A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
A Paul Wiseman Book
Simon & Schuster
(pub. 1.18.22) 48 pages
Author: Diane Stanley
Illustrator: Jessie Hartland
Character: Alice Waters
Overview:
"Whenever young Alice Waters tasted something delicious, like the sun-warmed berries from her family’s garden or a crisp, ripe apple picked straight from the tree, she would remember it for the rest of her life. Later, as she tasted many more wonderful foods, she realized what made them so good—they were fresh and ripe, grown or made the old-fashioned way.
When Alice grew up, she opened a restaurant called Chez Panisse. As part of her quest to make delicious food, Alice sought out small, local farmers to provide the meat, dairy, and produce. The restaurant made her famous, but it did much more than that—it started a food revolution. Today, home cooks and chefs alike are all discovering the simple secret to the Best! Food! Ever! This book is a celebration of food, cooking, and the woman whose curiosity and devotion to flavor kickstarted America’s interest in buying local, organic food."
Tantalizing taste:
" She makes fancy French dinners for her friends. They sit around her table for hours, the way French people do, enjoying the food, friendship, and conversation.
Alice graduates from college with no plan for what to do next. Her favorite thing is French cooking, but that's not a job. It would be if she owned a restaurant, but she doesn't have the money or the experience. So instead, she works at this and that. None of it feels right.
One day she sees an old house for sale. It's kind of a mess, but she could fix it up. And it would be the perfect place for a restaurant. Like a French grandmother's house - warm and comfortable, with flowers on the tables, soft light streaming through the windows, wonderful smells drifting out of the kitchen."
And something more: The discussion of Alice and Her Delicious Revolution, at the back of the book, explains that "she used her fame to start a national conversation that quickly spread and continues to this day. Thanks to Alice Waters, more and more people are planting gardens and visiting farmers markets, enjoying food that's fresh, local, organic, healthy, and delicious. Food grown in a way that enriches the earth instead of depleting and polluting it. Food cooked and eaten at home, once again bringing families together around a table." Yes, bravo to Alice Waters and to her wonderful Chez Panisse at which I've had the good fortune to dine on many occasions. Delightful and delicious!