andrew Dornenburg (who made his signature romesco sauce as a dip for fresh shrimp). Cookbook author Karen Page said, 'It's such a discerning crowd that everyone makes a four-star effort — which you could definitely taste.'"
—Richard Johnson, "Page Six," THE NEW YORK POST (December 21, 2004)

To read these and other articles, visit our Media Room here.

VIII. OUR READERS WRITE:

”I met you at Wegmans in Princeton when I attended your book signing. Before I started my ‘day job' at Princeton University, I did events/PR for a large local book/music store, and one of my favorite events there was with Princeton grad Valerie Vigoda and her band GrooveLily.  Not just great music, she was a wonderful person to work with, and interesting beyond 'just' the music! And re: the part in your e-Newsletter about the biochemist who got so much out of your book: I work around molecular biologists here at Princeton, and will look forward to sharing some of her insights with some of our very food aware scientists here."
—Faith Bahadurian, Food Ink / Princeton, NJ

"Karen and Andrew, thank you for a wonderful year of information about food, life and nurturing our souls.  Your e-Newsletters are joy rides for the senses. Warmest wishes,"
—Joie Gould / Los Angeles, CA

"I just wanted to let you know that at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, where I am a culinary instructor, our December free class subject is Curator's Choice Cookbooks. In the class, we share about 15 of our favorite cookbooks, as chosen by Linda Carucci, our Curator of Food Arts. And CULINARY ARTISTRY is among them!"
—Jill Hough, recipe developer, food writer and culinary instructor / Napa, CA (www.jillhough.com)

"I would like to thank you because BECOMING A CHEF was instrumental in helping me win an essay writing contest this year. The theme of the contest was 'The Book That Changed My Life.' I came out in a local print advertisement as part of the prize that I won from the contest. I have attached a copy of the advertisement [click here to view it, under December 29th] to this letter....Thank you for helping me open a new chapter in my life. BECOMING A CHEF has given me hope and allowed me to follow my bliss."
—Carlos G. Laureta / The Philippines

"Thanks for letting me put in my two cents for my favorite pizza. I have sent an email to [jruby@chicagomag.com]. Living in Chelsea, I treasured Two Boots in the West Village. Living in Tokyo for two years now, I am surrounded with delicacies and luxuries — however, I do miss my pizza place. By the way, a recent article I have written about ‘nabe' opened up with a mention of the lack of good pizza here in Japan. If you have a minute and are curious about the Japanese nabe (hearty stews cooked at the table), you can find it here. Happy Eating!"
—Yukari Pratt / Tokyo, Japan

"What an extraordinary way to begin your e-Newsletter (with the quote from Meister Eckhart that ‘If the only prayer you ever say is ‘thank you,' it would be enough').  Thank YOU for this timely and gentle reminder of the gifts and glories of gratitude."
—Karen Schloss, Diaz * Schloss Communications / Montclair, NJ