'I wanted to go on reading it forever' - Nigella Lawson 'Like a dinner with friends you won't want to end' - J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest 'Warm, delicious, and absolutely satisfying-I devoured in one enthusiastic gulp!' - Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter - as well as a gift of saffron - to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic - exotic fare in the Northwest US of the 1960s. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the unexpected changes in their own lives. Food and a good life - they can't be separated. It is a discovery the women share not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen's decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen's friendship - a test that summons their unconditional trust in one another. 'A genuine pleasure. You'll want to share it with everyone you call friend' - Louise Miller

'I wanted to go on reading it forever' Nigella Lawson Two strangers. One recipe. A friendship for the ages. Creamy risotto alla Milanese. Mussels in a hot, buttery broth. Chicken spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Joan Bergstrom and Imogen Fortier understand the key to a savoured life: delicious food. Young Joan is just discovering herself as a food writer in bustling Los Angeles, while experienced magazine columnist Imogen is settled in her decades-long marriage on Camano Island outside Seattle. When Joan sends a fan letter to Imogen, alongside a gift of saffron and a recipe, their journey of culinary exploration and life-changing friendship begins. A long-lost flavour unearths buried memories, a quest to make carne asada opens the doors of a sheltered life, and, as the two women connect through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the unexpected changes in their own worlds. 'Like a dinner with friends you won't want to end' J. Ryan Stradal 'Warm, delicious, and absolutely satisfying' Meg Waite Clayton 'You'll want to share it with everyone you call friend' Louise Miller

Most tourists in Thailand clutch their Lonely Planet guides and follow a well-worn path: a quick stop in Bangkok, trekking outside of Chiang Mai, cocktails on the beach in Phuket. They see so little; they miss so much. To Thailand With Love tells where to eat cobra salad, where to find ghosts in Ayutthaya, where to spend an evening among fireflies, where to meet sea gypsies or hear the songs of gibbons, where to spend a day on a rice farm, where to learn to make paper from elephant dung. Add to this shopping tips, restaurant recommendations, secret sanctuaries provided by expats and frequent visitors--and an unforgettable trip is guaranteed.

From riding an elephant in Chitwan National Park to dining on chocolate doughnuts en route to Mount Everest Base Camp, discover the secrets of savvy expatriates, seasoned travelers, and inspired locals. Delving deeper than the typical guidebook, "To Nepal With Love" invites readers to participate in unique travel experiences through personal essays paired with practical fact files. Each recommendation offers a different viewpoint, as writers receive blessings from a mountainside monk during a Himalayan trek, learn how to meditate on the lakefront in Pokhara, dine on ethnic Nawari cuisine, and share tips for creating an original trip. Including suggestions for dining, shopping, sightseeing, and contributing to the country as you travel, "To Nepal With Love" was created for the passionate traveler.
About the "To Asia With Love" Series. Each volume of this series of guidebooks created and edited by Kim Fay features a collection of evocative personal essays combined with practical travel information. As well as offering new insights into favorite attractions, it reveals experiences that few outsiders have encountered. Beautifully designed with full color photographs, each book will inspire sophisticated globetrotters and entertain armchair travelers alike.
About Kim Fay, the Series editor. Pacific Northwest native Kim Fay first traveled to Southeast Asia in 1991. She spent four years living in Vietnam and has traveled back frequently, writing about the region. As an expert on travel literature and Vietnam, she has been a guest speaker on NPR and has written for numerous publications, including Travel + Leisure. She is the creator and series editor of the To Asia With Love guidebooks. She lives in Los Angeles.
Reviews for the "To Asia With Love" Series:
..". a refreshing addition to the traveler's bookshelf ... evocative and eclectic ..." - Chic Travel Thailand
Received honorable mention in the travel book category at the 2005 Independent Book Publishing Awards
Untamed Travel Magazine declares that it "breaks new ground in the travel writing field."