A Menu for All Seasons: Spring- A Montecito Country Kitchen Cookbook

A delicious and beautifully photographed cook book that features seasonal Spring menus from Santa Barbara's renowned cooking school, Montecito Country Kitchen and its dynamic chefs, Ann Marie Martorano-Powers and Pascale Beale-Groom.

The book lets you into the secrets of planning and cooking eight, springtime menus, abundantly illustrated, with detailed notes on timing, key tips about cooking and food folklore. The three courses of each menu may be mixed and matched into mouth-watering meals that combine simplicity in method, a corucopia of tastes and a common-sense approach to get it all on the table in a timely fashion.

Pascale Beale-Groom grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was tuaght to cook by her French mother and grandmother. She worked for 15 years in the real estate and financual markets in California, all the while continuing her quest for good food and culinary knowledge during gastronomic pilgramages to Europe. In 1999 she returned to her first passion - cooking - and opened Montecito COuntry Kitchen, a Mediterranean-style cooking school in Santa Barbara. She joined the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2000. She and business partner, Ann Marie Powers are currently finishing the next book in the 'A Menu for All Seasons' series.

Ann Marie Martorano-Powers was born into a large Italian family and learned the art of italian cooking from her paternal grandmother. In the 1980's, she started her own cateriing company, Ann Marie Catering, specializing in italian food for weddings and private functions. She catered for the White House Press Corps when they were in town during the Regan Years. She was the first caterer for the 100 Comittee Luncheon and was on the boards of Girls Inc. She brought her Italian flavor to Montecito Country Kitchen in 2000.