June 30, 2015

Jessica Fechtor

Harvard Book Store welcomes JESSICA FECHTOR, writer of the popular food blog Sweet Amandine, and James Beard Award-winning journalist KATHY GUNST for a discussion of Fechtor's memoir Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home.

Details

At 28, Jessica Fechtor was happily immersed in graduate school and her young marriage, and thinking about starting a family. Then one day, she went for a run and an aneurysm burst in her brain. She nearly died. She lost her sense of smell, the sight in her left eye, and was forced to the sidelines of the life she loved.

Jessica’s journey to recovery began in the kitchen as soon as she was able to stand at the stovetop and stir. There, she drew strength from the restorative power of cooking and baking. Written with intelligence, humor, and warmth, Stir is a heartfelt examination of what it means to nourish and be nourished. 

Woven throughout the narrative are 27 recipes for dishes that comfort and delight. For readers of M.F.K.Fisher, Molly Wizenberg, and Tamar Adler, as well as Oliver Sacks, Jill Bolte Taylor, and Susannah Cahalan, Stir is sure to inspire, and send you straight to the kitchen.

About Author(s)

Jessica Fechtor writes the popular food blog, Sweet Amandine. She is a PhD candidate in Jewish Literature at Harvard University, and lives with her husband and daughters in San Francisco. She doesn't believe in secret recipes.

Kathy Gunst is a James Beard Award winning journalist. She is the author of 15 cookbooks. Her latest book, Soup Swap, will be published by Chronicle Books in the fall of 2016. She is the “Resident Chef” for the award-winning NPR show,Here and Now, heard on over 400 public radio stations nationwide. She writes for many publications including the Washington PostNew York Times,Eating WellNewsweekYankeeModern Farmer and more. Gunst recently gave a TedX talk about her work teaching elementary school children how to grow food and cook fruits and vegetables.