I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS BOOK AND SUPPORT OF MY DREAMS:
MY WIFE, EMILY. Her support is unbridled and her contributions to this book were many. She gave me the time to create something I can be proud of. She is my rock.
MY CHILDREN, ETHAN AND WAYLON, who gave up their playroom while Daddy constructed his cooking gadgets, and who make me smile dang near every minute of the day.
MY KITCHEN HELP: To make a feast you need to have friends who like to cook. Gavin, James, Kirk, Beryl, Julio, Santwan, thank you. And sorry, I didn’t know it was going to be 110 degrees on these photo shoots.
MY ARTISTIC TEAM: Frank, who after me incinerated the most leg and arm hair in the process of shooting these feasts, and whose pictures are a work of art. Carolynn, who helped me reinvent the wheel and put it on paper. Jen, who brought color to my world, and life to the pages. Hallie Pierce Slade for lending her artistic touch to the design of our tables.
MY PARENTS: My mother Mary, a fine cook herself, who allowed me to be me. My father Harrison, a skilled craftsman and artist of great integrity, who gave me my love of craft and a strong work ethic.
MY TALENTED FAMILY: Willard, Eliel, Melissa, Malcolm, Georgia, Calista, Liam, Terrence, Kathryn, Marat, Jackie, Ben, Simon, Alice, John, and Monte, who keep me on my creative toes.
MY FRIENDS AND HOSTS. Frank and Diane, Dave and Carol, Willard, and Beth, who in blind faith turned their homes over to me.
MY AGENT. Janis Donnaud. Thank you for all your support along the way.
MY ATRIA TEAM: Gratitude to Leslie Meredith, who believed in our endeavor and allowed us to break a few rules along the way. My associate editor, Donna Loffredo, and the creative team of Laura Palese and Dana Sloan, who gave the book flow and balance. Thank you to Judith Curr, Lauren Shakely, Jackie Jou, and Lisa Sciambra.
THE MUSICIANS. Yes, I know you were happy with just beer and a smile, but without you it would have been a little too quiet around here. So thank you to Simon, Tasso, Johnny, Joel, Nolan, Eric, Cliff, Lucas, Devitt, Craig, Stephen. Encore!
And the FARMERS, FORAGERS, AND ARTISANS who provide me with the wonderful ingredients that make cooking a joy.