My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur, by Romney Steele
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My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur, by Romney Steele
Ebook PDF Online My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur, by Romney Steele
More than sixty-five years after it first opened, Nepenthe restaurant is still today a favorite tourist destination on the scenic drive along Highway 1 to Big Sur, California. Now available in paperback, My Nepenthe, captures the interesting history and people, myriad wild stories, delicious recipes, and stunning photography of this famous location.My Nepenthe weaves together stories and tales about the famous California restaurant perched on the majestic cliffs of Big Sur. Located 808 feet above the Pacific Ocean, Nepenthe Restaurant boasts sweeping views of the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains and the wild south coast of Monterey County. Angular mountains plunge into the crashing surf below, and on a clear day there is no limit to the scenery, unspoiled and immense in nature. It is nestled among native oak trees and a historic log cabin (now faced by brick) that was once owned by Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. The magic and history of place are celebrated through food and the Fassett family who opened Nepenthe in 1949.A lyrical feast written by the owners' granddaughter, Romney Steele, who grew up at the restaurant, My Nepenthe is as much about a family enterprise as it is about the Fassett family and their legacy. It recounts stories about the family's more than sixty-five year history on the coast, the arts and architecture, and the colorful people who were the genesis of this legendary restaurant.My Nepenthe marks the restaurant's vibrant past as a gathering place and noted bohemian haunt, and its foray into the film industry during the shooting of The Sandpiper, featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. It also explores the lively scene that played out into the '70s, and onward through the current decade where it showcases Nepenthe's unique relationship with Pisoni Vineyards, owned by the renowned winemaker family. My Nepenthe includes more than seventy-five special recipes from the Fassetts, the restaurant, and the cafe, along with spectacular photography that completes the tale.Ultimately, My Nepenthe is a story about food, family, and the culture of place, and how it all unfolds around the table and why that matters.
My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur, by Romney Steele- Amazon Sales Rank: #93672 in Books
- Published on: 2015-11-24
- Released on: 2015-11-24
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.70" h x 1.10" w x 7.50" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 352 pages
Review "A very special book about a very special place." --Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan)"What a world Romney Steele has given us in My Nepenthe! This personal tale is as tender and bright as a bite of Nepenthe Cheese Pie and will transport me--and you--to Big Sur and the days and nights of this magical place. My Nepenthe serves a big, gorgeous slice of American culture that I loved visiting through words and memory." --Deborah Madison, author of What We Eat When We Eat Alone and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Deborah Madison)"Romney Steele grew up in the lively bohemian milieu of Nepenthe on the Big Sur coast and knows all the stories worth telling. In My Nepenthe, an intimate, richly illustrated memoir with recipes culled from the restaurant's 60 years, she writes marvelously about her "crazy stew of a family" and especially her beloved grandmother, whose kindness and hospitality were legendary. --Caroline Bates, contributing editor, Gourmet magazine (Caroline Bates, Gourmet magazine)
About the Author Romney Steele is a writer and cook, the granddaughter of Bill and Lolly Fassett, creators of Nepenthe Restaurant. Nani, as she is known to family and friends, grew up at the family restaurant and opened Cafe Kevah, located on the grounds of Nepenthe. She is the co-owner and cook of The Cook and Her Farmer, a cafe, oyster, and wine bar located in the historic Swan's Market in Oakland, California. She is also the author of Plum Gorgeous. She has two children.
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Most helpful customer reviews
33 of 37 people found the following review helpful. The Kingdom of Nepenthe and its Queen By Mary Stewart Anthony I have just finished feasting, and am still savoring tasteful images and recipes from the most breathtakingly beautiful "cook book" I've ever read. Perhaps it is because it is so much more than food that is displayed here. Romney Steele has preserved the unique legacy of precious photos, of long forgotten places and faces, of people I have known and loved personally, all bound together in an elegant treasure chest she calls, "My Nepenthe".Romney (known as Nani) Steel has crafted a lovely monument of history, rendered in the simple language of reverie, that explores her family's roots, and how visionary people brought the gift of Nepenthe to Big Sur and the world. Nepenthe (no sorrow) is an architectural wonder of a restaurant with an unrivaled view of the coast that has become a world-class tourist must-see place during its 60 year history. People still come to look, to wonder, to drink deeply of the beauty, to dine and to dance on its moon-washed balcony overlooking the ocean. Visitors in the past might have been treated to a fashion parade from the Phoenix Boutique, or to an impromptu folk dance. There are those who would line the stone bleachers festooned with pillows, sipping martinis,watching from a distance the fire dancing in the huge fire pit, or the Fire dancers, and belly dancers who often came to grace the gleaming red-stained dance floor. In the sparkling summer days brightly colored umbrellas shade the diners as they enjoy a classic house specialty called "ambrosia" burgers served with homemade french fries, a bean salad, and fine local wines, creating a French Riviera atmosphere.Last year Nepenthe withstood the most devastating fire ever to sweep through the Ventana wilderness area. Nani's cousin Kirk, Nepenthe's manager, and staff had to beat back the burning embers from the roof and outlying timbers for one whole night, as the blaze threatened to destroy the inheritance of his beloved grandparents. It remains a place deeply loved and revered by local residents, famed for the overarching hospitality of the owners, Bill and Lolly Fassett, Nani's grandparents. Their original home, called the "log cabin" still sits above the restaurant,and is now home to Erin Gafill and her husband Tom Birmingham.Nani's book strikingly displays well-photographed food dishes, and their storied recipes right from her grandmother Lolly's table. She has learned one of the great secrets of any kitchen, that the presentation of food is as important as its flavor, and has skillfully woven the food, the fame and the fable that is Nepenthe into an artistic fabric. It is as complex and colorful as any of her Uncle Kaffe Fassett's tapestries, and as hauntingly beautiful as any of her cousin Erin's paintings. Nani's family have each contributed works of art to create a lovely window display, featuring her book, at the Phoenix Gift Shop just below Nepenthe.She has lovingly traced her family's history and drawn a fascinating story of how these early bohemian, avante-garde pioneers in the art world helped to nurture Lolly's vision, and shape the dream of Nepenthe into a reality.Nani has called this Kingdom, where she grew up under the loving eyes and smile of Lolly her grandmother, MY NEPENTHE. In a sense she has laid claim to it like no other descendant has, but not selfishly. She has put it on display, like the work of art that it is, for the delight of all her family and friends. Now we may all marvel and partake of its unique beauty.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Intimate Portrait of Amazing Fassett Family and Big Sur's Bohemian Culture By Lynne E. This exceptionally entertaining and absorbing family biography is almost a time machine. It takes you back to the glory years of Nepenthe--the world-famous restaurant perched on the ocean cliffs off Highway 1 in California's rugged Big Sur region--and makes you feel as if you were actually there in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and all the decades up to the present day.The restaurant, founded in 1949 and still operated by the amazing Fassett family, was an early center of coastal California Bohemian culture, visited by Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Richard Brautigan, Man Ray, Anais Nin, Dylan Thomas, Steve McQueen, Kim Novak, Clint Eastwood, and many other actors, authors, artists, and photographers. The book, presented as an annotated family scrapbook and recipe book, is copiously illustrated with photos of "ordinary" family life in Big Sur; of family weddings, fashion shows, art shows, and other events celebrated at Nepenthe; and of daily dining and dancing at the restaurant and its smaller cousin, Cafe Kevah.One photo of Holly Fassett in a long Bill Gibb dress (on page 102) has been reprinted so often--in chronicles of the hippie culture, if memory serves me--that I was amazed to learn that the identity of the lovely young woman was actually known. The book also includes special sections devoted to the movie THE SANDPIPERS, which was filmed at Big Sur and Nepenthe.There are many, many wonderful Nepenthe recipes included. They seem almost too simple to have come from such an expensive restaurant, but their very simplicity makes them practical and accessible to anyone who cooks. My favorite recipe is for a thick sandwich--one synonymous with California, in my mind--that is put together of black bread, a generous amount of cream cheese, raisins, and a layer of walnuts, with chopped dates tossed in if you happen to have some on hand. The food photos accompanying the recipes make your mouth water.Knitters will enjoy this book because of the photos of adolescent Kaffe Fassett, who is the son of Nepenthe founders Bill and Lolly Fassett, and who grew up in Big Sur. Included are a few photos of Kaffe's knitting as displayed at Nepenthe; and there are scattered bits of inside family information on "Uncle Kaffe", as recalled by author/niece Romney Steele. The book reveals that it was Alice Russell, the manager of Nepenthe's Phoenix Shop, who actually taught Kaffe to knit on his historic train ride home from a Scottish woolen mill. Handknits from selected Kaffe Fassett designs are still sold at the Phoenix Shop today.This is a sumptuous book, in every respect. It is beautiful to look at, and it succeeds in providing a truly intimate view of the Fassett family, Nepenthe, Big Sur, and the California coastal culture that existed in the second half of the last century.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Nostalgic tour of California happenings and food in restaurant form (details) By Patrick W. Crabtree 3 1/2 stars. 338 pages (the product description is incorrect, listing 352 pages.)This semi-cookbook chronicles the Big Sur, California restaurant, Nepenthe, which owes much of its great success over the years since 1949 to the following causes:(1) through terrific timing (on when and where to open for business) and the wisdom to change with the times (while maintaining selected standards) in certain aspects of the operation,(2) by offering superb recipes/dishes which are founded largely upon the finest available ingredients,(3) by attracting a celebrity clientele which was sure to boost continuing public interest.(4) by initiating great architectural vision.(5) by the fact that this restaurant has been operated over the years by a family (the Fassett family) which has been dedicated to its every detail and high standards.The author (Romney Steele) is a member of the family operation and has documented a detailed and personalized history of this semi-renowned culinary establishment.What do I most like about the book? It's very artsy, heavily illustrated (dishes/landscape/nostalgic photographs), unique to other books, and the recipes (85 of them) are all manageable, given some planning, and they lead us to something different with which to grace our dinner tables.Discussing the recipes first, these dishes almost all scream out CALIFORNIA, a place from whence most things new in the United States typically issue. Nearly all the recipes here incorporate an ingredient fusion of multiple cultures, innovation, and a timeliness in that these great light entrees, sides, desserts, basket foods, treats, and complex cocktails all mesh with 21st-Century culinary thinking, even though the menu at Nepenthe has remained largely static for quite a long time.Some examples include "Ambrosia Burgers" (one of the top sellers), "Lolly's Roast Chicken with Sage Stuffing," "Pumpkin Spice Cake, "Baked Fish with Marjoram," "Chile Custards with Salsa Fresca," "Rosemary Lamb Brochettes with Mint Pesto," and the "Moscow Mule" [a highball].Regarding ingredients, if home cooks attempt these dishes from local (outside California) or inferior food products they are likely to be disappointed. Steele is very specific as to the brands and types of ingredients necessary to each recipe. Nepenthe has always used "Prime" meats (as opposed to "Select" or "Choice") and such meat products cannot be purchased just anywhere because they are expensive and thus do not market well in grocery stores and even in some butcher shops. Unbleached flour (always recommended by the author) is readily available everywhere and it's typically the same price as bleached flour; however, so many home cooks have yet to become informed on how very superior unbleached flour really is and so they tend to not use it. Nepenthe chefs chiefly use organic fruits and vegetables which are expensive in most regions. Dungeness crab is superb if you can get it (it really is the very best and comes from the Pacific Northwest region) but if it's not available, I would not attempt a recipe which uses it when anything less is bound to be inferior. Grand Marnier (an expensive French orange-flavored cognac blend) is pretty pricey to keep around for one or two recipes. And, a big positive is that Nepenthe chefs only use fresh tomatoes when they're in season which assures recipe quality and consistency.While the recipes are very intelligently conceived and detailed, a few could still tolerate a minor improvement here and there. An example would be the excellent French Fries recipe on page 66 where the methodology is near perfect but the author lists canola oil as a possible base for the frying process - canola oil exudes a fishy taste when heated and peanut oil (which releases no flavor of its own) would have been a superior recommendation. Such issues are very minor ones but important in this type of cooking and baking.My point is that many of these recipes are very specific ingredient-dependent so this is not really a "cookbook" that one should keep to pull off the shelf to whip up one of the dishes -- one needs to plan ahead to prepare most of these recipes, assuming that you wish to maintain a lofty standard of excellence.The book features as much or more emphasis on Nepenthe's history as it does on the recipes and, of course, this is where the art of the book is punctuated. A huge feature of Nepenthe is grounded in the fact that scenes from the famous Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor Film, The Sandpiper, were shot here. And many other period celebrities have graced the premises such as Clint Eastwood (during his "Rawhide" years) and Kim Novak.As the protest and psychedelic era of the Free Love Society came on, the Nepenthe staff members were host to rock music notables such as Jimi Hendrix, Mama Cass Elliot (she DESPISED the "Mama" appellation!), Janis Joplin, and David Crosby.But probably the folks who originally launched this trendy ocean overlook included the sort of notables who could likely have just flown over from Gertrude's and Alice's Picasso-pad in Paris: Henry Miller, Dylan Thomas, Man Ray, Salvador Dali, Jack Kerouac... (I'm certain that Kerouac was never actually in Gertrude Stein's and Alice B. Toklas's Paris home but his tenuous pal Brion Gysin was her frequent guest until he boinked Alice's cookbook [after Gertrude's death] with his infamous "Haschich Fudge" recipe! The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book.)In an effort to avoid re-relating the entire book here I'll summarize with a few critical points.These recipes are very difficult to locate by referencing the index -- so, too much art where there should have been some practical utility.The graphics are fairly burdensome in numerous places where the layout folks used black ink on dark maroon- and dark teal-colored pages -- this is tough reading. I also did not savor the recipe titles (and other headings) where someone with marginal penmanship scribed them in longhand -- I felt that this artful approach actually detracted notably from the overall merit of the work.To whom does this book market? It's not exactly a coffee-table book and, as a cookbook, it needs more recipes. Neither does it grab the eye of movie star fans since there is limited film and music nostalgia here. So the publisher really did not pinpoint a target buyer, which brings me to my final point: it's a fine book to flip through but with a sticker price of thirty-five dollars I'm sure that there are better gifts in the areas of interest which this work highlights only marginally. The book seems over-priced by about ten bucks to me.With that, while I think that the author has generated a quality culinary and literary end-product, due to the reasons which I've previously stated I unfortunately cannot recommend it except perhaps to Bug Sur region residents and maybe to former visitors to the Nepenthe restaurant.
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