'When I think about corn and tomatoes in New Jersey, nothing I’ve ever had in California is better.' Read AliceWaters's GrubDiet
Alice Waters amid the seasonal fruits. Illustration: Margalit Cutler Alice Waters’s influence is felt any time chefs talk about seasonal produce, in the proliferation of farmers markets, and whenever people say “California cuisine.” Fifty years after opening her iconic Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse, she’s still as excited about peach season as ever. Although the restaurant is currently closed for dine-in service , she hasn’t lost her interest in eating out.
For dinner, I had more salad and dal that they made at Chez Panisse with red lentils, onion, green garlic, tomato, and Indian spices. I find dal completely satisfying in every way. Just a little bit of a drizzle of cumin and hot oil, you know. It’s a beautiful thing to have. The dal is probably the most beloved soup from the restaurant. Especially the way it’s spiced. The drizzled cumin, all of those things, must be in our genes someplace.
I didn’t eat a whole lot else. I had pasta pesto for dinner, always with a salad. I went and picked my purple lettuces from my victory garden out front, and I had some fruit. It must’ve been a mixture of apricots and strawberries. I always want a thin-crust bread for my sandwiches. I asked Steve Sullivan from Acme Bread if he could experiment making a pizza bianca from whole grains, and he said he’d try. He and I, by the way, have had the best rapport during the pandemic. He will make a loaf of bread and leave it on my front porch. Then I’ll leave him a bottle of wine or a love letter. It’s just so nice to have that connection.