Cookbooks & their writers at Thanksgiving dinner

Pictured from left to right: Mary Risley, Cecilia Chiang (standing) and Chuck Williams (sitting) just before Thanksgiving dinner was served in Risley's splendid San Francisco kitchen--dining hall. 

The talk was all about Risley's YouTube hit "Just Put the F*cking Turkey in the Oven", which was going viral while the bird was still in the dark, simmering at 350 degrees.

(Go to this link & type in Mary Risley, Tante Marie Cooking School.)

Ms.Risley, founder of Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco and of Foodrunners, a non-profit that provides fresh food to the needy, has written at least one book--"The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook" (Simon & Schuster.)

Ms. Chiang, founder of the legendary Mandarin restaurants in SF and LA, credited by no-less-than Alice Waters as doing for "chinese cuisine what Julia Child did for French," also has a book, "The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Bejing to San Francisco" (Ten Speed Press.)

Mr. Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma, has just released his auto-bio, "The Merchant of Sonoma: Pioneer of the American Kitchen" (Simon & Schuster, 2011.)

The food and wine was superb, especially the shrimp Ms. Risley procured from Swans on Polk St. The talk was good and everyone had a wonderful time.

And the turkey was turkey, as turkey always is, a bird that flies, but somewhat awkwardly, though at this Thanksgiving it rose far above the ordinary.