Grubtrotters

We have a story on dinela.com about Los Angeles chefs that have written cookbooks. One of the chefs mentioned but not quoted in the piece is Suzanne Goin, author of “Sunday Suppers at Lucques.”

Here are some of her thoughts:

Victor: Sunday suggests a meal that is a little bit special. What made you decide to take that angle for your book?

Suzanne: At Lucques and to me, Sundays are special because we do a different set menu on Sundays. I felt that this was more accessible and approachable to people at home, and also I liked the idea of a menu book because people ask me all the time, “So I’m making x for dinner, what should I make to start?” I didn’t want it to be just a Lucques restaurant cookbook. I wanted to try to convey the ideas and feelings of a family dinner, which often happen on Sundays.

Victor: It seems like a smart idea to include the name of the restaurant in the book title because it can serve as a subtle invitation. Has that been the case? Do out-of-towners who have read the book make a point of
visiting?

Suzanne: Yes, it was definitely a good idea to put the name of the restaurant in the title. The great thing about a book is that you can touch people who don’t necessarily live anywhere near you. We have people come in all the time who tell me they cook out of my book all the time but have never been to Lucques.

Victor: As someone born and raised in LA, did you want that SoCal sensibility toward food (fresh, diverse, etc.) to come across in the book even if there are inspirations from elsewhere?

Suzanne: I feel like my cooking is very personal in that my style has developed over time through many influences: People I worked with and for, what I ate growing up, the farmers markets, how people live and eat in LA. So it wasn’t that I wanted a certain sensibility to be there. I was just trying to communicate what I feel and think about food and eating. But I do think a part of that is definitely SoCal, and that is probably why that comes across.