Big heart little stove Bringing home meals & moments from The Lost Kitchen

The daughter of a rural diner owner, French perhaps had no choice but to open her own restaurant. Lifelong Maine resident French, author of the cookbook The Lost Kitchen (2017) and the memoir Finding Freedom (2021), here chronicles the growth of her dream, from cooking in apartments to an Airstream trailer, and finally, in her own bona fide space. Along the way, she charms readers with personal stories and a wealth of hints and tips found nowhere else. She insists on using fresh eggs, contrasting watery yolks to big, brilliantly orange ones. Salt must be the one that comes in the big blue box. She's particular about serving pieces, and flowers adorn everything from table settings and foaming rose silver polish to a list of edible flower varieties. More than 70 recipes illustrate the down-homeyness of French's cuisine: Gram's clam dip, chowder, Mediterranean mess salad, farmhouse pie (made with duck confit), glazed butter cake. Cook's notes detail what to do with leftovers and how to make dishes your own, and sidebars share French's culinary passions.

Listeners might approach an audio cookbook with trepidation, but French's (Finding Freedom in the Lost Kitchen) latest is much more than a collection of recipes. The critically acclaimed chef and owner of the Lost Kitchen Restaurant pens a love letter to food, cooking, and serving with love. In addition to delectable recipes, the author interweaves memories from her youth, entertaining how-tos, and a fascinating discussion of ingredients such as edible flowers that take a dish from ordinary to extraordinary. Best of all, each recipe has a story. Listening to the audiobook, which French narrates herself, is a little like peeking behind the curtain to see how the magic is made. While listeners don't have ready access to the photographs, the behind-the-scenes stories with the author, her mother, and cooking maven Ina Garten are entirely satisfying on their own. Toward the end of the book, there are tips and tricks learned from all the mothers in French's life--lots of practical wisdom, passed along with a dash of love. VERDICT This delightful audio cookbook is a must-listen for foodies everywhere.--Erin Cataldi