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A Tale Of Food And Friendship
Polhemus Press
October 2009
On Sale: October 15, 2009
363 pages
ISBN: 0982349203
EAN: 9780982349205
Hardcover
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Women's Fiction
Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by
their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic
and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward
mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving
father. Val, shy and idealistic—and surprisingly
ambitious—struggles with her desire to break free from her
demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never
seem to come true. In childhood, “LillyPad” and
“Valpal” vow to form an exclusive two-person club.
Throughout the decades they write intimate letters in which
they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets—and recipes, from
Lilly’s “Lovelorn Lasagna” to Valerie’s “Forgiveness
Tapenade.” Readers can cook along as the girls travel
through time, facing the challenges of independence; the
joys and heartbreaks of first love; and the emotional
complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality,
and goals deferred. But no matter what different
paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break
them apart, Lilly and Val always find their way back
together through their Recipe Club . . . until the fateful
day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable
betrayal. Now, decades later, while trying to
recapture the trust they’ve lost, Lilly and Val reunite once
more—only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy
their friendship, or bring them ever closer?
EDITORIAL REVIEWS “Food and love without the
schmaltz and warm fuzzies is what kept me turning the pages
of this book. Yes, there are recipes, nostalgic and good
ones, but the fascination is in how they mark the years of a
childhood friendship struggling to become a life long one.
If you’re lucky enough to have that one true best friend,
you’ll find all the love, prickliness, laughter, blood
curdling honesty, and joy here.” —Lynne Rossetto
Kasper, host of The Splendid Table®, public radio’s
food show from American Public Media “I’ve
been to many combat zones, so I kn ow a real fight when I
see one—and the characters in this book pull no punches. But
what surprised me is how their conflict is just as engaging
as their crazy humor and deep affection for each other. This
book perfectly combines my two favorite things in the world:
fiction and food. It's a great read.”—Bob Woodruff,
ABC News anchor and journalist “I found
elements of every one of my own friendships in the 40-year
relationship between Lilly and Val, the heroines of this
delicious and delightful novel. I also discovered heaps of
recipes that I can’t wait to try out. Authors Andrea Israel
and Nancy Garfinkel bring to life the joys as well as the
disappointments inherent in attachments between women, and
the power of food to sustain intimacy when those bonds are
strained. I nodded in recognition as I hungrily devoured
this satisfying and surprising story.”—Giulia
Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made
Spaghetti “THE RECIPE CLUB is
an extraordinary culinary fiction creation—a main dish
consisting of a tender and poignant tale of love and
friendship, served up with tasty sides of wonderful recipes.
This is more than comfort food, it’s haute literary
cuisine.”—Isaiah Sheffer, host of National Public
Radio’s Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short
Story “This moving story, about two
close friends connecting and reconnecting through food and
cooking, contains on e of my favorite lines written to date:
‘So, how do you fix a broken heart? Maybe with ricotta
cheese.’”—Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of
Epicurious.com and co-author of Real Food for Healthy
Kids “THE RECIPE CLUB takes
readers on an epistolary journey that is as appetizing as it
is thought-provoking. Family secrets, lifelong friendships,
and various appetizers, entrees, and desserts are blended
together into a rich tale that will warm hearts as much as
it tantalizes the tastebuds.”—Jennifer Cody Epstein,
author of The Painter from Shanghai
“Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel have written an
absorbing novel that reflects the wisdom of MFK Fisher,
namely, that there is no separating food and dining from
family and friends. No wonder, then, that THE RECIPE
CLUB struck me as a satisfying meal for both body and
soul.”—Sara Moulton Host of Public Television’s
Sara’s Weeknight Meals and executive chef,
Gourmet Magazine ABOUT THE
AUTHORS Andrea Israel is a
producer/writer for ABC’s Focus Earth. She was a
producer/writer on Anderson Cooper 360,
Dateline, and Good Morning America (which
garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story In Donald’s
Eyes was recently optioned for a film. Ms. Israel is
the author of Taking Tea. Her writing has appeared
in many publications. Nancy
Garfinkel is co-author of The Wine Lover’s
Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and
Mendocino (Chronicle Books, 2005). A creative
strategist, design consultant, writer, and editor for
magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she has won a
host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has
written extensively about food and graphic arts.
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