Convent Cook: (Hardcover) by Tisdall, Maria

One of the best places to eat in New Jersey happens to be at a convent, of all places. Yes, the Benedictine sisters at Saint Walburga are eating in style, thanks to their very own convent cook, Maria Tisdall. Before Maria blessed them with her presence, these nuns lived on the plainest of plain foods--rice, potatoes, absolutely nothing fancy. But with Maria in the kitchen, they've started exploring the wonders of pesto, the gastronomic possibilities of couscous, and the joys of balsamic vinegar. Maria has opened the nuns to a whole new world of cooking, in the process developing a repertoire of recipes easily adaptable to home cooks entrusted with nourishing their families. In The Convent Cook, you'll hear about the rhythm of life in a convent, be introduced to a wonderful cast of characters, and, best of all, be treated to Maria's sumptuous, angelic, and wholesome cooking.

* Organized by month to highlight the nuns' day-to-day life and special celebrations.

* Maria Tisdall and the convent were featured in Saveur magazine.

Maria, Tisdall loved cooking from an early age and was a three-time finalist in Seventeen magazine's Now You're Cooking National Competition at the Culinary Institute of America. She later graduated from the CIA and then spent six years in restaurants before starting work at Saint Walburga. The mother of three (whom Sister Flavia Mundie looks after while Maria performs her miracles in the kitchen), she lives in Linden, New Jersey.