“This is a tasty and revealing read that takes you behind the curtain for a valuable peek into what motivates some of the greatest chefs in America. With beautifully displayed heartfelt recipes that connect their food to their memories, Dawn manages to capture each chef's unique inspiration and aura.”
—Chef Sanford D'amato, Founder, Sanford Restaurant, James Beard Foundation award winner for Best Chef: Midwest, and author, Good Stock: Life on a Low Simmer

“Dawn Blume Hawkes has masterfully woven together a dozen North American chefs' tales with her engaging prose. Although I've only met Chef Jason Wilson of Crush in Seattle, after reading Dawn's cookbook, I feel I've had a nice chat with each one of them around my kitchen table. A rich and revealing read, indeed!”
—Sue Frause, Photographer, award-winning journalist, and radio host for Around the World Travel, KSER.

“The photography will make you ravenous, beautiful stories about these talented chefs will captivate you, and the user-friendly recipes will get you cooking. There is a rare charm about this book, making it a welcome addition to a bedside table or kitchen bookshelf.”
—Nathalie Dupree, Television and radio cooking show host, best-selling author of fifteen cookbooks earning three James Beard Foundation book awards, most recently, Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking, 2011 recipient of the “Grande Dame” award by Les Dames d' Escoffier International, and named 2013 Woman of the Year by the French Master Chef's of America

“Away from the Kitchenpairs lovely photos of chefs and foods with recipes designed to invite home cooks to the kitchen, and shares the lives of chefs from across the country who present their stories and menus. Accounts from both inside and outside the kitchen are culled from private interviews to consider what it means to be a chef in a modern culinary environment. The blend of personal stories and culinary insights and dishes makes for a colorful compendium recommended for any general collection.”
—Midwest Book Review