Overview

"The New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed memoir from cultural icon and culinary standard bearer Alice Waters recalls the circuitous road and tumultuous times leading to the opening of what is arguably America's most influential restaurant.   When Alice Waters opened the doors of her ""little French restaurant"" in Berkeley, California in 1971 at the age of 27, no one ever anticipated the indelible mark it would leave on the culinary landscape—Alice least of all. Fueled in equal parts by naiveté and a relentless pursuit of beauty and pure flavor, she turned her passion project into an iconic institution that redefined American cuisine for generations of chefs and food lovers. In Coming to My Senses Alice retraces the events that led her to 1517 Shattuck Avenue and the tumultuous times that emboldened her to find her own voice as a cook when the prevailing food culture was embracing convenience and uniformity.  Moving from a repressive suburban upbringing to Berkeley in 1964 at the height of the Free Speech Movement and campus unrest, she was drawn into a bohemian circle of charismatic figures whose views on design, politics, film, and food would ultimately inform the unique culture on which Chez Panisse was founded. Dotted with stories, recipes, photographs, and letters, Coming to My Senses is at once deeply personal and modestly understated, a quietly revealing look at one woman's evolution from a rebellious yet impressionable follower to a respected activist who effects social and political change on a global level through the common bond of food."

Full Product Details

9780307718297

Table of Contents

Reviews

One of the architects of California cuisine, Alice Waters reveals her rise to Chez Panisse fame in her latest memoir. Waters has never been shy about telling her story, but this book goes further back than most of her earlier work. --Eater You'll get lost in [Waters's] palpable passion, all the while learning about her love for rose, her genius way to make mayo and that time she turned down a dinner with John Lennon. --Tasting Table [Waters] does an artful job of showing how even the most apparently unrelated experiences helped lead her to her profession. She is also quite frank about her failures; her relationships with lovers, friends, and colleagues; and her pride in remaining a part of the 1960's counterculture that nourished her. An almost charmed restaurant life that exhales the sweet aromas of honesty and self-awareness. --Kirkus Reviews After reading this mouthwatering tale of Waters' intrepid youth, you'll be hungry for more... --USA Today Coming to My Senses is extremely easy to digest, even for non-foodies, largely because Waters views her eventful life with a touch of wonderment that is at once wide-eyed and slyly observant... Waters comes across as intelligent, creative, intuitive, exacting, brave and, always, learning. --Chicago Tribune Notable Press: New York Times bestseller in Hardcover Nonfiction Publishers Weekly bestseller in Hardcover Nonfiction Los Angeles Times bestseller in Hardcover Nonfiction IndieBound bestseller in Hardcover Nonfiction Fall 2017 Most Anticipated Books--Publishers Weekly Ten Cookbooks for Fall--USA Today What to Read This Month--Vanity Fair 50 New Books to Read in Fall 2017--PureWow

Author Information

ALICE WATERS is the executive chef, founder, and owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkely, California.  She founded the Edible Schoolyard and has received the French Legion of Honor, WSJ Magazine Humanitarian Innovator Award, and three James Beard Awards.  Alice is Vice President of Slow Food International and the author of thirteen books. Her most recent books are My Pantry, The Art of Simple Food II, 40 Years of Chez Panisse, and In the Green Kitchen.  She lives in Berkeley, California.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available