Pen & Palate: Mastering the Art of Adulthood, with Recipes
by Lucy Madison and Tram Nguyen
Our book is finally here! You can find it on: Indiebound, Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, and your local bookstore (maybe)!
It features never-before-seen embarrassing personal anecdotes, 40+ new recipes, and over 50 full-color original illustrations. It’s everything you already love about Pen & Palate—but longer, with more punctuation, and printed on paper (unless you buy the ebook). Also, if you purchase the audiobook version, you can hear us read those embarrassing anecdotes aloud.
If that wasn’t enough to entice you, here are a few things that some people (who are not our moms) have said about our book:
“Told with charming good humor, this millennial-girls-taking-on-the-world story will have readers immediately casting themselves and their girlfriends as either a Lucy or a Tram (either one is a splendid option, as both girls are delightful)…This is precisely the kind of book that will make readers want to stay up all night, drinking a bottle of wine, trying recipes, and laughing over their own coming-of-age anecdotes. VERDICT: An absolute must-have for young women and a perfect addition to food and memoir collections.”
—Kristen Droesch, Library Journal
“…it’s cookbook as bildungsroman. The recipes are great, but greater still is the pair’s unvarnished take on the comedic hideousness of being young and totally confused about everything from love to work to how much the steam heat in your crappy Manhattan apartment costs…”
—Melanie Rehak, Bookforum
“Their mouthwatering recipes include pho-spiced braised short ribs; spicy lemongrass chili chicken wings; Thanksgiving tamales; and a beginner-friendly fried chicken. The book alternates sections written by the two talented, witty women with Nguyen’s illustrations and an array of clever recipes that readers will want to try immediately.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Indiebound | Powell’s | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | iBooks
It is absolutely delightful! I loved it so much, I barely put it down from start to finish. I was inspired and impressed by the courage and perseverance both women displayed, in the face of professional uncertainty. It was also interesting to learn about how food played an important role in their coming of age.
My favorite quote is on page 212: “Scary is good. I told myself as I searched the bottom of my purse with one hand for a possible stale almond to munch on. Scary means it’s worth doing.” The book is a perfect combination of humor and vulnerability that keeps the reader captivated. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.
Well done!! Very inspiring, bravo!
Loved your book!!!!! Please do another one, with more recipes….how do you make your shallot vinaigrette dressing?
Thanks Julie! The shallot dressing actually shows up later in the book! It’s part of my recipe for Crispy Soft-Shell Crab Salad with Caramelized Shallot Vinaigrette on page 269. In this version, I use lemon juice, but feel free to substitute your favorite vinegar (red wine, apple cider, or rice wine vinegar are great—but something like balsamic may be too assertive).
Thank you
Just finished reading your book! I saw it in Books Inc. in San Francisco and could tell by just looking at the cover that it would be great. Loved your tales of friendship and cooking. I know exactly what it’s like to have the kids at school grossed out by your lunch and wishing for the safety of a sandwich. Oh, and the over ambitious cooking plans for a dinner party? Totally me! I usually wind up ditching a dish or two mid-preparation because I’ve set my sights too high. Thank you for the entertaining read! Will start following your blog pronto!
HI!
I just read your book and I absolutely love all the recipes!!! Are you going to come out with a new book?
Hurrah! I just finished a techniques cookbook my daughter found for me (FREE – more hurrah!) on kindle (How to Cook: An Easy Guide to Cooking Techniques) that was GREAT and I’m looking for a new book and just found this one. More hurrah! This is a good foodie day!
Loved your book! I found it to at the Huntington Beach, California library in the used bookstore. Bravo! What a wonderful story! I so enjoyed the recipes, getting to know each of you, chapter by chapter. You brought the angst of teenage years, the uncertainty of our 20s and then the realization of our 30s To life, as if you were speaking just to us, and through us. Can’t wait to look up more on each of you, and find out how you are doing now. I don’t want to spoil it for people who have not read the book yet, but we somewhat know how Lucy is doing at the end of the book and a little bit about where Tram was, but we want to know more!! How are Lucy and Rob today, how are Tram and Romeo? What new adventures have you gone on? I’m certain there could be a sequel with the answers, and more on the life lessons and food journeys of Lucy and Tram. 😊