My Nepenthe, cooking with Romney Steele

Well, instead of waiting for this book to end up on some remainder table, I used my 40% off Borders coupon and bought it. I'm not sure what I was looking for. Was it dazzling bohemian recipes or Cucina California? Was it a gripping story of a never ending supply of celebs mingling with the local arist crowd? Or was I still a bit nostalgic for the past? All these things?

Well. Instead of any of the above I got a family saga blended with the history of a Big Sur restaurant. Sure there are references to celebs and artists and yes there are some recipes I am sure to try, like the rice in the oven (I never heard of that and am intrigued)but mostly I got a family/restaurant history that largely focused on the writer's grandmother.

Now the Maximalist was her grandma's girl, so I completely understand Ms. Steele's focus and I applaud it. Cooks and visiting celebs come and go but the influence of your family, for better or worse, is forever. Ms. Steele is still at Nepenthe and her uncle is an artist there so something went very right eventhough a few things went wrong. Grandma Lolly was no celebrity cook and the word "bohemian" seems misunderstood by a generation who thinks it means decadent and exotic, so it seems Nepenthe was much more about family, love and community as it was about art, celebs and notoriety. It was a real place, with joys, struggles, successes and yes, some creativity. It changed with "the times" and survived and adapted, it seems to have kept the family values of its founders but as families grow and learn so has Nepenthe.

The pictures are part family album part cookbook and so are the recipes. Romney Steele has let us into the circle and has shown us the evolution of her family and the Big Sur area. This is a good thing in a day when celeb chefs come and go and restaurants are based on ephemeral trends or gorging yourself or just the cache that an expensive price tag brings.

Whether she says so or not Romney Steele and Lolly are saying "make your own history with food and love and nurturing". Brava.

I'll get back to you on the recipes!