Olive & Thyme: Everyday Meals Made Extraordinary

by Melina Davies, Ann Elliott Cutting (Photographer), Ashley Barrett (Photographer), Nancy Silverton (Foreword by)

Overview

Melina Davies treats everyone like family. Stop by her house and she'll whip you up a fluffy, buttery vegetable quiche with fresh greens in a homemade dressing. Visit her wildly popular L.A. restaurant and marketplace, Olive & Thyme, and she'll come by your table to see how you're enjoying your avocado and burrata toast. Ask her for tips on hosting the in-laws for dinner, and she'll walk you through her juicy roast chicken with thyme and which wine to serve and music to play. A consummate host and lauded chef, Davies brings her love of togetherness to Olive & Thyme, where the vibe is relaxed and warm and the food is fresh and delicious. Davies brings that same passion to her book, Olive & Thyme, which shares her most popular recipes (drawn from French, Californian, Italian, and Middle Eastern influences), along with her breezy, practical entertaining advice. With stunning photos by Ann Elliott Cutting and Ashley Barrett and a foreword by the four-time James Beard winner Nancy Silverton (author of Chi Spacca and The Mozza Cookbook), Olive & Thyme is the ingredient every kitchen needs—a fun, inspirational guide to enjoying what matters most in life: family, friends, good food, and music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945551710
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,150,694
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Melina Davies is a self-taught cook who left a career in the movie industry in 2011 to open a tiny café called Olive & Thyme in Toluca Lake, California, later moving to a much larger location just up the street, and most recently opening a second restaurant. The daughter of Armenian immigrants and a graduate of the University of Southern California, Davies lives in Studio City, California, with her husband and their two young children.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2020

Davies, a Southern California restaurateur, delivers on her commitment to unfussy food in this welcoming book whose approach and name come from her two cafés. Buttermilk biscuits and strawberry banana smoothies grace the breakfast chapter, but Davies also adds the unexpected: the bitterness of chopped arugula in a quiche and the zing of matcha in an iced-coffee. Such expert touches abound and include adding lemon zest and juice to a creamy red-potato salad and using mirin and rice vinegar to elevate the glaze for a ginger soy salmon. Sautéed pancetta enriches the tomato sauce for family-favorite spaghetti, while a tuft of burrata nudges this classic to the next level. The dishes reflect a range of culinary influences, including French, Italian, and Middle Eastern, as well the laid-back, locavore vibe Davies embraces. Many of the dishes are built for sharing, and Davies provides notes on how to choose a menu, create serving boards (for a board of cheese and charcuterie, “It’s all about the balance: of flavors, of textures, of colors, of shapes”), and be a gracious host (attend to gifted flowers right away). Beginner and occasional cooks will be able to execute the recipes in this charming volume with confidence. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Featured in the LAist Foodish Holiday Gift Guide

“Clean. Elegant. Delicious. Melina Davies delivers an exceptional experience with her Olive & Thyme restaurants, and now, in sharing her personal stories and techniques in her cookbook, she gives us the gift of great dishes to prepare at home for friends and family.”
—Keanu Reeves, actor, publisher, and author

“Melina Davies turned what was to be a simple café into an LA institution. Accessible, thoughtful, and delicious, her cookbook will make you look like a genius at your next dinner party. This is how we should all be eating and cooking.”
—Vinny Dotolo, James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur (Jon & Vinny’s, Animal, Son of a Gun, and more), and co-author of Two Dudes, One Pan

"Davies, a Southern California restaurateur, delivers on her commitment to unfussy food in this welcoming book…Beginner and occasional cooks will be able to execute the recipes in this charming volume with confidence.”
— Publisher's Weekly

“Does our family go to Olive & Thyme every day? Maybe. And by maybe, I mean yes. Melina Davies knows what gathering for a meal means to so many of us. It’s a chance for our family and friends to share a rare, calm moment together to laugh, talk, and soothe our souls with delicious, beautiful food made with love. The fact that we can now make some of her magic at home makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Will this mean we go into Olive & Thyme less? Maybe. And by maybe—I mean, see you tomorrow morning, Melina.”
— Melissa McCarthy, actor, writer, and fashion designer

“I’ve been a fan of Melina Davies and Olive & Thyme for years, and I’m so excited about this book! Finally, I can enjoy the recipes in my own home.”
—Jet Tila, chef, Food Network star, and author of 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die

“Melina Davies’ gift—Olive & Thyme—shares a simple, heartfelt, delicious plate of life and connection.”
—Della Gossett, executive pastry chef at Spago

“I’ve been going to Olive & Thyme for the last eight years for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now, I get to have Melina’s delicious food in the comfort of my own home. She’s not only helping people cook tasty meals, she’s solving the Los Angeles traffic problem.”
Eric Stonestreet, actor and star of Modern Family

“With Olive & Thyme, Melina Davies will inspire the “accidental” chef in everyone! As soon as you open Melina’s book, you are invited into learning not just about delicious recipes that create splendid little meals with little fuss, but understanding that a love for cooking can summon our closest friends and family to spend time together around a table.”
—Matt Molina, James Beard Award–winning chef, restaurateur, and co-author of The Mozza Cookbook

From the Publisher