Chef Ali Katz will host North Fork co-author (with Kevin Bay) of “The Fisherman’s Wife: Sustainable Recipes and Salty Stories,” Stephanie Villani, and South Fork co-author (with Hillary Davis) of “The Hamptons Kitchen,” Stacy Dermont, in a joint book-signing event in her popular Mattituck bakery/gift shop on Saturday, April 9, 1-4pm.
“I’ve always wanted to carry cookbooks in my shop, and this is a great start—to kick off with these regional cookbooks,” says Chef Ali. She will be preparing dishes from both cookbooks for patrons to sample that day—including Bluefish Dips and Green Garlic Pesto Bites.
Chef Ali and her husband Chef Fritz Beckmann operate the wholesale kitchen, which is open for retail sales to the public Friday through Sunday, serving to-go coffee, tea, housemade pastries, cookies, cakes, quiches, and a rotating variety of delicious sweet and savory treats. Their takeout menu is updated weekly.
“The Fishermen’s Wife” features nearly 100 practical recipes, as well as techniques and fish handling tips. You’ll also find the answers to the most common seafood questions and a wealth of firsthand information about sustainable fishing practices, stories, and photos from the boat. The eponymous “fisherman,” is Alex Villani, captain of the one-man fishing vessel Blue Moon, and, of course Stephanie’s husband. In addition to Stephanie’s original recipes, the book includes recipes from chefs Marc Forgione, Rocco DiSpirito, Alex Raij, Carmen Quagliata, Ray Bradley, and Hiroko Shimbo.
“The Hamptons Kitchen” is divided into five chapters—Spring, Low Summer, High Summer, Fall, and Winter, to enjoy local ingredients at their peak. Chef Eric Ripert says it “captures the spirit of cooking and eating simply, seasonally, and locally.” And the dishes come with Stacy’s regional pairing suggestions, featuring many North Fork wines.
