I just ordered a copy; coming from Cornwall in the UK.
San Francisco has no shortage of cookbooks written by local chefs. But I recently came across one that stood out for an unusual reason — its formatting.
“San Francisco’s Celebrity Chefs” doesn’t have photos or the typical typesetting characteristic of most published cookbooks, nor is it authored by a single chef. Instead, it has recipes recorded entirely on personal or office letterhead from 1980s Bay Area notables.
Recipe contributors include former and current SF residents ranging from socialites to luminaries, from longtime San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen (spaghetti sauce) to former San Francisco mayor and current U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (baked chicken) to actor and SF native Clint Eastwood (salad dressing).
In the world of cookbooks, others have glossier production values. But when it comes to cookbooks that transport us into the home kitchens of San Francisco’s historic who’s who, the 1987 tome is among select company.
The story behind this vintage San Francisco ‘celebrity’ cookbook
Greg