"Earthy recipes, gorgeous photos, and the story of one of San Francisco's best and most interesting restaurants . . . truly a feast!" —Paula Wolfert, five-time James Beard Award winner
Foreign Cinema opened its doors in 1999 in the Mission District of San Francisco, pioneers in transforming the neighborhood into a culinary destination. The dramatic experience of dining in the sweeping atrium, where films screen nightly, still enchants visitors today.
Now, for the first time, chef-owners Gayle Pirie and John Clark share the best from their distinctive North African, California-Mediterranean menu. Featuring 125 signature dishes, the book spans Pirie and Clark's award-winning brunch favorites like Champagne Omelet and Persian Bloody Mary, cocktail hour with Lavender Baked Goat Cheese in Fig Leaves, and dinner fare including a Five-Spice Duck Breast with Cassis Sauce and Madras Curry Fried Chicken with Spiced Honey, alongside instructions for how to blend spice staples like Ras el Hanout.
With rich storytelling throughout, Pirie and Clark offer home cooks a chance to take the restaurant into their own kitchen.
Includes a foreword by Alice Waters.
Praise
“Clear your bookshelf for this epic epicurean masterpiece. The symbiotic relationship of food, drink, and the movies represents the world’s best chance for a happy ménage à trois, and The Foreign Cinema Cookbook is definitive in its breadth, scope, and creativity. You could live without it, but you won’t live well!”Steven Soderbergh, Academy Award-winning director
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“Gayle Pirie and John Clark make food that is nuanced, gutsy, bright, sassy, and lively—perfectly conceived for the beloved San Francisco indoor-outdoor wonder of a restaurant, Foreign Cinema. Here they share their impressive, deeply flavorful repertoire and show off their admirable cooking chops.”David Tanis, author of David Tanis Market Cooking
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“Finally, a cookbook that has it all: great visual beauty, recipes that make one want to book every lunch and dinner for a week at the restaurant, passion on every page, and groundbreaking San Francisco history. I love this book.”Jeremiah Tower, James Beard Award-winning chef
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“If this book doesn’t make you salivate, well then, nothing will—earthy recipes, gorgeous photos, and the story of one of San Francisco’s best and most interesting restaurants. The Foreign Cinema Cookbook is truly a feast!”Paula Wolfert, five-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook author
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“This is a beautiful, generous, and approachable book for the home cook. Gayle Pirie and John Clark use a light hand to create big flavors. The spice rubs, marinades, and dressings are worth the price of admission to this culinary theater in the Mission, providing welcome relief from stuffy, tweezer-laden restaurant tomes that intimidate rather than inspire.”Joyce Goldstein, James Beard Award-winning chef and author of The Mediterranean Kitchen
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