Any cookbook with recipes as delicious as those in The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook would be one that we'd want in our library, but a cookbook that so exuberantly embraces the natural world and cooking with quality ingredients goes to the top of the must-have list. The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook is a joy to read as well as an inspiration for the cook.
Big Sur is unique on the American landscape, a rugged terrain that traditionally has drawn those seeking a natural life. The Big Sur Bakery is an integral part of the history and the landscape, and an exemplar of simple, natural cooking that makes other ways of eating seem fussy and overdone. Taking the reader through a year in the life of the restaurant, the book provides not only seasonal good eating, but also good reading. Starting in the spring the authors, Michelle and Philip Wojtowicz and Michael Gilson, regale the reader with stories which give the reader an opportunity to meet the friends and community members who "have shaped our experience here, not to mention our food." With humility, the authors state, "We wanted a way to acknowledge and thank them for all they have done to make the Bakery what it is today."
Introducing those friends from the community the reader meets others dedicated to this vital way of life: there is Jim Dunlop, a farmer who produces pasture-raised chickens (and a lot of eggs); Jamie Collins, an organic row crop farmer who grows heirloom tomatoes, artichokes, strawberries, raspberries and various greens; Justin Severino, a butcher who is the first small producer of artisan, pasture-raised prosciutto in the country; Jack Koch, a bee-keeper by avocation who works with love, and copes with climate vagaries while smiling. There are restaurant people, from Mike the host, to Erik "The
Eye" who gives artistic coloring to the restaurant, Chef Philip who says the best part about cooking at the Bakery is the freedom, and that they're doing "a good, honest thing."
In addition to these profiles is the story of the restaurant. The warmth is so evident that the reader has fantasies about plane tickets or car trips. There are accounts of foraging for mushrooms, of fishing in Monterey, of busy, profitable 4th of July business, and quiet "going broke" December days, of the frenzy of a professional kitchen ("running a kitchen is like rock and roll. It's anarchy and pure excitement"). The stories invite curling up in an armchair with a cup of tea to daydream about being in Big Sur.
And then there are the recipes. Going through the year, the recipes vary according to seasonal offerings and preferences. The authors advocate simple foods with quality ingredients, but their imaginations have played with the ingredients to produce recipes that will satisfy sophisticated tastes. At night, Phil offers classics like Grilled Prime Rib Steak with Red Wine Sauce along with twists on traditional favorites like Venison Osso Buco or Rockfish Scampi. And every meal should end with one of Michelle's great desserts, whether it's a homemade Peppermint Ice Cream Sundae or Hazelnut Flan with Roasted Cherries. With authors inclined to tell stories, each recipe has a story to go with it.
There are glorious color photographs throughout, of food, of people (happy people we might add) of the landscape of Big Sur. This is a warm book, a soulful book, a delicious book.
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