I really wanted to like this cook book being as I grew up in California. While the recipes are vintage and I appreciate that they were from different times in the authors life they were not what I expected to find when thinking of California cuisine. The recipes, especially those in the last sections of the book lean heavily French & Spanish. While Californian cooking does come from these cultures this book seemed to miss the freshness that is of the essence of this state.

Loved this book. Since I'm a collector of cookbooks, this was fun to read about all the different restaurants. The recipes were great, too.

What a lovely book. These stories are great to read, and the food looks delicious as well. I recommend it!

Foodies love to read about other foodies, especially when the stories and recipes come from an innovative food pioneer. Sally Schmitt is the original founder of The French Laundry, and Six California Kitchens: A Collection of Recipes, Stories, and Cooking Lessons from a Pioneer of California Cuisine recounts the culinary life of one of the most ingenious creators of California Cuisine. This excellent cookbook is one that anyone who is interested in food will want to curl up in a corner and read cover to cover. The prose is well-written, and it will keep every reader’s interest.

The recipes cover decades of food trends, and are appealing to modern cooks because they have a history. While Schmitt’s recipes are not written in the traditional manner that is in most cookbooks today, they are easy to follow.

The photographs are both in color and black and white; they are from the past and also from the present, making it fascinating. The photos are very well done and are one of the reasons that this is such a wonderful book. Unfortunately, there aren’t photos of every recipe, which is most likely the only negative in the book. Schmitt’s personality comes through, and makes readers love her even though they may not have been introduced.

Anyone who is serious about food and likes to learn as much as possible about it will love to own this excellent cookbook. It will have a special place in my cookbook collection, and belongs on every serious cooks collection next to classic cooks like Julia Child and Marcella Hazen.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Being a californian.. I was immediately intrigued by the title. Going in site unseen, I was pleasantly surprised... while it does feel light in recipes.. there arent any until page 25... they seem to be worthwhile recipes. I wasnt planning in purchasing this book, but looks like I am going to end up purchasing!

Part memoir, part recipe book. Contextualizing each recipe with memoir portions and other personal tidbits from the author felt really meaningful and genuine. Admittedly, I haven’t found time to try the recipes yet, so I can’t comment on that aspect, but nonetheless for the memoir content alone this is a cozy cookbook to pick through.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm lucky enough to have had our cousin's son and wife cook at the French Laundry. This book was the perfect addition to their stories and anecdotes. I found it to be just wonderful. The writing, the recipes, the history and background, everything. Hoping I can get them to make me a couple of the recipes! And that someday I might be lucky enough to dine there myself. Excellent book!

This book is great for somebody who would like to read a memoir that centers food and cooking or for somebody who likes Sally Schmitt's restaurants, but it is not a good cookbook. The recipes in the book, which are sparse compared to the memoir-writing come across as mostly outdated and uninspired. Sometimes Schmitt does well at tying in recipes with history, but mostly does so only with her family's history instead of with California history at large.

I love how her cookbook shows how her life evolved as a chef and it's excellent how the recipes were integrated with her memoir. While it is a tad but long as a cookbook, I think this is an innovative way to write a memoir.

The recopies were great but I honestly enjoyed this more for the look into the lifelong development of a chef paired with the rise of California cuisine. Really interesting.

I found this book incredibly interesting, not just because it has beautiful photography and recipes, but because it's part memoir. She was cooking before it was common to see women in professional kitchens. I found her views insightful and thought provoking.

TITLE: Interesting Californian food history

Anyone interested in food history and the evolution of California home and restaurant life will love this book. It is not so much about the recipes as it is about the memories. It is interesting to see this perspective on the development of the French Laundry--from before it was even part of a plan.

The recipes themselves are decent, but it's not the kind of book that you would go to for ideas or to fill a specific need. I loved reading them, but there are not many that I want to recreate. Still, this is a solid four-star book and worth the time to read. Maybe this is one of those books to check out from your library, as it may not be able to hold valuable space on your cookbook shelf for long.

Six California Kitchens book feels like cooking with your favorite aunt. The pictures, the history, and the food provide an excelent roadmap to how to elevate your home kitchen further. Being an amateur cook myself I appreciate books like this that shows why you should do a certain thing. Very good book. Definitely like listening to an older family member telling their journey with food. Love it!

There is a lot to unpack with this cookbook/memoir — it's not skim-able in the same way many cookbooks are, in a good way. It's the kind of book where you may earmark your fave recipes, but will still be able to discover new pockets of stories and/or different approaches to preparing the tried and true over time.

The recipes are intuitive and come with delightful background, which enriches the experience. They are also simple enough but varied enough to cover every day things like potato salad, and also fancier options, depending on who the inspiration for the chapter is.

One of the things that drives me crazy about recipes and cookbooks in general is the separation of ingredients and recipe steps. The way the recipe instructions are written in this book removes some of that annoyance, as they are more in a narrative flow and remove doubt as to what you should be doing and how you should be doing it.

Wonderful, well written, memoir and cookbook! Every once in a while you come across a cookbook that is just special in every way! Good recipes, homey pictures, and a fascinating story. Sally Schmitt tells her story of her six kitchens and the opening of French Laundry! This is that special book! A must have for your kitchen and a wonderful story that warms the heart and heats up your kitchen!

Sally Schmidt talks about six different California kitchen that she worked in. Starting with the French Laundry. Over 115 recipes. Interesting book that shows Northern California history especially in the Napa Valley. Enjoyable read.

This is such an interesting memoir, and Sally's voice is so positive, wise, and full of life! I really liked the tour through her various kitchens and the things she learned there. I also really appreciated that most of her discussions on food focused on the "why" of the ingredients and techniques she used, along with the "what" and "how".

The format of the recipes differs from the typical list of ingredients followed by a list of instructions, but I had no trouble following them and easily got used to the style. Somehow the food presented seemed both accessible and aspirational all at once. I didn't see much I didn't feel like I could make, but they all seemed elevated, with a great respect for the ingredients and joy of cooking. What an enjoyable read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

What a wonderful book on so many levels. I began reading the pre-release copy of the book, and most immediately, it went into my Amazon cart to buy on release!
Since arriving in California in the mid-60’s, I have been fascinated by the wine and cuisine of my adopted state. This is a book to read and to cook from. The book is written in such an approachable style. It feels like the author is sitting in my family room and sharing her extraordinary story of the part she and her family played in the growth of California cuisine.
The stories and the recipes are divided into sections from each of the California kitchens where the author and her husband spent time. In each case, the recipes are formatted in an easy to follow way. I can’t wait to start cooking.
This really is an extraordinary memoir with pictures and recipes. I recommend it highly to any who knows and loves the world of California food and wine.
I received a free electronic version of this book from NetGalley and it was a joy to read.

This excellent addition to the Church history series deals with one of the most difficult times in the Church, the Reformation. instead of being written in historical order, the book takes a thematic approach. The first chapter deals with the Renaissance. The second chapter covers Protestant Reformations in various countries, including those of Luther Calvin, and Henry VIII.

The next chapter covers reform in the Catholic Church. Particular emphasis is given to Catholic resistance in Germany, to the Jesuits, and to the Council of Trent. The final chapter draws conclusions from the period and the reform process & relates these issues to today.

I liked that the book took this thematic approach, although I found it strange at first. It helped me to see connections between the reformers, especially the Protestant ones I had not been able to see before.

Half memoir, half cookbook, this is a beautiful entry from legendary California chef, Sally Schmitt. Sally divides her life into six kitchens and examines the ways that food has shaped her life. It is a touching look at how food connects us to family and friends.

The recipes reflect perfectly the kitchens that they accompany. The result means that this frequently feels like 6 cookbooks in 1. Though I haven't been able to cook any of the dishes yet, they all sound delicious. With pictures from across Sally's life to go with the recipes, this feels like going through a relatives recipes. There are also frequent tips and asides from Sally, making the recipes feel integrated with the memoir passages.