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The authorized biography of Alice Waters and the San Francisco 1970s counterculture food revolution that invented "American cuisine." Not so long ago it was nearly impossible to find a cappuccino or a croissant in this country, most people had no idea what "organic" food was, and even fewer thought about "sustainable farming." But in 1971, in Berkeley, a young Francophile opened a small restaurant for her friends and launched an entirely new way of thinking about and food in America. With no business sense or financial discipline, Alice relied on the coterie of devoted friends and followers who developed around her and on her strong principles of, among other things, using only locally grown and organic ingredients at the peak of their seasons, to keep her restaurant afloat. It was a reckless, extravagant, inexperienced venture that could have failed, but instead--somehow--turned into a revolution.--From publisher description.A portrait of the owner of the California organic food restaurant that helped launch modern ideas about organic food, sustainable farming, and American cuisine offers insight into her complex character and her achievements as a chef and activist.