Sally’s Cookbook
Six California Kitchens
A Collection of Recipes, Stories, and Cooking Lessons from a Pioneer of California Cuisine
352 pages | Published by Chronicle Books
We’re thrilled to have this labor of love in our hands. Years in the making, Six California Kitchens delves into the life of The Apple Farm’s matriarch, Sally Schmitt, weaving stories from her many years spent cooking in home and restaurant kitchens, and later here at the farm. Vignettes from the varied and colorful periods of Sally’s life and career share the pages with a collection of 115 delectable recipes that capture the heart and spirit of California cooking.
We know you have many options when it comes to buying books, and thank you for purchasing it with us.
Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot created the short documentary below. It’s a beautiful synopsis of the story of Sally and her six California kitchens.
Our daughter Polly also wrote a beautiful article for the local Word of Mouth magazine.
Praise for Six California Kitchens
We can all learn from Sally and her approach to food, to say nothing of her approach to life.
— Thomas Keller, Chef & Proprietor, The French Laundry
When I set out to become a chef, Sally Schmitt was my hero. Later when I opened my first restaurant, she was my mentor.
— Cindy Pawlcyn, Chef & Proprietor, Mustards Grill
”Schmitt, the founder of California’s famed French Laundry restaurant, reflects on the food that defined her life, in this sumptuous collection of recipes and tales from the kitchens that inspired them… Fans of Alice Waters won’t want to miss this delectable page-turner.”
— Publishers Weekly, Read Full Review
Sally Schmitt’s posthumous publication Six California Kitchens proves you can write a powerful memoir one recipe at a time…the book features marginalia that it’s easy to get lost in, offering fascinating asides, clever quips, sometimes kitchen tips…so, yes, there is a not-so-secret feminist core to this book, as Schmitt argues against the sad sexist trope “women are cooks and men are chefs” one unfussy but brilliant plate at a time…ultimately this book is a celebration of food, farm, and family.”
— California Review of Books, Read Full Review