Algonquin Pi Day

"A lavish taste of Persian culture and cuisine . . . [A] compelling, poignant and most delectable book."—BookPage

For Donia Bijan’s family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California’s Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan’s mother’s cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, through the prism of food, award-winning chef Donia Bijan unwinds her own story, finding that at the heart of it all is her mother, whose love and support enabled Bijan to realize her dreams.

From the Persian world of her youth to the American life she embraced as a teenager to her years at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (studying under the infamous Madame Brassart) to apprenticeships in France’s three-star kitchens and finally back to San Francisco, where she opened her own celebrated bistro, Bijan evokes a vibrant kaleidoscope of cultures and cuisines. And she shares thirty inspired recipes from her childhood (Saffron Yogurt Rice with Chicken and Eggplant and Orange Cardamom Cookies), her French training (Ratatouille with Black Olives and Fried Bread and Purple Plum Skillet Tart), and her cooking career (Roast Duck Legs with Dates and Warm Lentil Salad and Rose Petal Ice Cream).

An exhilarating, heartfelt memoir, Maman’s Homesick Pie is also a reminder of the women who encourage us to shine.

John T. Edge, "the Faulkner of Southern food" (the Miami Herald), reveals a South hidden in plain sight, where restaurants boast family pedigrees and serve supremely local specialties found nowhere else. From backdoor home kitchens to cinder-block cafés, he introduces you to cooks who have been standing tall by the stove since Eisenhower was in office. While revealing the stories behind their food, he shines a bright light on places that have become Southern institutions.

In this fully updated and expanded edition, with recipes throughout, Edge travels from chicken shack to fish camp, from barbecue stand to pie shed. Pop this handy paperback in the glove box to take along on your next road trip. And even if you never get in the car, you’ll enjoy the most savory history that the South has to offer.

“Vibrant and suspenseful . . . Like The Art Forger, this new story takes us into the heart of what it means to be an artist.” —The Washington Post

“B. A. Shapiro captivated us in 2012 with her ‘addictive’ novel The Art Forger. Now, she’s back with another thrilling tale from the art world.” —Entertainment Weekly

When Alizée Benoit, an American painter working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), vanishes in New York City in 1940, no one knows what happened to her. Not her Jewish family living in German-occupied France. Not her artistic patron and political compatriot, Eleanor Roosevelt. Not her close-knit group of friends, including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner. And, some seventy years later, not her great-niece, Danielle Abrams, who while working at Christie’s auction house uncovers enigmatic paintings hidden behind works by those now-famous Abstract Expressionist artists. Do they hold answers to the questions surrounding her missing aunt? 

When Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden came out in spring 1997, it took the gardening world by storm.You didn’t think she’d keep the rest of her strong opinions to herself, did you? Not on your life. She’s back, with her other favorite hobby–cooking delicious meals. And she’s just as “quotable” as ever: “If the hostess is all a-flutter like a butterfly caught in a net–then, as the Irish say, ‘I wish I was to home and the party was to hell.'” Don’t serve guests’ dishes “you haven’t made successfully two or three times–and quite lately.” And after supper, “Leave the dishes on the table, blow out the candles, shut the door and serve finger desserts and coffee in another room . . . do not let your guests help you clean up!” In addition to advice, Mrs. Whaley has opened her personal scrapbook of receipts and selected one hundred of her favorites, including regional delectables like “Edisto Shrimp Pie,” great dinner dishes like “Louisa Hagood’s Ginger Chicken” and “Miss Em’s Pork Tenderloin,” old-fashioned breakfast breads like “Nan’s Little Thin Corn Cakes,” and true discoveries like “Dancing School Fudge.” Just as he did in their first acclaimed, best-selling collaboration, novelist William Baldwin perfectly captures the octogenarian cadence: “Inviting people to break bread with me challenges my skills at cooking and fielding a congenial gathering of people. And I love a challenge.”