A funny and tender memoir about the meaning of food, family and life

Peter Gethers has loved food and wine all his life, and now he wants to give his 93-year-old mother a final gift: a spectacular feast featuring all her favorite dishes. Problem is, he doesn’t know how cook most of them, so he embarks upon a culinary journey that will ultimately allow him to bring his mother’s friends and loved ones to the table one last time.

The daughter of a restaurateur, Judy Gethers discovered a passion for cooking in her 50s. In time, she became a mentor and friend to several of the most famous chefs in America, including Wolfgang Puck and Jonathan Waxman. In her 80s, she was robbed of her ability to cook by a debilitating stroke. But illness has brought her closer than ever to her son: at least twice a week, Peter visits her so he can make her dinner, ask questions about her colorful past, and learn her kitchen secrets. Gradually his ambition becomes manifest: he decides to learn how to cook his mother the meal of her dreams and thereby tell the story of her life to all those who have loved her.

With his trademark wit and knowing eye, Peter Gethers has written an unforgettable memoir about how food and family can do much more than feed us—they can nourish our souls.