The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

This journal of life in Big Sur is the dream of anyone who loves food. It's rough and rustic and absolutely full of kitchen powered adrenaline. Michelle, Phil, and Mike are constantly contending with the rainy season (almost entirely without customers), wildfires, and even mountain lions. Every year they accumulate "winter debt" after the tourist season ends. And yet they are living the dream of everyone who loves to cook.
The three owners do work that they love, making food they love for people that they love. They barter for fresh produce and fish. They even receive organic, homegrown, and wild vegetables and fruits as gifts. Each chapter they profile someone else who is involved in the restaurant, whether that's the beekeeper who provides their honey, the micro green farmer down the road, or friends who do little jobs to help the bakery run properly. This cookbook is like a personal conversation with half the inhabitants of Big Sur.
Like a journal, it's organized by month. Everything is seasonal by what is dumped on their doorsteps by friends. If they're getting a lot of blood oranges, it must be blood orange season! Within each month, they explain a type of meal they serve ranging from breakfast to thanksgiving to their wood fired pizzas. They also profile a friend who works for or with the restaurant, a special ingredient, and five or seven recipes. The recipes, like the people, are quirky and full of absolutely lovable personality. Many of them have stories about their history, also like the people.
The recipes are really pretty good, but do require a bit of searching for specific ingredients. They are really best when you have access to the farmers market for heirloom tomatoes and fresh greens. The food is all very bold and fresh. Most of it isn't too complicated to prepare because simplicity is part of their food philosophy, but the deserts have many components and sauces and things that have to be prepared separately. But to be fair they are well worth it!
By the end of the book, I had an irresistible craving to visit Big Sur and I promise that I will the next time I am in California! I'd love to see the wild land surrounding the restaurant and meet all those wonderfully independent people who support themselves, despite everything, doing what they love. Second best to that is to read the book again and again, lingering over my favorite chapters to admire lifestyles that most people only dream of and devour the accompanying food.