Synopses & Reviews
A cookbook showcasing the luscious flavor of peaches in 50 sweet and savory dishes, drawing on the life stories and experiences of America's foremost peach farming family, the Masumotos of California's central valley.
The heirloom peaches grown by third-and fourth-generation peach farmers David Mas Masumoto and his family have received countless accolades — with top chefs such as Rick Bayless and Dan Barber regularly vying for their share of the season's harvest — and numerous features and profiles in the national media. This cookbook gathers the family's favorite recipes, from classics like Peach Cobbler, Peach Salsa, Grilled Peaches, and Peach Glazed Chicken, to inspired combinations such as Vin de Peche, Peach Jicama Salad, and Chicken and Peach Empanadas. Accompanied by eloquent essays that evoke the soul of family farming and the nuances of life filled with peaches, The Perfect Peach revels in a deep understanding of summer's finest fruit from the most authoritative, revered peach growers alive today.
Review
“This is a very special book, not just because it’s about peaches and the surprising things you can do with them, but because it’s also about growing peaches, the farming life, and, most uniquely, because it’s composed by a family. While reading The Perfect Peach, I couldn’t help but wish that every fruit and vegetable had champions like the Masumoto family, for surely each one deserves it. I look forward to that day.” Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
About the Author
David Mas Masumoto is an organic peach and grape farmer and the author of Epitaph for a Peach. He is currently a columnist for the Fresno Bee, and has written for the New York Times Magazine, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. He owns and operates Masumoto Family Farm with his wife, Marcy, and daughter, Nikiko. They live in Central California.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Rick Bayless
Introduction: Dating a Peach
chapter one
A Peach Primer
chapter two
Thirst and Sweat
Beverages and Stories about Work
chapter three
At the Table
Savory Dishes and Family Farming
chapter four
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dishes and Peach Pleasure
chapter five
Harvest Memories
Preserves and Legacy
Acknowledgments
Index
Measurement Conversion Charts
About the Authors