The Kitchen and The Studio: Memoirs of Food and Art is a unique blend of memoir, cookbook, and artwork that all combine to tell the story of your marriage and life together. Why was this an important book to create?

John is an artist. I am a writer and an art historian. Our mutual love of good food and wine initially played a role in bringing us together and it has continued to be a mutual passion for more than sixty years! So, our collaboration on “The Kitchen and the Studio” is a true legacy of our life together throughout all the places we’ve been and the people we’ve known. It’s been a constant anchor for us through good times and bad and has sustained our love of life and of each other.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

In the first part of the book, I wrote about one of. our visits to John’s artist friends, Bill brown and Paul Wonner. I had just finished my sophomore year at U.C. and was pondering what direction to go. Should I stay a fine art major or move more toward art history? I had a long conversation with Bill and at the end he told me, “The most important thing is to live the artist’s life.” For a long time I tried to figure out what he meant. What did you have to do to “live the artist’s life?” I finally realized that he was telling me to “open my eyes and see what was there.” And to build my life one stroke at a time, as an artist would create a painting. Our LIFE was meant to be a work of art and we needed to approach it with care and delight and make it as beautiful and as significant as possible. That’s the message imbedded in our book. “Live the artist’s life” and make your LIFE a work of art. And always remember that an artist can take humble materials and transform them into something beautiful and unique. Just as you can with food.

If you had to pick one recipe for your readers to try from your book, what one would it be and why?

I think I’d choose John’s Crab Louie for two reasons. 1. It was the “beginning” of our mutual love affair with food (and with each other) and 2. Even if you’re not a meat-eater, you can enjoy this wonderful mix of fresh vegetables ad seafood. Or even leave the seafood out and enjoy it as a lovely salad. It’s pretty, it’s delicious and it’s healthy. Great combination!

What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?

Life is a grand adventure. Accept. Learn. Experiment. Enjoy. You don’t need lots of money or expensive surroundings to create a beautiful and meaningful life. Find out what/who you love and let that be your guide. By following the path, you will co-create your destiny.

Author Links: Facebook | Website

“The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art” is a cookbook, an art book, a memoir, and a love story. Artist John A. O’Connor and Art Historian Mallory M. O’Connor met at the University of California, Davis, in 1962. They were married in January 1963. From the beginning, they shared a passion for good food and wine that has continued for over sixty years.

This book is both a memoir of their life together as artists and teachers and a collection of the special celebrations that they shared with a wide variety of guests over the years. The book includes more than one hundred recipes from their collection, each illustrated with John’s original paintings. Every occasion has a story to tell about a time and a place when friends and family came together to share their lives, their passions, and their daily bread.

In this unique love story of a creative couple who have always “lived the artist’s life,” John and Mallory O’Connor share their favorite special occasions and recipes along with the places and the people who made them memorable.