Last winter, my sister came to visit Birmingham. We went to several local restaurants and cafes, and she kept seeing signs reading, “No tomatoes.” After the third or fourth sign, she asked me if there was some kind of tomato disease that blighted all our plants, since none of the restaurants would serve them. But the answer had to do with quality, not with blight. The restaurants weren’t serving tomatoes because they were out of season and didn’t taste their best. More and more, our local growers, chefs and customers are choosing to eat seasonally, allowing our menus to be dictated by seasons, gardens and farms, instead of convenience.
This kind of change isn’t limited to Birmingham — the slow food, home gardening, fresh cooking movement is worldwide. Case in point: Rohan Anderson, Australian author of the wildly popular blog-turned-book, Whole Larder Love.
The first thing you’ll notice about this cookbook? It’s beautiful. The photography is fantastic, the paper feels amazing, and the recipes are presented in a creative way. It’s a book that’s as at-home on the coffee table as it is in the kitchen. But, start reading, and you’re immediately inspired, not only by Rohan’s recipes (which are pretty amazing), but also by his commitment to whole living, to family, and to community.
This fish is looking at me funny.
Come buy the book, and hear my interview with Rohan, at our event on Thursday, June 6 at 12:30 p.m. On your lunch break? We’ve got you covered — Shindigs will bring their food truck to our parking lot, so you can grab lunch and take it inside to eat while you listen. And The Pantry is donating free cocktails for dessert (don’t worry — we won’t tell your boss). If I were you, I’d plan on picking up an extra copy or two to have autographed as birthday or holiday gifts for friends — the message is so inspiring that you’ll definitely want to share.
If you can’t make it to the event, you have options: Click the “order books” link at the left of your screen to let us know if you want us to have a copy autographed and personalized for you — you can pick it up at your convenience after the event. Or buy tickets to an evening dinner inspired by Rohan’s food, complete with a cocktail reception with the author, Thursday night at Urban Standard. It’s a great time to enjoy one of our favorite lunch and dinner spots, and a perfect way to mingle with some of the shining stars of Birmingham’s own food community.
I hope to see you for lunch at Church Street on Thursday, June 6. I’ll be here with lunch from Shindigs, a cocktail in hand, and a list of (the many) questions I have for this fantastic author.
Carrie Rollwagen is co-owner and book buyer at Church Street Coffee & Books.