Amanda Hesser

Cooking for Mr. Latte

"Tender, wry, passionate, truthful. To read Hesser's prose is to hunger for more."—Nigella Lawson

Life in the city, love, and unforgettable meals—can a food writer find happiness with a man who has an empty refrigerator? Amanda Hesser's irresistible book is the tale of a romance where food is the source of discovery, discord, and delight—a story of universal desires: good food, great company, and a mate.

At each stage of her courtship—from her first date with "Mr. Latte" (a near-disaster) to her first uneasy dinner at his parents' home, from intimate suppers in her Upper West Side apartment to his first attempt at cooking for her—Amanda supplies menus for the meals they share: more than one hundred well-balanced and well-seasoned recipes that will leave you satisfied yet wanting more.

With warmth and honesty, Amanda shares her feasts and foibles, triumphs and near-misses, tense encounters and good times in the kitchen and beyond. Her humorous, sensuous tale leads us date by date, recipe by recipe, to a jubilant conclusion. 42 b/w illustrations.

"Charming and smart."—New York Times Book Review

"In a category all its own...weaves inviting recipes into delightful first-person prose. [Hesser] is abundantly talented."—John Edward King, Christian Science Monitor

"A reach as wide as Emeril Lagasse, sex appeal on par with that of TV-chef-cum-temptress Nigella Lawson, and a literary voice likened to that of M. F. K. Fisher."—Nina Willdorf, Boston Phoenix

"A totally lovable book, a kind of Bridget Jones for foodies."—Irene Sax, Epicurious.com

"Mark my words, [Hesser] is food writing's Next Big Thing, joining...M. F. K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl, [and] Laurie Colwin."—Christine Van De Velde Luskin, GENTRY

"Recipes, restaurant critiques, and food lore —all agreeably season New York Times food writer Hesser's beguiling story."—Kirkus Reviews