Food and Wine Events

POSTPONED: Literary Luncheon: Laura Lippman - My Life as a Villainess: Essays (Corte Madera Store)

Thursday, May 14, 2020 - 12:00pm

Please note: This event has been postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of our community. For updates on this event and for additional event information, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Ticket: $55 (includes meal & signed copy of My Life as a Villainess: Essays)

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman’s first book of nonfiction, My Life as a Villainess, is a collection of personal, wry, relatable, often surprising essays that explore childhood, motherhood, friendship, her career as a newspaper reporter, and as a novelist. Lippman's life stories are at once specific and universal, with as many twists as her award-winning crime fiction.

These candid essays offer insights into the experiences that have helped Lippman become one of the most successful writers of her generation.

Since Laura Lippman's debut in 1997, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the "essential" crime writers of the last 100 years. Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into thirty languages. A perennial bestselling author, she lives in Baltimore, New York, and New Orleans with her family.

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Please note: Tickets are non-refundable.

51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925

POSTPONED: Cooks with Books: Melissa Clark - Dinner in French (Left Bank, Larkspur)

Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 6:30pm

Please note: This event has been postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of our community. For updates on this event and for additional event information, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Presented by Book Passage at Left Bank Brasserie, Larkspur
Tickets: $130 (includes meal, wine, tax, tip, and a signed copy of Dinner in French)

Just as Julia Child brought French cooking to twentieth-century America, so now Melissa Clark brings French cooking into the twenty-first century. She first fell in love with France and French food as a child; her parents spent their August vacations traversing the country in search of the best meals with Melissa and her sister in tow. Near to her heart, France is where Melissa's family learned to cook and eat. And as her own culinary identity blossomed, so too did her understanding of why French food is beloved by Americans.

Now, as one of the nation's favorite cookbook authors and food writers, Melissa updates classic French techniques and dishes to reflect how we cook, shop, and eat today. With recipes such as Salade Nicoise with Haricot Vert, Cornmeal and Harissa Soufflé, Scalloped Potato Gratin, Lamb Shank Cassoulet, Ratatouille Sheet-Pan Chicken, Campari Olive Oil Cake, and Apricot Tarte Tatin (to name a few), Dinner in French will quickly become a go-to resource and endure as an indispensable classic.

Melissa Clark is the author of Dinner, Dinner in an Instant, and Comfort in an Instant, and is a staff writer for the New York Times Food section, where she writes their wildly popular food column, “A Good Appetite.” The winner of multiple James Beard and IACP awards, Melissa is the host of the “Weeknight Kitchen” podcast on The Splendid Table. Melissa earned an MFA in writing from Columbia, and her work has been selected for the Best American Food Writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.

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Our award-winning Cooks with Books events are held at outstanding Bay Area restaurants. The meal is inspired by the author/chefs who discuss their cookbooks with guests throughout the meal. These are happy, convivial events that often sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register! Event tickets include the meal, wine, tip, and a signed copy of the book.

 

Left Bank Brasserie
507 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939

POSTPONED: Cooks with Books: Fanny Singer - Always Home (Left Bank, Larkspur)

Sunday, April 26, 2020 - 12:30pm

Please note: This event has been postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of our community. For updates on this event and for additional event information, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Presented by Book Passage at Left Bank Brasserie, Larkspur
Tickets: $125 (includes meal, wine, tax, tip, and a signed copy of Always Home)

In this extraordinarily intimate portrait of her mother—and herself—Fanny Singer, daughter of food icon and activist Alice Waters, chronicles a unique world of food, wine, and travel; a world filled with colorful characters, mouth-watering traditions, and sumptuous feasts. Across dozens of vignettes with accompanying recipes, she shares the story of her own culinary coming of age and reveals a side of her legendary mother that has never been seen before. A charming, smart translation of Alice Waters's ideals and attitudes about food for a new generation, Always Home is a loving, often funny, exquisitely written look at a life defined in so many ways by food, as well as the bond between mother and daughter.

Fanny Singer is a writer, editor, and co-founder of the design brand, Permanent Collection. In 2013, she received a Ph.D. on the subject of the British pop artist Richard Hamilton's late work from the University of Cambridge. In 2015, she and her mother, Alice Waters, published My Pantry, which she also illustrated. Having spent more than a decade living in the United Kingdom, Fanny recently moved back to her native California. Based in San Francisco, she travels widely, contributing art reviews and culture writing to a number of publications including Frieze, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Apartamento, T Magazine, and Art Papers, among others.

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Our award-winning Cooks with Books events are held at outstanding Bay Area restaurants. The meal is inspired by the author/chefs who discuss their cookbooks with guests throughout the meal. These are happy, convivial events that often sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register! Event tickets include the meal, wine, tip, and a signed copy of the book.

 

Left Bank Brasserie
507 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939

POSTPONED: Cooks with Books: Bryant Terry - Vegetable Kingdom (Greens Restaurant, San Francisco)

Friday, March 20, 2020 - 12:30pm

Please note: This event has been postponed. A rescheduled date will be announced soon.

Presented by Book Passage at Greens Restaurant, San Francisco
Tickets: $130 (includes meal, wine, tax, tip, and a signed copy of Vegetable Kingdom)

Food justice activist and author Bryant Terry breaks down the fundamentals of plant-based cooking in Vegetable Kingdom, showing you how to make delicious meals from popular vegetables, grains, and legumes. Recipes like Dirty Cauliflower, Barbecued Carrots with Slow-Cooked White Beans, Millet Roux Mushroom Gumbo, and Citrus & Garlic-Herb-Braised Fennel are enticing enough without meat substitutes, instead relying on fresh ingredients, vibrant spices, and clever techniques to build flavor and texture.

The book is organized by ingredient, making it easy to create simple dishes or showstopping meals based on what’s fresh at the market. Bryant also covers the basics of vegan cooking, explaining the fundamentals of assembling flavorful salads, cooking filling soups and stews, and making tasty grains and legumes. With beautiful imagery and classic design, Vegetable Kingdom is an invaluable tool for plant-based cooking today.

Bryant Terry is a James Beard Award-winning chef and educator and the author of Afro-Vegan. He is renowned for his activism and efforts to create a healthy, equitable, and sustainable food system. He is currently in his fifth year as chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, where he creates programming that celebrates the intersection of food, farming, health, activism, art, culture, and the African Diaspora. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle, and on NPR's All Things Considered. San Francisco magazine included Bryant among the 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene and Fast Company named him one of 9 People Who Are Changing the Future of Food.

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Our award-winning Cooks with Books events are held at outstanding Bay Area restaurants. The meal is inspired by the author/chefs who discuss their cookbooks with guests throughout the meal. These are happy, convivial events that often sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register! Event tickets include the meal, wine, tip, and a signed copy of the book.

 

Greens Restaurant
Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94123

POSTPONED: Cooks with Books: Nancy Silverton with Ryan DeNicola - Chi Spacca (Insalata's, San Anselmo)

Thursday, May 14, 2020 - 6:30pm

Presented by Book Passage at Insalata's, San Anselmo • Sponsored by Bank of Marin
Tickets: $140 (includes meal, wine, tax, tip, and a signed copy of Chi Spacca)

Please note: This event has been postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of our community. For updates on this event and for additional event information, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

 

Meal planned and prepared by co-author and chi SPACCA Executive Chef Ryan DeNicola

In Chi Spacca, her first meat-centric cookbook, Nancy Silverton ("Queen of L.A.'s restaurant scene" —Los Angeles Times) shares the secrets of cooking like an Italian butcher with recipes for meats, fish, and vegetables that capture the spirit of Italy. Drawing on her years of living and cooking in Umbria, Italy, and from the menu of her revered steakhouse, Chi Spacca (hailed as a "meat speakeasy" by Food & Wine), Silverton, and Chi Spacca's executive chef Ryan DeNicola, present their take on such mouth-watering dishes as Beef Cheek and Bone Marrow Pie; Coffee-Rubbed Tri-Tip; Fried Whole Branzino with Pickled Peppers and Charred Scallions; and Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks. And vegetable dishes are given just as much attention, from fire-kissed Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Garlic Crème Fraîche; Charred Sugar Snap Peas with Yogurt, Guanciale, and Lemon Zest; Little Gems with Herb Breadcrumbs, Bacon Vinaigrette, and Grated Egg; Roasted Beets with Chicories, Yogurt, and Lemon Zest. Also included are Silverton's own spins on steakhouse classics such as Caesar salad, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes, as well as desserts—including, of course, her beloved butterscotch budino.

Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles and Newport Beach as well as Osteria Mozza, Mozza2Go, and chi SPACCA in Los Angeles. Silverton also founded the world-renowned La Brea Bakery as well as Campanile Restaurant, an institution that Angelenos cherished for decades. She has worked with some of the nation’s most notable and influential chefs including Jonathan Waxman at Michael’s Restaurant and Wolfgang Puck at Spago. She has served as a mentor to numerous others who have gone on to become award-winning chefs and restaurant owners themselves Early in her career, Nancy was named Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef.” In 2014, she received the highest honor given by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Chef.” That year, she was listed as one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by both Fortune and Food and Wine Magazines. Silverton is the author of eight cookbooks including Desserts (1986), Breads from the La Brea Bakery (1996), Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (2000), Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book (2005), Twist of the Wrist (2007) and the Mozza Cookbook (2011). In 2017, Nancy was profiled on Netflix’s documentary series “Chef’s Table.” She is active in fundraising for numerous charities including No Kind Hungry and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ryan DeNicola was taught the importance of quality ingredients at an early age. Ryan started his professional career as a dishwasher in Santa Ana and quickly raised the ranks to line cook. After high school, Ryan attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park where he received an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. After working his way through kitchens in Nantucket, New York and Las Vegas, Ryan moved back to LA, where worked in kitchens of restaurants from casual concepts to fine dining at Son of a Gun, Animal, and Michael’s. Ryan eventually landed on the corner of Melrose and Highland, where he opened chi SPACCA under the tutelage of Nancy Silverton and Chad Colby. It is there that Ryan has discovered his true love for butchery and charcuterie. After two years at chi SPACCA, Ryan worked as Chef de Cuisine at Pizzeria Mozza, ultimately returning to chi SPACCA where he can now be found wielding a cleaver as Executive Chef.

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Our award-winning Cooks with Books events are held at outstanding Bay Area restaurants. The meal is inspired by the author/chefs who discuss their cookbooks with guests throughout the meal. These are happy, convivial events that often sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register! Event tickets include the meal, wine, tip, and a signed copy of the book.

Insalata's Restaurant
120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
San Anselmo, CA 94960

Special Event: Book Club Brunch 2020 (Corte Madera Store)

Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 11:00am

Tickets: $40 (includes brunch and a book) • Presenters include Michele Sulka and Jenn Ramage

*Please note: Registration is now closed. *

Bring your book group to the Corte Madera store and hear the latest word from publishing representatives! They'll be sharing their picks for new fiction and non-fiction releases, focusing on titles selected especially for book clubs. Your ticket includes a catered brunch and a free copy of a yet-to-be released book, courtesy of our publishing partners. Seating can be reserved for book clubs to sit together on a first-come, first-served basis. This event was quite popular last year, and it is sure to sell out, so call us or come into the store to reserve your space!

Jenn Ramage has been with Penguin Random House for 13 years and in publishing/ bookselling for over 20 years. She currently sells the Knopf/Doubleday side of the list and this will be her 3rd time at the bookclub brunch.

Michele Sulka is a 30-year veteran of the book business, having started as a clerk in independent bookstores in the Midwest, then moved into publishing in 2008. With Random House, she’s worked with great booksellers all over the Rocky Mountains and southwest, and now sells to independent bookstores in the Bay Area (which, as everyone knows, are the best in the country.)

51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925

POSTPONED: Literary Luncheon: Julia Alvarez - Afterlife (Corte Madera Store)

Friday, April 17, 2020 - 12:00pm

Please note: This event has been postponed due to concerns for the health and well-being of our community. For updates on this event and for additional event information, please subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Ticket: $55 (includes meal & signed copy of Afterlife)

The first adult novel in fourteen years by the bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.

Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves—lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack—but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words.

Afterlife is a compact, nimble, and sharply droll novel. Set in this political moment of tribalism and distrust, it asks: What do we owe those in crisis in our families, including—maybe especially—members of our human family? How do we live in a broken world without losing faith in one another or ourselves? And how do we stay true to those glorious souls we have lost?

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

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Please note: Tickets are non-refundable.

51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925

Misha and Vicki Collins - The Adventurous Eaters Club (Corte Madera Store)

Saturday, November 30, 2019 - 4:00pm

Meet & Greet • Tickets: $34 (includes signed copy of The Adventurous Eaters Club)

Tickets are available for sale at the door beginning at 3:30 pm!

Misha Collins—social media influencer and star of the hit TV show Supernatural—and his wife Vicki Collins are no strangers to family mealtime battles, but they knew that processed foods like chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese were setting their kids up for a lifetime of bad eating and poor health. So, they hit on the idea to embrace what they love best—adventure—and invited their kids into the kitchen, encouraging them to play and explore. They share their secrets to success and more than 100 recipes in their first book, The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime. Over time, their children developed a more diverse palate and sense of autonomy as they learned to see food as something to celebrate.

In The Adventurous Eaters Club, Misha and Vicki candidly chronicle their story of transformation: how they went from harried parents squeezing processed yogurt into their two-year-old’s mouth to parents whose children eat salad as comfort food, and how they created a home where mealtime doesn’t involve coercion, trickery, or tears. Drawing on nutrition studies, child development research, interviews with early childhood educators, and advice from pediatricians and therapists, Misha and Vicki distill the strategies they’ve found most useful in forming their Adventure eating philosophy into 10 essential food rules. Filled with funny stories, tips that work, beautiful full-color photographs, and over 100 creative, delicious, whimsical recipes little hands will love to eat and help prepare—including Salad Popsicles, Pink Gnocchi, Shitake Crispies, Wishing Well Soup and much more—The Adventurous Eaters Club provides support, encouragement, and practical advice parents need to turn their kids into adventurous and healthy eaters.

100% of author profits from book sales will be donated to non-profit programs that help underserved children gain access to healthy food.

Misha Collins is a TV actor, social media personality, and star of the CW’s Supernatural. He is the founder of the charity Random Acts and GISH, the annual Guinness-World-Record-breaking international scavenger hunt.

Vicki Collins is a historian, journalist, and apprentice sandwich maker. She holds a PhD in history and has written for the Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and the Los Angeles Times. She came to the kitchen late in life, but with the help of two young avant-garde chefs, she’s come to enjoy cooking family meals.

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Please note: Tickets are non-refundable

51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925

Kevin Alexander - Burn the Ice (Marin Art & Garden Center)

Wednesday, November 20, 2019 - 6:00pm

Tickets: $15 • Including guest panel moderated by Gibson Thomas, in conversation with Anjan Mitra and Heidi Krahling
A wine reception will follow the lecture • For more information, please contact (415) 455-5260

Don't miss this special evening with James Beard Award-winning food journalist and local author Kevin Alexander as he traces an exhilarating golden age in American dining. Starting in 2006, the food world underwent a transformation as the established gatekeepers of American culinary creativity were forced to contend with a new, no-holds-barred, casual fine-dining style. Kevin will take us through the travails and triumphs of key chefs, restauranteurs, bartenders, and activists, as well asthe impact on neighborhoods where fortunes were made during this veritable gold rush.

Kevin Alexander is a James Beard Award-winning food journalist, recipient of the Society of Professional Journalist’s Mark of Excellence Award, and Thrillist’s National Writer-at-large with a focus on the restaurant industry. His work has appeared in Esquire, Elle, Men’s Journal, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe; and he is a 2018 Association of Food Journalists award winner. Kevin was born in Texas, grew up in New England, and now lives in Marin County.

Gibson Thomas is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Edible Marin & Wine Country.

Anjan Mitra is the founder and co-owner of DOSA with locations in San Francisco and Oakland.

Heidi Krahling is the chef behind Insalata's and Marinitas in San Anselmo.

The Marin Art & Garden Center is an 11-acre historic property that is open to the public year-round with programs in the arts, gardens, and conservation. Located at 30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Ross, MAGC is accessible by public transportation and there is limited free parking. MAGC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by private contributions. For more information, visit www.magc.org.

Marin Art & Garden Center
30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Ross, CA 94957

Cooks with Books: Erin Gleeson - The Forest Feast Mediterranean (Left Bank Restaurant)

Sunday, September 22, 2019 - 12:30pm

Presented by Book Passage at Left Bank, Larkspur
Tickets: $115 per person; $185 per couple (includes meal & book)

Registration is now closed. Sold out event. 

Erin Gleeson, New York Times bestselling author, returns with a gorgeously illustrated cookbook that will transport readers to the Mediterranean coast.

For years, Forest Feast readers have been transported to Erin Gleeson’s picturesque cabin in the woods through her stunning photography of magical gatherings and vibrant vegetarian cooking. Now, Gleeson transports readers to Europe, with recipes inspired by her exploration of the cultures and cuisines of France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy during an extended family trip. Reimagining the flavors and signature dishes of this part of the Mediterranean, Gleeson presents 100 vegetarian recipes for creating effortless, unforgettable meals. Filled with atmospheric images of coastal villages, charming watercolor illustrations, and mouthwatering food photography, The Forest Feast Mediterranean is an irresistible escape from the everyday, no matter where you might live.

Erin Gleeson is the author, illustrator, and photographer behind the New York Times bestselling cookbook The Forest Feast, The Forest Feast for Kids, The Forest Feast Gatherings, and the popular blog by the same name. Gleeson lives in a cabin in the woods in Northern California.

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Our award-winning Cooks with Books events are held at outstanding Bay Area restaurants. The meal is inspired by the author/chefs who discuss their cookbooks with guests throughout the meal. These are happy, convivial events that often sell out quickly, so don’t wait to register! Event tickets include the meal, wine, tip, and a signed copy of the book.

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Left Bank Brasserie
507 Magnolia Ave
Larkspur, CA 94939

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