Writing a cookbook is like that old proverb “It Takes a Village”—of talented people to be sure! My husband Dan Gasby is at the top of the list and is truly the wind beneath my wings! Dan wears many hats and was my literary agent for this project. Just one of the many reasons I said, “Thank you, Dan,” at the end of our television show.
Many thanks to Beth Wareham, Vice President and Director of Lifestyle Publishing at Scribner. She believed in the project and was a guiding force through thick and thin!
And I couldn’t have gotten the book to my publisher without my Executive Assistant, Michele Peppers, who was also my diligent Project Manager, as well as my candid photographer!
My friend television producer Adrienne Hammel has worked on my TV shows and on my last book, so I was delighted she had time to do some research for me on this book. It is wonderful to have talented friends that you enjoy working with; writers Yvonne Durant and Diana Murphy both jumped right on board!
Daniel Green has been invaluable as a trusted friend, confidant, and second set of eyes. During the past decade and a half he has been my makeup artist and photographer extraordinaire (he shot the cover for this book!). But most of all Daniel has been a trusted friend for many years, and a member of the B. Smith family!
I met photographer Colin Cooke while working on another project and had seen some of his beautiful photographs, and when it was time to shoot the food for this book, he was the first person I called. As you can see in the book, he did a fabulous job with his retoucher Mike Marquand and prop assistant Don Purple.
When you own restaurants and write cookbooks you really understand the importance of chefs, recipe developers, and recipe testers as well as food stylists! In alphabetical order:
Kersti Bowser, Jeannie Chen, Abby Dodge, Karen Ferries, Maggie Green, Paul Lowe (food and prop stylist), Executive Chef John Poon, Stephanie Rose, Whitney Stewart, Rhonda Stieglitz, Nancy Vaziri, Jeannie Voltz, and Patty White.
I had lots of help with the beverage chapter from our creative restaurant bar staff! Just like restaurant chefs, good bar staff members continuously create new and exciting drink recipes. A big thanks to Lonnie Barnett, John Laubenthal, Emily Petrain, Dartel McRae, Chris Van Hoy, and Sonja Williams at B. Smith’s Restaurant in New York City! Also, thanks to Robin Piro of B. Smith’s Sag Harbor. Cheers to Tom Townsend and of course Mike Wyche, Bar Manager and creative drink genius at B. Smith’s Restaurant, Union Station in Washington, D.C. Also, a special thank-you to Noel Hankin, the Senior Vice President of Multicultural Relations at Moët Hennessy USA and their talented mixologists for sharing their recipes for the Chamomile Cooler and Green Tea Martini.
And I couldn’t forget the rest of my Executive Team: Regina Briganti, Russell Brown, Adam Caswell, and Greg Wyman!