Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
From the team behind the acclaimed Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science comes a delicious and “lively” (Booklist, starred review) nonfiction picture book biography about pioneering chef Alice Waters who kickstarted the organic food movement.
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two previous collaborators (Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science) tell the story of white restaurateur Alice Waters and her determination to change the way America thought—and thinks—about food. Stanley starts with Waters's early delight in the strawberries from her family's garden ("The taste thrills her to the bone") and her disappointment with the convenience food her family switches to in the winter ("It's modern! It's easy!"). A university year in France in the 1960s shows Alice that good food doesn't have to be expensive; the cheapest bowl of soup in a café proves "THE BEST! SOUP! EVER!" Back in California, Alice buys an old house and opens a restaurant, staffed by her friends and serving foods produced by small farms and suppliers. Folk spreads by Hartland are crammed with pots and pans, as well as colorfully labeled boxes of fruits and vegetables. Waters's influence, Stanley says, "has changed the way people everywhere... think about food." While eating in upscale restaurants may not be on every family's menu, Waters's one-woman crusade to eat locally and seasonally resonates to this day—and throughout this straightforward picture book biography. Back matter includes more information, a bibliography, and timeline. Ages 4–8.
