A Seat at the Table

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell don't really want you to call their new book a "cookbook." As they have both noted, no one really needs another cookbook. Any recipe in any variation can be found in countless online and previously-published sources.

But what their latest book brings to the table - aside from 115 delicious recipes - is a celebration of community. A Seat at the Table, the fourth 'recipe book' by the Beekman Boys, demonstrates how a community can nourish your soul as much as the meals you share with them can nourish your body.

The book, which was published last week, shares recipes that embody the traditional story of stone soup, in which everyone in the community brings their small piece to the pot to create a sum much greater than its parts.

When Brent and Josh first moved to Sharon Springs full-time, during the economic crisis of 2008, they were not sure they would make it there. Both jobless, both unsure of what their next move should be and both in love with the land and the people they had come to know in Sharon Springs, New York, they found comfort, support and inspiration in a community of artisans and makers who welcomed them with open arms.

A Seat at the Table is a celebration of this community, a thank-you feast to the people who helped build their dreams.

Fittingly, the recipes were developed with the help of a good neighbour, Rose Marie Trapani, who is arguably the best home cook in Sharon Springs, according to Brent and Josh - and basically everyone in town! (Apparently, a dinner invite from Rose Marie and her husband Joe is the most coveted ticket one can get in Sharon Springs!)

Rich with Sicilian flare, the recipes have an earthy, rustic goodness, brought to life through the 130 moody photographs by Christian Watson. (Follow him on Instagram @1924us)

I blog about Brent and Josh frequently. Having the privilege to call them friends of mine makes me all the more excited and enthusiastic for their latest ventures. Even though I don't see them very often, I know what it's like to be welcomed into their home, and the homes of some of their neighbours. I've been lucky enough to have had a seat at their table. I've had the luxury of slowly walking through their beautiful fields and gardens and the fascinating experience of exploring the storied streets of Sharon Springs. I know what it's like to be recognized by the shop owners and the inn keepers. I do not live in Sharon Springs but somehow it lives within me.

These two are the real deal. And so is this book.

You can purchase autographed copies at Beekman1802.com or standard copies at Amazon.com.

IN OTHER BEEKMAN 1802 NEWS!

Expanding on the success of Beekman 1802 bath and body line, 'the boys' have just released a new line of all-natural cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients and goat’s milk, a line they've been working on for several years. Formulated and bottled in the U.S., Beekman 1802 Happy Place products are designed to provide safer and more natural options to cleaning. You can purchase the products at Beekman1802.com or through Evine. (Doesn't this photos just make you smile?)