Episode 34

Before The French Laundry became a culinary landmark, there was Sally Schmitt, a quietly radical cook whose life helped shape what we now call California cuisine. In this episode, Sally’s daughter Karen Bates and grandson Byron Hoffman join us to tell that story through their book Six California Kitchens.

Part family history, part cookbook, Six California Kitchens traces Sally’s journey from a Depression-era homestead in Citrus Heights to a scrappy food-and-wine hub in Yountville, and eventually to the Apple Farm in Anderson Valley. Karen and Byron walk us through the early days of the original French Laundry, the teaching kitchen that drew people from all over the world, and the hands-on life of running a small farm and hospitality business for forty years.

We dig into how the book came together: Sally’s yellow legal pads, eight years of photographing recipes with nothing but family linens and pottery, and the challenge of weaving memoir, archive, and recipes into one seamless visual story.

GUEST WEBSITE: www.sixcaliforniakitchens.com