To Sur, With LoveThe Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant | Michelle Wojtowicz
Tucked into a cozy wooden house on a secluded stretch of Highway 1, Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant is widely lauded for deceptively simple, wood-fired cooking that allows local ingredients to take center stage. This intimate tome is as much a celebration of the region as it is an exploration of the author's soulful culinary creations. June 2009.
Hungry HeartAmerica Eats!: On the Road with the WPA | Pat Willard
In 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) paid a group of writers, including Eudora Welty, Saul Bellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson to document every nook of American cooking—hence the subtitle “The Fish Fries, Box Supper Socials and Chitlin Feasts That Define Real American Food.” For the first time, these regional writings have been woven together, alongside recipes Willard discovered throughout her own cross-country travels. July 2009.
Baby's Got SauceDown Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook | Patrick and Gina Neely
Titled after the husband-and-wife duo's popular Food Network show, this authentic southern collection featuring 120 mouth-watering recipes feels as if it's being regaled to you by a favorite aunt. Fair warning: may cause irresistible urges to slather everything you eat in homemade barbecue sauce. May 2009.
Sounds Delicious
Fans of the Big Sur Bakery say the restaurant’s funky music selection is the icing on an already sweet experience. In the dining room, proprietor Mike Gilson serves up a musical mélange every bit as diverse as the restaurant’s patrons.
But what, we wondered, is cooking in the Big Sur Kitchen? Not surprisingly, proprietor/chef Philip Wojtowicz (who is married to Michelle) has similarly mercurial tastes. “There are days when it’s so busy that we require complete silence in the kitchen,” he says. “But most times, music gets me amped up and excited about cooking—and puts everyone in a great mood.”
Philip's top 3 kitchen picks1. Super Black Market Clasth | The Clash
2. Johnny Cash at San Quentin | Johnny Cash
3. Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet | Miles Davis
