As the daughter of a British Foreign Service Officer, Hodgson and her family lived all over the world—by the age of 15 she had lived in 6 different countries and gone to 12 schools. Her mainstay was food, coupled with a precocious, adventurous palate. In this smart, recipe-fueled memoir, Hodgson, restaurant critic for The New York Observer, writes about such exotic places as Beirut and Morocco (pigeon stuffed with couscous), Stockholm, Berlin (wild boar and white asparagus), Vietnam, and her native England (wartime sponge cake).
The evening that Tim Stark stumbled upon a dumpster of discarded lumber in Brooklyn, an idea for a new career -- city farmer -- took shape and the end of being a businessman and wearing a tie. Stark blundered his way into growing tomatoes, peas (“peas are like poems, priceless on their own terms”), chili peppers, and sweet berries. And he also became the go-to guy for restaurants like Esca, Bouley, and Eleven Madison Park. His stand at the Union Square Greenmarket is must-stop shopping for every foodie in town. In Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer, Stark’s self-deprecating wit and guileless style capture the ups and downs of farming and selling in a story that’s as perfect and juicy as his tomatoes.
New York City, NY; NYC