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 has grown to more than 10,000 subscribers — among the most passionate food and wine lovers across the United States and around the world — since it began monthly publication in February. For a FREE subscription for your favorite food enthusiast, simply email CookbookRave@aol.com, or enter an automatic subscription at www.becomingachef.com.
To contact Andrew and/or Karen, please email us at Dornenburg@aol.com.)

I. FALL GREETINGS FROM ANDREW & KAREN

II. WHERE WE'RE HEADED NEXT: Louisville (Nov. 6-8) and Washington, DC (Nov. 17)

III. WHERE WE'RE EATING: All Across North America

IV. STUFF WE LOVE: Great New Cookbooks and Simmer Sauces

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

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

"To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season…and a time for every purpose under heaven."
—Pete Seeger, as adapted from the Bible's Book of Ecclesiastes (Ch. 3)

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

We're flattered that so many of you wrote to ask why you hadn't received any e-Newsletters from us since July.

The truth is that it's easier to write when there's happier news to share — and harder when our relationship with food morphs from one of celebration into commemoration.

In our book CULINARY ARTISTRY, we write about food as a medium of expression, which it has been for us in many unexpected ways over the past couple of months. In recent weeks, food has provided us with an invaluable way to express:

- Our concern for Karen's sister before having serious surgery, through sending her some of her favorite chocolate cookies from her culinary idol Marcel Desaulniers (www.thetrellis.com);

- Our nurturing for our dearest friend after her own serious surgery, through cooking her favorite comfort food of macaroni and cheese, made from a new favorite recipe straight out of Patrick O'Connell's REFINED AMERICAN CUISINE (see "Stuff We Love");

- Our heartfelt gratitude to Andrew's father's friends and neighbors who have been supporting him during his valiant battle with cancer, through preparing a multi-course dinner that pulled out all the stops — from caviar and truffles to a Junior's Cheesecake FedExed from Manhattan, giving these Californians a true taste of New York.

At a time when life's fragility has become all too apparent to us, we're grateful for food's ability to provide even a modicum of comfort and joy.

Warmest wishes,
Andrew & Karen

P.S. We have also been remiss in some of our correspondence during our unexpected travels over the past couple of months. If you've been trying to get in touch with us, we hope you'll persevere.

We've long been looking forward to visiting Louisville, Kentucky, to keynote the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Conference the weekend of November 6-8. Here's how it was written up by Dianne Aprile in the Summer 2004 issue of ENTREZ:

"Cookbook Authors to Rally Conference....Firebrands of the restaurant world will be on hand to rally the crowd at this fall's WCR Annual Conference in Louisville, Nov. 6-8. Authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, the husband-and-wife team behind THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF, a Finalist for the 2004 IACP Cookbook Award, will bring their special brand of culinary enthusiasm to the Monday keynote session.”

We hope to have the pleasure of seeing some of you there. For registration information, visit www.womenchefs.org.

* Appearing at The National Press Club Book Fair in WASHINGTON, DC (Nov. 17)

We have been invited to participate in The National Press Club Book Fair in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, November 17th, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF and BECOMING A CHEF are two of only 70 books selected to be featured at this prestigious annual event, which draws more than 1,000 guests. Get a jump on your holiday shopping, or just stop by to say hello.

There's more information on the Book Fair available at npc.press.org.

For more on where else we're headed and where else we've been, visit our Web site at
www.becomingachef.com/news_and_events.php

Summer and other recent travels provided us with a wonderful opportunity to discover some great new restaurants — as well as rediscover some old favorites:

ANGELINI OSTERIA
Los Angeles, CA
www.angeliniosteria.com
This is one of those Italian menus at which you could simply throw a dart and hit something that's bound to please your palate — whether a salad, a pizza, or the most amazing fresh peas at the very height of pea season. While there, we ran into another L.A. restaurant insider who shared the good word about chef Gino's brand-new LA TERZA, where we're looking forward to heading next.

BABBO
New York, NY
www.babbonyc.com
Why should we even bother raving about BABBO? It's already impossible to get in — and on a recent Sunday night at 10 pm, it was jam-packed with diners enjoying Mario Batali's incomparable cuisine and Gina DePalma's desserts. But we can't help it: Our most recent dinner here, with James Beard Award-winning chef Janos Wilder (of JANOS in Tucson) and his wife Rebecca, hit new highs. With its rock-n-roll soundtrack and upbeat vibe, BABBO always feels like a party. It's hands-down one of our favorite restaurants on the planet.

BALTHAZAR
New York, NY
www.balthazarny.com
OK, so you already know about BALTHAZAR, too — but have you been in for breakfast to enjoy New York City's best doughnut for only $1? With stacks of the Sunday New York Times, enough room to spread them out next to your great latte, and fabulous doughnuts made right on the premises, BALTHAZAR has everything you need to start an indulgent Sunday morning off right.

BECKTA DINING & WINE
Ottawa, Canada
www.beckta.com
Picture an extraordinary yet comfortable restaurant where you'd feel just as much at ease celebrating a special occasion as grabbing a solo bite at the bar — say, Danny Meyer and Michael Romano's UNION SQUARE CAFÉ. Now, squint and picture it a bit smaller in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, with 30-something wine lover and host extraordinaire Steve Beckta at the door and chef Steve Vardy turning out dishes like gnocchi and even foie gras poutine. Yep, that's BECKTA.

KAI
at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa
Phoenix, AZ
www.wildhorsepassresort.com
(via the James Beard House in New York City)
We had the great pleasure of a taste of the Native American-inspired Southwestern cuisine of chef Sandy Garcia and consulting chef Janos Wilder on Sept. 29th, and the privilege of introducing the chefs to an admiring crowd. The highlight was tasting ingredients that were grown on Indian reservations, including KAI's exclusive Extra Virgin Olive Oil made with Manzanillo olives grown on the Gila River Farm in Arizona. This dinner gave us one more reason to look forward to a winter visit to Phoenix!

LAI WAH HEEN
in the Metropolitan Hotel
Toronto, Canada
www.metropolitan.com/lwh
Who'd have thunk we'd have the best Chinese meal of our lives to date in Canada? No one was more surprised than we were by the technical perfection of our every course, from dumplings to noodles to shark's fin soup.

MAPLE DRIVE
Beverly Hills, CA
www.mapledriverestaurant.com
Eric and Tori Klein (he's the chef, she's the manager) are one of the most talented and hospitable young couples in the restaurant business. If Eric's outstanding crisp tart flambees and Alsatian favorites weren't enough to bring you back (and they are!), Tori's warmth and sense of humor would be.

MICHAEL FIELDS AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE
East Troy, WI
www.michaelfieldsaginst.org
We were impressed with the fabulous organic cuisine we enjoyed at our dear friend Susan Davis's wedding held here in August, and learned that the Institute serves a delicious three-course lunch daily featuring seasonal, local ingredients (including produce from its fields) for just $7.50.

Check out our Web site for more restaurant tips at www.becomingachef.com/restaurants.php or
www.becomingachef.com/blog.php.

* PATRICK O'CONNELL's REFINED AMERICAN CUISINE by Patrick O'Connell

This is the most exciting cookbook we've seen so far this year. Not only is it by the chef responsible for one of the very best dinners of our lives, but it sets a whole new standard for "so-gorgeous-you're-tempted-to-lick-the-photographs"cookbooks. As we mentioned previously, we had a chance to prepare the Macaroni and Cheese with Virginia Ham recipe for a dear friend — and it's stellar, even without the optional truffles. The book captures a sense of place with its intimate photography of Patrick's dishes, the Inn, and the Virginia countryside (from fields to local livestock).

It's inspiring that a chef who grew up eating Mrs. Paul's fish sticks went on to create Pan-Roasted Lobster with Rosemary Cream. We're already looking forward to trying a few of his seasonal desserts, from a Pear Trio to Frozen Eggnog Souffle. We've interviewed Patrick for virtually all of our books, yet we still manage to learn more from him.

When you buy your copy of REFINED AMERICAN CUISINE, be sure to pick up a few extras to give as gifts — it's sure to be a huge hit with the discerning food lovers on your holiday shopping list.

* INDIAN HOME COOKING by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness

For those of you outside New York who have not had a chance to taste Suvir Saran's cuisine at his former restaurant AMMA or his brand-new restaurant (with partner Hemant Mathur) DEVI, you can now sample it for yourself — and in the comfort of your own home.

INDIAN HOME COOKING is a great-looking book that is easy to use. Best of all, it features one of our favorite Indian dishes: "Gael's Tandoori Lamb."Named after New York magazine's legendary restaurant critic Gael Greene (to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for first introducing us to Suvir's cooking), the lamb is marinated overnight in spices and yogurt before cooking, and Suvir describes the dish as tasting of "garlic, cumin, nutmeg and mace balanced by the sharpness of vinegar and lemon." It is an amazing dish; just trust us (and Gael!) on this one!

* INDIAN SIMMER SAUCES from Maya Kaimal

We like to describe ourselves as "both/and"as opposed to "either/or"people. Why choose when you can enjoy both? We not only enjoy cooking Indian food out of cookbooks, but we appreciate a good shortcut, too.

Picking up a trio of noted Indian cookbook author Maya Kaimal's new Indian "Simmer Sauces," we made both the Coconut Curry and the Tikka Masala sauces side-by-side the first night we came home with them — and loved them both. We later sampled the Vindaloo sauce, which we found just as delicious. Simmer some chicken (or shrimp or tofu; suggestions are featured on the container's label) in one of the sauces, serve over basmati rice, and you have a delicious Indian meal in half an hour.

You can find the sauces via www.kalustyans.com, or at a growing number of gourmet stores. (If not, ask for them to be ordered!) Or you can order a case of six sauces to be delivered to your door for only $60 (including shipping and handling) directly from www.mayakaimal.com.

You can read a summary of recent press in the Media Room on our Web site here. But here are some highlights:

* The October 2004 issue of ePREGNANCY raves, "If parenthood temporarily keeps you housebound, take an around-the-world tour without leaving your kitchen. THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF: Cooking with the Best of Flavors and Techniques from Around the World is for the culinary adventurer, offering more than 100 exotic recipes from ten regions across Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Part travelogue, part cooking course, the book examines the techniques, traditions, staples, drinks and eating rituals behind the cuisine. For people with adventurous palates and a desire to expand their repertoire, this beautiful and informative cookbook lets you escape into another world."

* The October 2004 issue of FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS includes praise for both BECOMING A CHEF and CULINARY ARTISTRY in Kathy Posner's column.

* Karen is quoted in an article by Scott Brown on the restaurant chain Hooters in the September 29th edition of FLORIDA TODAY.

* THE OTTAWA CITIZEN gave away copies of THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF and BECOMING A CHEF to a lucky reader of its Food section on Sept. 29th.

* Karen and Andrew joined Mario Batali at a fundraiser he hosted for the Washington Square Arch in New York City, as reported in Sept. 26th NEW YORK POST.

* THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF is reviewed and described as having "a wealth of practical advice" by Bruno Petosa in his column "By the Book" in the Sept. 26th MONTREAL GAZETTE.

* Karen is quoted in THE WASHINGTON TIMES via a Sept. 25th UPI report on the failure of Interstate Bakeries, makers of Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies. While the Atkins craze was blamed, Karen pointed out the role of the increasing sophistication of the American palate.

* Gina Willis of THE FREE LANCE-STAR references CULINARY ARTISTRY as a source of information on balancing flavors.

* Karen was quoted in Sam Kennedy's article in THE ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL on Rodale's serving organic fare in its company cafeteria.

* Andrew and Karen's gift to San Francisco First Lady Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom of copies of THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF and CHEF'S NIGHT OUT was reported by Jeanne Lawrence in San Francisco's August 2004 NOB HILL NEWS, with the assurance that "she'll love reading them."

* Andrew's tips on cooking shark were reported in the August 11th ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, marking the opening of our friends' summer blockbuster "Open Water.”

* Karen is quoted in an August 2004 GLAMOUR article on couples in extraordinary relationships.

* Ginny Marcin's article in the August 2004 IFF WORLD OF FLAVOR mentions THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF and sets the record straight on Mexican cuisine.

* Our brainiac friends among you already know this (seriously — a few of you emailed us to let us know you'd spotted it before we did!), but THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF was reviewed by Tom Elliott in the August 2004 issue of the MENSA BULLETIN:

"[Y]ou'll find this a helpful companion…Like variety/diversity? You have a choice of 10 different cuisines. Each section is composed of a culinary map, a flavor palette, an overview of ingredients and techniques, a reading list, and finally several select recipes (approximately 10 from each culture). The basics of each style are stressed, and full dinner menus are suggested. Want to learn from the experts? Some of the most highly regarded artistes in cookery have contributed: Daniel Boulud (French), Mario Batali (Italian), Corinne Trang (Vietnamese), Hiroko Shimbo (Japanese), Julie Sahni (Indian), Jose Andres (Spanish), Nina Simonds (Chinese), Rick and Deann Bayless (Mexican), and Rafih and Rita Benjelloun (Morrocan), In the end, it all comes down to the mouthwatering dishes: Cornish hen with pomegranate honey and roasted almonds, deep-fried fillet of trout, pollo a due tempi il vecchio molinetto, fried fluted dough with chocolate dipping sauce, short ribs braised in red wine, tacos de pollo in salsa verde, and grilled salmon in creamy red curry sauce. Lunch anyone?"

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

"This is so great!  I'm delighted to be on your list...Have a wonderful time in Canada!"
—Arlyn Blake, James Beard House Publications / New York, NY

"I am missing your newsletters and am wondering if your e-mail might have been deleted.  I did not get August, but then hoped you had taken a respite.  Now I don't have September, so thought I would speak out and also say hello."
—Susan Mabe, Owner, TimeSavers (TimeSav@aol.com) / Ridgefield, CT

"Nice to read [your e-Newsletter] in China. Wish we had some good Chinese cooking."
—Janet Stark, Harvard MBA / China

"I was just thinking of both of you when I wanted to go out for some ice cream/gelato and thought, ‘I wonder where Karen and Andrew go?' Perhaps a suggestion for your next summer newsletter when NYC is so hot and humid...Delicious wishes to both of you!"
—Jennifer Stein, Brand Manager, Chock full o' Nuts Cafes / Harrison, NY 

[Note to Jen: Have you tried the awesome frozen custard at SHAKE SHACK in Madison Square Park, near 24th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan? MMMmmm....]