Salt a World History   Mark Kurlansky

Gourmet Today Edited by Ruth Reichl, check out my Butterscotch pot de creme recipe Page 831

The Cheese Chronicles Liz Thorpe

Our lemon tartlet w/ fresh black mission figs

Other Books I would recommend

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook Judy Rodgers

Il Viaggio di Vetri 
Marc Vetri, Osteria is one of our favorite restaurants in Philadelphia

Lessons in Service by Charlie Trotter
a must read for my restaurant staff.  I never tire of re-reading this

Beyond Nose to Tail.  A kind of British Cooking: Part II
Fergus Henderson & Justin Piers Gellatly
My sister Lisa and I had the pleasure of eating their in July of 2009.  What a treat. I felt
like I was eating in an insane asylum with the all white decor, minamalist decorations and staff all in white. It made me actually feel very comfortable and allowed me to just focus on the food, espcecially when they use a sabre to cut the roasted pigs head off.

River Cafe Cook Book Green Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers
I lunched at the River Cafe for the first time, by myself in Jan of 2000.  The second time for lunch was in Feburary of 2003.  I was in the company of my friend Mimi Hillenbrand who raises buffalo at her ranch in Fairburn South Dakota, the  777.  I took my sister Lisa for dinner in July of 2009 and since my last visit the restaurant had experienced a fire in the kitchen and they had to do some remodeling. They have a great modern, igloo looking wood burning oven.  I highly recommend this dining establishment which focuses on fresh Italian ingredients.


Websites / Articles you may find interesting

James Beard Biography - provided by the World Culinary Institute
Culinate now
Serious Eats