Leave Me Alone with the Recipes: The Life, Art, and Cookbook of Cipe Pineles

Description

The newly discovered illustrated recipes of wildly influential yet unsung designer Cipe Pineles, introducing her delectable work in food and art to a new generation. Not long ago, Sarah Rich and Wendy MacNaughton discovered a painted manuscript at an antiquarian book fair that drew them in like magnets: it displayed a vibrant painting of hot pink beets and a hand-lettered recipe for borscht written in script so full of life, it was hard to believe it was more than sixty-five years old. It was the work of one of the most influential graphic designers of the twentieth century--Cipe (pronounced "C. P.") Pineles, the first female art director at Conde Nast, whose impact lives on in the work of Maira Kalman, Julia Rothman, and many others. Completed in 1945, it was a keepsake of her connection to her childhood's Eastern European food--she called it Leave Me Alone with the Recipes. For Wendy and Sarah, it was a talisman of a woman they had not known was their idol: a strong, independent spirit whose rich archive--of drawings, recipes, diaries, and letters to family and friends--led them into a dazzling history of mid-century design, art, food, New York City society, and culture. They teamed up with Maria Popova of Brain Pickings and Debbie Millman of Design Matters, along with contributors Mimi Sheraton, Steven Heller, Paula Scher, and Maira Kalman, to present Cipe Pineles's life and work as it should be presented--in glorious color. With Pineles's illustrated cookbook and a section of updated recipes as its centerpiece, this gorgeous volume will delight foodies and design devotees alike.

Cipe Pineles was the first female art director at Conde Nast, and a graphic designer and art director for several popular magazines. Sarah Rich is the author of Urban Farms and co-author of the bestselling Worldchanging. Wendy MacNaughton is a graphic journalist and illustrator of the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, the New York Times bestselling The Gutsy Girl, and many others. Debbie Millman is the author of six books on design and branding and President Emeritus of AIGA. Maria Popova is a reader and a writer, and the creator of Brain Pickings.

A charmingly resurrected and illustrated cookbook from a design pioneer. . . . It's in efforts like these that previous generations are remembered. Kudos to the crew of editors, writers, and designers for reinvigorating Leave Me Alone with the Recipes. -- starred review * Booklist * A whimsically illustrated book (think: Maira Kalman meets Matisse) . . . a truly original work. * Vogue, "Best Coffee Table Books to Give (and Get) This Holiday Season" * Any history and food lover will be completely engrossed with Pineles's story. It's just hard not to tear the pages up and hang them on your walls. * Bon Appetit * At the heart of the book are her bright, bold gouache illustrations--a vivid blue enamel pot of chicken soup and a glowing green bowl of hot-pink borscht are particular standouts--accompanying 25 hand-lettered recipes for iconic Jewish dishes served by her mother. . . . this book aims to reintroduce her work in the kitchen and at the drawing board to a new generation of readers, cooks, and collectors. * Santa Fe New Mexican * Beautifully restored and with added notes from the editors and archival photographs of Cipe, this book is not only full of delightful vintage recipes and illustrations, but it gives you a glimpse into the past and the life of an (until now) unsung hero. * Goop * Bravo to Sarah Rich and Wendy MacNaughton for unearthing these remarkable, vibrantly drawn and emblematic recipes for all to see. -- Joan Nathan, author of KING SOLOMON'S TABLE Joyful and delicious, this book is a celebration of an outstanding and influential designer, a memorable, visionary woman. It is a gift to us all. -- Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, MOMA Cipe Pineles was a role model for many a modern woman. No nonsense. With a discerning eye. Getting things done with other men and women of taste and culture. Not being afraid. -- Maira Kalman Cipe was a rare person by any standard; a superb designer as well as a prototypical 'Jewish mother.' -- Milton Glaser Beautifully and imaginatively illustrated from another era with an author whose own story is intriguing. This is about everything I look for in a cookbook. -- Mark Kurlansky, author of SALT Utterly enchanting . . . [The] inspiring story of a woman who was discriminated against, like so many others, for her sex, but who rose to the top based on her talent and without changing her style or losing her generosity of spirit. -- Nicola Twilley, author of EDIBLE GEOGRAPHY, co-host of GASTROPOD, and NEW YORKER contributing writer This glorious and gorgeous book brings Cipe Pineles's art, food, and hidden story to light. -- Davia Nelson, NPR's The Kitchen Sisters