us recipes combine for an entertaining, informative memoir by renowned Chef Charlie Abowd. This "James Beard Award" winning chef has spent his life immersed in his three passions--cuisine, music and politics. Growing up in the tumult of the 1960s San Francisco music scene mixed with Vietnam War protests and activism, while learning the art of cooking at his parents' Bay Area restaurants, informed Charlie's future. He promoted concerts and provided stage lighting for the biggest bands of the time, while living in the Santa Cruz mountains. This passion continued throughout his life. During its iconic forty-year run, Adele's Restaurant, and later, Café at Adele's in Carson City, became legendary for fine dining, musicians, and celebrities that visited, and where Nevada's movers and shakers gathered. Around its tables and over delicious cuisine, business people and elected representatives made deals and negotiated legislation. Adele's played a pivotal role in bringing people together to benefit the greater Nevada good. Charlie has seen it all and now shares his stories interspersed with his patrons' favorite recipes.