Tarte Tatin Tales

Part memoir and part cookbook, Marsha Palanci’s collection of valuable life lessons and treasured personal recipes is spun from her memories as an American raised in France and Belgium and educated in Ohio, along with her reflections of four decades of travel and career as a wine marketer in New York City.

What do one hat and five elephants, a garden in the sky, and a mother's recipe box all have in common? They are all delightfully wise and witty chapters in blogger Marsha Palanci's book, Tarte Tatin Tales. Topics as diverse as surviving a first job, enjoying summer in the city, and sustaining lifelong friendships are explored with candor and enthusiasm. As she does in her blog (tartetatintales.com), Marsha's own experiences are amplified with additional insights and opinions from a carefully curated group of friends. The crowd-sourced perspective gives the reader entertaining storytelling and much food for thought.

Tarte Tatin Tales is also a cookbook that will inspire cooks of all levels. Filled with family favorites and an assortment of international recipes, it reflects Marsha's childhood in Europe, extensive travel in her adult years, and her careers promoting cheese and then wine. Although Marsha studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and with other experts in French and Italian cuisine, she prides herself on making dishes that appear more complex than they really are. Her fifty fully tested recipes range from Fresh Pea Gazpacho, to Belgian Waterzooi, to—of course—Tarte Tatin, and are easily made by anyone who loves to cook—and eat!

Marsha Palanci was educated in medieval French literature, but after a few years in academe switched to a career in international wine marketing. She is an active member of Les Dames d'Escoffier International and a trustee of both CancerCare and Early Music New York. A former marathon runner, her current passions include collecting works by women artists, supporting college scholarships, and traveling the world on a bike. Her happiest moments are working in her rooftop garden listening to opera.