Massov Olga - Season with authority: confident home cooking

Writing this book has been an incredible journey for me. It has taken me down memory lane in a very meaningful way, and it has given me the opportunity to really look back and see how much Ive accomplished. The truth is that if youd asked me at the start of my career if Id be writing a cookbook one day, I would have told you that you were insane. But here I am, and clearly, I did not do it alone. As with restaurants and raising children, it turns out writing a book also takes a village, and there are dozens of people along the way who need to be recognized for all that they have done for this book and, more importantly, for me.

I should start my thanks with my book agent, Michael Psaltis, for helping to shepherd this book through the process, and for introducing us to the incredible Justin Schwartz, our editor, whose keen eye and attention to detail helped us to understand the shape this book should take. To Melissa Clark, an amazing writer, cook, and friend who introduced us to Olga Massov, an extraordinary person who managed to translate my crazy brain into actual words that I would never have been able to spell anyway. Olga wove this story together to perfection, and the precision of her recipe testing is unrivaled.

To me, this book is not only worth reading, its also well worth looking at. Its more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed, and for that there is an army of people to thank. Gary Tooth, whose genius layouts are a clear indication of his brilliant taste. Simon Andrews, whose food styling made everything look just that much more mouthwatering, and Amy Elise Wilson, whose prop styling makes the settings for this book look like places Id like to live. Theo Morrison, who helped us every day of the shoot. And a huge shout-out to the amazing and exceptional photographer Cedric Angeles. Neither of us had ever done a cookbook before, but Im glad we lost our virginity together. Cedric is a master of light, and without his stunning photography this book wouldnt look nearly as delicious.

My childhood may have been a little rocky, but my parents showed me the world and challenged my palate, and whether they knew it or not, they set me on this journey early on, and for that I am eternally grateful. My brother, Paul, has been a constant source of security for me throughout my lifeIm glad I got to share the wild ride with you, brother. And my incredible grandparents, Charles and Marcel Senouillet. They both taught me so much and always believed in me.

The road to where I am today is paved with people who took chances on me, and I dont pretend, for one second, that I would be where I am without them. My story really starts with Katherine Alford, my favorite teacher at Peter Kumps. Katherine, you may not have thought that I was paying attention, but I was, and Im grateful for all your support. Ed Feron, Terrance Brennan, David Pasternack, Joey Fortunato, Jean-Pierre Brault, Jacques Torres, Sottha Kuhn, Abraham Merchant, Drew Nieporent, Georges Masraff, Alain Ducasse, Sylvain Portay, Sirio Maccioni, Mark Papera, Michael Cimarusti, Hans Gossman, Frank Proto, and Andrea Immer-Robinsona group of men and women so talented that I cant believe my name might be mentioned in such company. But to each of you I owe mountains of gratitude. You each taught me this business from the ground up. You gave me a home, a life, and a purpose, and you all showed me some really good times along the way.

One of the things I love most about this industry is that it is ever-changing. No two days are the same, and we never know whats coming next. I have an unrivaled team of people behind me who manage what can often feel like chaos and turn it into great success. To David Lombardo, my wine and beverage director, whom I have known and worked with for two decades, and whose knowledge of all things grape has elevated our wine lists and turned a crazy concept into a truly special reality. Peter Hansen, who started with us as a host and is now my director of operationsa position that can at times be frustrating, intense, and overwhelmingmakes it look effortless. Peter has more patience and skill than anyone I know, and he can work magic with any Excel spreadsheet that comes his way. Both Peter and David have shown such solid support for me, for my family, and for our company, and I value them both beyond compare. Emily Karpin, my director of communications, keeps me sounding good, stops me from coming unglued, and, unfortunately for her, knows how to unscramble my brain. The Benchmarc Events team, who took a dream of mineto throw really good partiesand made it better than anything I could have hoped for. Yvette Feinberg, a dear friend and our director of human resources, keeps us honest and does a fantastic job of keeping the company running, and Larry Vanore, who helps us navigate some often uncharted and choppy waters. Hannah Small, my fearless assistant, who makes sure I am on time, on schedule, and in check; and everyone in our Benchmarc offices, who keep things running smoothly and allow us to have such a great time doing what we do. And to each and every employee of Benchmarcmanagers, chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, porters, servers, bartenders, and everyone who has played a hand in growing this companyyou are our very heart and soul, and I thank you. I also need to acknowledge all of our patrons over the years. I do this for you, and we only exist because of you. Thank you for letting us feed you, for choosing us to host your celebrations, your family dinners, and everything in betweenit is an honor.

I also need to mention a few people who have gone above and beyond for me: Jessie Schupack, who stood by me when things started to get really crazy; Bruce, Joanna, and Miles Adgate for the car rides, the crazy songs, and the most amazing meals in the most unexpected places; Michael and Carol Venezia for the constant inspiration; Scott Feldman and everyone at 212 Management for the constant support and ever-present cigars; Tara Halper, Jaret Keller, and Key Group as a whole for being the best cheerleaders a chef could ask for; my fellow Chopped crew: Linda Lea, Geoffrey Zakarian, Scott Conant, Aarn Snchez, Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos, Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson, and, of course, Ted Allen, who have all taught me so much both on camera and off; Penny Costigan, Bill Earle, Aiden Mooney, and Randy Bourscheidt for being my New York family; Gabrielle Palay for being a fantastic sister-wife and for always keeping the wine flowing; John Wellmann and Jeff Scott for the constant laughter and friendship and for being great uncles to our kids; and my in-laws, Judith and Irving Shafran, who allowed me to marry their daughter, and whose love and support for me has been unwavering.

And finally, I need to thank my wife, Pamela, and our children, Campbell and Callen. My life is good, but it would be nothing without these three.

Copyright 2015 by Marc Murphy
Photography 2015 by Cedric Angeles
Food styling by Simon Andrews
Prop styling by Amy Elise Wilson

All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Murphy, Marc.

Season with authority : confident home cooking / Marc Murphy with Olga Massov ; photography by Cedric Angeles.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-544-31555-6 (hardcover); 978-0-544-31359-0 (ebk)
1. Cooking. I. Massov, Olga. II. Title.

TX714.M86835 2015

641.5dc23