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Critical Praise

“THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS is a delicate, meltingly lovely hymn to food and friendship.  Lillian's kitchen, full of buttery light and gorgeous smells, is a place where the world works the way it should.  You'll want to tuck yourself into one warm corner of it and stay all day.”
—Marisa de los Santos, author of LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME

“The perfect recipe for escaping from life’s stresses, from savoring the delicious ingredients of Lillian’s recipes to the calm and thoughtful rhythm of Erica Bauermeister’s luminous prose.”
—Kate Jacobs, author of THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB

“Fans of Maeve Binchy and Laura Esquirel are going to fall in love with Erica Bauermeister's beautiful story.  I know I have. THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS is exquisitely written and heartbreakingly delicious.  It's a luscious slice of life...and you will enjoy every bite.”
—Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of GARDEN SPELLSand THE SUGAR QUEEN

“SCHOOL is a tale where strangers unite over food, each rediscovering their own essence via cooking’s wonders and pleasures…. Bauermeister manages to keep them fresh and their stories enticing though a series of achingly real vignettes and devastating flashbacks. And her cooking descriptions (fresh crab, handmade tortillas, luscious fondue, pasta sauce simmered for hours, a to-die-for tiramisu) will compel readers to hit the farmers market and run for the kitchen.”
—The Seattle Times

“Food Network fans will devour this first novel about a whimsical cooking school run by a gentle chef with a fierce passion for food.”
—People

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"The perfect recipe for escaping from life’s stresses…luminous prose."

—Kate Jacobs, No. #1 New York Times bestselling author, The Friday Night Knitting Club

"Food Network fans will devour this first novel."

—People

"The novel has that... life-is-meals feeling."

—Los Angeles Times