acknowledgments

I am indebted to the lovely and inspirational Ellen Silverman for her beautiful photos, Susie Theodorou for the food styling and good humor, Sara Slavin for the prop styling, and everyone else who helped make the photo production a reality: Nick Duers, Rebecca Jurkevich, Kristin Knauff, Amy Neunsinger and family, Loren Simpson, Leslie Lopez, Adir Abergel, Ashlie Johnson, and Meyler & Company. And for the cover shoot: Lucy Attwater, Renato Campora, Kristofer Buckle, Kevin Norris, and, of course, Ellen.

Additional gratitude to Harold Brown, Luke Janklow, Dani Wells-Cole, and the truly amazing Cleo Brock-Abraham. And to Stephen Huvane for twenty years of support.

And a special thank you to Rochelle Udell, who came up with the title for this book.

Karen Murgolo and the team at Grand Central Publishing, including Matthew Ballast, Philippa White, Tareth Mitch, Anne Twomey, and Claire Brown. And to Laura Palese, for a beautiful design.

And of course… Georgie, Eliza, Kevin, Elouisa, Reina, Ljube, Victoria and Julio, Aimee, Marta, Laura, Leticia, and the wonderful Terry Abbot.

I tip my hat to the chefs, home cooks, food authors, and restaurateurs who have been my teachers… starting with my dear friend and professor of all things, Mario Batali. The chef friends of my parents who opened up the culinary world to us Paltrows—the late Sheila Lukins, one of my mother’s closest friends, for her wonderful eccentricity in the kitchen and out; Michael and Kim McCarty, our conduit to the food revolution in California; Jonathan Waxman; and Gordon Naccarato. Lee and Darlene Gross, who taught me more than anyone about healthy eating; Jamie Oliver, for one of the best cooking lessons imaginable. Arjun Waney for his incredible kitchens and friendship. The Elio’s kitchen, the Chez L’Ami Louis kitchen, and of course the inimitable Ruthie Rogers and the River Cafe kitchen.

credits Sue Fisher King (San Francisco), D’Artagnan, TableArt (Los Angeles), Unici (West Hollywood), Rina Menardi (Los Angeles)