The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories

‘A colorful, conversational, idea-pricking cookbook is always a welcome host gift, and this on – hits all the right notes.’ – Vanity Fair

The debut cookbook from Jason Hammel, showcasing the all-day seasonal food and arty vibe of his iconic Chicago restaurant

This book is the story of 20 years of cooking, love, friendship, and community told through food, with each recipe taking a particular moment in time as its inspiration. Chapters include: Brunch, Soups, Snacks, Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat/Fish, and Desserts, along with dozens of ‘building block’ recipes and ‘classic’ signature dishes.

With 90 all-day recipes, each marked with the date of their creation, and all-new photography, this first book about Jason Hammel's bustling hotspot, Lula Cafe, gives a vibrant insight into the food and story of this iconic Chicago restaurant, written by its admired chef-author owner. 

Beloved by its loyal clientele, Lula is a meeting place for locals, gourmands, artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians, and the intensely personal recipes and stories in this book are infused with their creative spirit – the perfect book for creative home cooks, and for readers who love stories about the ingredients, techniques, and people behind the food they eat.

Jason Hammel  is the self-taught executive chef/owner of Lula Cafe, which opened in Chicago’s Logan Square in 1999. He has also opened Marisol at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. He has received numerous awards and presented widely, including at MAD, the pioneering biannual food festival and organization. He graduated from Brown University and received a master’s degree in writing. He is a mentor for cooks in the Midwest and founded the nonprofit food education program Pilot Light.