Paula Wolfert

Amusing review of Paula Wolfert's "Mediterranean Grains and Greens" in Slate:

In her cookbooks Wolfert is always traipsing up to some unelectrified mountain encampment and finding an old woman dressed all in black who has spent a lifetime perfecting one master dish whose ingredients she communicates to Wolfert using sign language.

I'm a big fan of Paula. Her first book, along with a Delacroix exhibit at the National Museum of Art was what got me to Morocco in 1985. But, that excerpt is SO true.

Anyway, if you ever peruse e-Gullet, you will see she is an active participant there. She's also more than willing to communicate via e-mail, and I've had a few nice exchanges with her. I have the feeling that if I was in SF some time, she'd meet for coffee!

Rob

Food writer Paula Wolfert reflects on cooking to cope with Alzheimer's

Award-winning cookbook author Paula Wolfert can't remember all of the ingredients in her recipes anymore, but she still knows how her dishes should taste. Hoping to delay the effects of Alzheimer's disease, Wolfert copes by continuing to cook. Judy Woodruff reports on why Wolfert wants more people to declare their memory loss.

We hosted Paula Wolfert for a book signing years back at our Evanston Spice House. When it was over my husband exclaimed "I can't wait to have a giant martini." I told him Paula wanted a ride to her downtown hotel so he would have to be on good behavior for awhile longer. As soon as she got into the car she said, "I need a martini!" She invited us to the hotel bar, we had a few martinis and we enjoyed talking with her so much that we ended up having dinner together, and she even bought. Her stories are just amazing, she has led quite the life. So yes, Rob, I do believe she would meet you for coffee and you would have a heck of a time.