Berkley/NAL’s Claire Zion on Jane Green – Novelist Turned Cookbook Author
This week’s Igloo Book Buzz is Jane Green’s GOOD TASTE, which will be published on Tuesday (10/4) by New American Library. A guide to all things food and entertaining, the book may seem like a departure for the New York Times bestselling novelist. Claire Zion, Vice President, Editor-In-Chief, Berkley/NAL and the author herself talk about how this should not come as a surprise to longtime readers.
(from left to right) Claire Zion and Jane Green
Claire Zion: “Home and family are at the heart of every Jane Green novel, whether set in a ramshackle cottage, a chic city apartment, or a weathered beach bungalow; and they also take center stage in GOOD TASTE. This isn’t just Jane’s first cookbook after writing seventeen novels – it’s a collection of stories about the meals and gatherings that she has hosted throughout her lifetime, filled with cherished recipes passed down from her parents, with many focusing on her British upbringing (her scones recipes is incredible!).”
Jane Green in the kitchen.
Jane Green: “Writing and cooking have always been my great passions, and although my cooking was often amazing, it was sometimes terrible. I always described it as being a bit like Russian Roulette – you never quite knew how it was going to turn out, largely because I am fearless, but I didn’t have an understanding of the science behind it. Five years ago I took myself off to culinary school to learn the science, and the basics, as well as fantastically fab things like super-quick knife skills. It completely changed the way I cook. Interestingly, I trained in very formal, French cooking, but that isn’t what I cook. Food, for me, is love – it is all about gathering the people I love in a warm, comfortable space, and feeding them the kinds of foods that make them feel nurtured, safe, and loved. I am far more apt to serve them delicious comfort food, one-pot casseroles or lovely braised dishes that feed the heart and soul.”