Books by Kate Leahy |

SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine [A Cookbook]

by Shelley Lindgren, Matthew Accarrino, Kate Leahy

A cookbook and wine guide celebrating the regional traditions and exciting innovations of modern Italian cooking, from San Francisco's SPQR restaurant.

The Roman Empire was famous for its network of roads. By following the path of these thoroughfares, Shelley Lindgren, wine director and co-owner of the acclaimed San Francisco restaurants A16 and SPQR, and executive chef of SPQR, Matthew Accarrino, explore Central and Northern Italy’s local cuisines and artisanal wines.

Throughout each of the eight featured regions, Accarrino offers not only a modern version of Italian cooking, but also his own take on these constantly evolving regional specialties. Recipes like Fried Rabbit Livers with Pickled Vegetables and Spicy Mayonnaise and Fontina and Mushroom Tortelli with Black Truffle Fonduta are elevated and thoughtful, reflecting Accarrino’s extensive knowledge of traditional Italian food, but also his focus on precision and technique. In addition to recipes, Accarrino elucidates basic kitchen skills like small animal butchery and pasta making, as well as newer techniques like sous vide—all of which are prodigiously illustrated with step-by-step photos.

Shelley Lindgren’s uniquely informed essays on the wines and winemakers of each region reveal the most interesting Italian wines, highlighting overlooked and little-known grapes and producers—and explaining how each reflects the region’s unique history, cultural influences, climate, and terrain. Lindgren, one of the foremost authorities on Italian wine, shares her deep and unparalleled knowledge of Italian wine and winemakers through producer profiles, wine recommendations, and personal observations, making this a necessary addition to any wine-lover’s library.

Brimming with both discovery and tradition, SPQR delivers the best of modern Italian food rooted in the regions, flavors, and history of Italy.

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Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia [A Cookbook]

by Kate Leahy, Desmond Tan

From the beloved San Francisco restaurant, a mouthwatering collection of recipes, including Fiery Tofu, Garlic Noodles, the legendary Tea Leaf Salad, and many more. Never before have the vivid flavors of Burmese cooking been so achievable for home cooks.
Known for its bustling tables, the sizzle of onions and garlic in the wok, and a wait time so legendary that customers start to line up before the doors even open—Burma Superstar is a Bay Area institution, offering diners a taste of the addictively savory and spiced food of Myanmar. With influences from neighboring India and China, as well as Thailand and Laos, Burmese food is a unique blend of flavors, and Burma Superstar includes such stand-out dishes as the iconic Tea Leaf Salad, Chili Lamb, Pork and Pumpkin Stew, Platha (a buttery layered flatbread), Spicy Eggplant, and Mohinga, a fish noodle soup that is arguably Myanmar’s national dish.
Each of these nearly 90 recipes has been streamlined for home cooks of all experience levels, and without the need for special equipment or long lists of hard-to-find ingredients. Stunningly photographed, and peppered with essays about the country and its food, this inside look at the world of Burma Superstar presents a seductive glimpse of this jewel of Southeast Asia.

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Lavash: The bread that launched 1,000 meals, plus salads, stews, and other recipes from Armenia

by John Lee, Kate Leahy, Ara Zada

Featured: KCRW's Good Food, SF Chronicle (best cookbooks 2019), The New York Times (a jingalov hats feature).Lavash is packed with history, stories and do-able recipes gathered from travels to Armenia. This cookbook not only reveals how to make lavash, the UNESCO-recognized flatbread of Armenia, but also shares 60+ recipes of what to eat with it, from soups and salads to hearty stews paired with lots of fresh herbs. Stunning photography and essays provide an insider's look at Armenia, a small but fascinating country comprising dramatic mountains, sun-drenched fields, and welcoming people. With influences from the Middle East and the Mediterranean as well as from Russia, the food of Armenia is the next cuisine to explore for people who want to dig deeper into the traditions formed at the crossroads between the East and West.

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Cookie Love: More Than 60 Recipes and Techniques for Turning the Ordinary into the Extraordinary [A Baking Book]

by Kate Leahy, Mindy Segal

A new, edgier take on baking cookies, from a James Beard Award-winning chef and the owner of the popular Chicago restaurant, HotChocolate.

Mindy Segal is serious about cookies. And Cookie Love is your new go-to, never-fail reference for turn-out-perfectly-every-time cookie recipes. Mindy, award-winning pastry chef and self-professed “cookie nerd,” shares all of her secrets for turning classic recipes into more elevated, fun interpretations of everyone’s favorite sweet treat.

From Peanut Butter Peanut Brittle Cookies and Fleur de Sel Shortbread with Vanilla Halvah, to Malted Milk Spritz and Peaches and Cream Thumbprints, Segal’s recipes are inspired and far from expected. Inside you’ll find more than sixty perfected recipes for every kind of cookie including drop cookies, bars, sandwich cookies, shortbread, thumbprints, and more, as well as the best tricks and tools of the trade and everything you need to know to build the ideal cookie pantry. A must-have for anyone looking to up their cookie-baking game, Cookie Love is a celebration of the most humble, delicious, and wonderful of baked treats.

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Italian Wine The History, Regions, and Grapes of an Iconic Wine Country

by Shelley Lindgren, Kate Leahy

IACP AWARD FINALIST • Journey through all twenty regions of Italy to discover the grapes, terrain, and historical techniques that have influenced modern Italian winemaking in this accessible and stunning guide to Italian wines.

“A brilliant look into the past, present, and future of wine and food in Italy.”—Rajat Parr, owner-operator of Phelan Farm and author of Secrets of Sommeliers and The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste

From award-winning sommelier Shelley Lindgren, who has long been recognized (and now knighted!) for her promotion of lesser-known Italian wines, and acclaimed cookbook author Kate Leahy comes a user-friendly and charming guide to Italian wines two decades in the making. The dynamic storytelling duo takes you through a beautifully photographed and delightfully comprehensive journey to understand what Italian wine looks like today: the makers shaping the industry, the innovative ways farmers are adapting to climate change, and the history that paved the path for this current movement.

Travel vicariously through all twenty regions with Leahy and Lindgren and expand your palate beyond Chianti, Pinot Grigio, and Lambrusco. Immerse yourself in the untold stories of how ancient winemaking techniques, the shifts of power and the movement of families, and the terrain and climate have influenced modern Italian winemaking. The curiosity and passion Lindgren and Leahy have is infectious and inviting, and you’ll leave with a buzz and a richer understanding of the country’s wines.

Let Italian Wine be your in-depth and fun guide into this endlessly fascinating, diverse world of wine.

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