Justice Is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG

by Leslie Karst

Overview

 “The book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more.” 

—Karen Shimizu, Executive Editor, Food & Wine

When Leslie Karst learned that her offer to cook dinner for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her renowned tax law professor husband, Marty, had been accepted, she was thrilled—and terrified. A small-town lawyer who hated her job and had taken up cooking as a way to add a bit of spice to the daily grind of pumping out billable hours, Karst had never before thrown such a high-stakes dinner party. Could she really pull this off?

Justice Is Served is Karst’s light-hearted, earnest account of the journey this unexpected challenge launched her on—starting with a trip to Paris for culinary inspiration, and ending with the dinner itself. Along the way, she imparts details of Ginsburg’s transformation from a young Jewish girl from Flatbush, Brooklyn, to one of the most celebrated Supreme Court justices in our nation’s history, and shares recipes for the mouthwatering dishes she came up with as she prepared for the big night. But this memoir isn’t simply a tale of prepping for and cooking dinner for the famous RBG; it’s also about how this event, and all the planning and preparation that went into it, created a new sort of connection between Karst, her partner, and her parents, and also inspired Karst to make life changes that would reverberate far beyond one dinner party.

A heartfelt story of simultaneously searching for delicious recipes and purpose in life, Justice Is Served is an inspiring reminder that it’s never too late to discover—and follow—your deepest passion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647424589
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	413,948
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

The daughter of a law professor and a potter, Leslie Karst waited tables and sang in a new wave rock band before deciding she was ready for “real” job and ending up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that she rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking, at which point she once again returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her days penning the Sally Solari culinary mystery series, as well as cooking, gardening, cycling, and singing alto in her local community chorus. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Editorial Reviews

2024 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Silver Winner in Memoir

“An entertaining, engrossing page-turner that documents months of planning and soul-searching . . . .  an extraordinary evening with the Ginsburgs and Karst’s renewed resolve to find a vocation that she 'truly loved—as much as Ruth did the law'.”
—Foreword Reviews, STARRED

  “Home chefs and Ginsburg fans will find this culinary adventure exquisitely delectable.”
—Kirkus Reviews

  “In this lively read that blends the genres of memoir, biography, and cookbook, Karst vividly captures what it is like to host a high-stakes dinner party for one of the most revered people in the land. Justice Is Served is full of marvelous details that cooks and oenophiles will savor, and deftly interweaves the life and achievements of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Karst’s quest for meaningful, satisfying work in life, and the pleasures of connecting at the table. The book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more.”
—Karen Shimizu, Executive Editor, Food & Wine

  “Engaging, entertaining, and enlightening.... What starts as an offhand invitation becomes the most important dinner of Karst’s life when it evolves into a journey of self-discovery—of searching for your purpose and your passion and pursuing it with your whole heart. A must read!”
—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times best-selling author of Wait For It

“[T]his engaging memoir... is a lighthearted yet earnest account of an event that changed the author’s life.”
—Library Journal

  “Leslie Karst’s account of preparing a home dinner for a very distinguished guest...is refreshingly candid, and studded with telling nuggets from RBG’s life and work. Entertaining, informative, and recipes included!”
—Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking and Nose Dive

“The highest of recommendations for this unique and gorgeously written recipe for happiness. Surprising, captivating, and as delicious as a perfect meal, I love this book beyond all reason.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today best-selling author of Her Perfect Lie

“[A] delectable page-turner...part memoir, part culinary odyssey, and part historical account of an extraordinary evening. I was salivating from beginning to end.”
—Reyna Grande, author of A Dream Called Home

“[D]elicious and delightful.... Whether you love food or the law—or both!—you will savor every page.”
—Adam Winkler, author of We the Corporations, National Book Award finalist

“A fascinating and fun read from first page to last, Justice Is Served by Leslie Karst is an extraordinary combination of memoir and inspirational self-help guide. While highly recommended for community library American Biography/Memoir collections, and a 'must' for all Ruth Bader Ginsburg fans. ”
—Midwest Book Review

  “[A] captivating chronicle of one woman’s commitment to the law, to the culinary arts, to family, and to finding her life’s purpose.... Karst has masterfully woven her own story with that of the beloved Supreme Court justice, creating a narrative of two inspiring women whose paths cross for one special night.”
—Elizabeth McKenzie, author of The Dog of the North and The Portable Veblen

“Leslie Karst’s celebration of women’s progress wrapped up in the tale of one stupendous and life-changing dinner is . . . chef's kiss. Quietly patriotic, passionate, and oh-so readable, this book is a feast.”
—Catriona McPherson, Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author of In Place of Fear

  “Verdict: A delicious and soul-satisfying read, the perfect recipe for anyone hungry to discover her passions and follow them, one bite at a time. Laced with tempting tidbits of cooking advice and insights into Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and career, Leslie Karst’s Justice Is Served will show you another side of the justice and her husband, make you hungry, and leave you plotting your way to get invited to the author’s home for dinner!”
—Leslie Budewitz, attorney and three-time Agatha Award-winning author of the Spice Shop Mysteries

  “A literary meal that’s heartwarming, suspenseful, humorous, and entertaining.... An absolute delight.”
—Ellen Byron, USA Today best-selling author of the Cajun Country and Vintage Cookbook Mysteries

“Leslie Karst delights and tempts your appetite in this lovely memoir.... Justice Is Served is a dish you’ll savor and enjoy.”
—Edith Maxwell, (aka Maddie Day), Agatha Award-winning author of the Country Store and Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries

“For readers who love food and admire the fascinating life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Karst’s book is an irresistible and loving look into not only cooking the big dinner itself, but also her exploration of what this dinner meant and how it changed her life.”
—Lucy Burdette, author of A Dish to Die For

From the Publisher

03/01/2023

In this engaging memoir, Karst, a retired attorney and mystery novelist known for her "Sally Solari" series, writes about the nine months she spent planning a dinner party for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG). A budding chef, Karst was thrilled yet anxious, and she used every opportunity to test menu items on her friends and family. A trip to Paris also turned into a way to sample potential dishes she might serve to RBG. Every visit to a winery became a chance to sample potential wines that could accompany each course of the meal. Readers will see when the menu began to take shape. This book also contains Karst's own story about how she became an attorney. However, she realized that while she liked her job as a legal researcher, she did not love the law the way RBG did. That led to a resolution to change careers and seek new opportunities as a writer. Interspersed throughout the book are short sections detailing RBG's career and key cases. VERDICT This is a lighthearted yet earnest account of an event that changed the author's life.—Rebecca Mugridge

Library Journal

2022-12-21
A home chef recounts fretting about the exciting opportunity to cook for a United States Supreme Court justice.

In this delightful memoir, culinary mystery series author Karst writes of rediscovering her love of food and cooking in the midst of a career as a small-town appellate attorney. This passion culminates in the pinnacle of her hobby when she is commissioned to cook for Ruth Bader Ginsburg in February 2006. When the author received the news nine months earlier, a lavish menu began spinning inside her head, as did fears and insecurities on how to perfect an important meal for such a distinguished guest. With affable, enthusiastic prose, Karst describes how her father, a constitutional law professor who met Ginsburg in the 1960s, arranged for his daughter to host a dinner party with the prestigious justice in honor of his pending retirement. The dinner menu construction became the author and her partner Robin’s raison d’être for visiting Paris to research tempting, delicious, sophisticated, and sumptuous entrees, side dishes, and desserts to incorporate in what came to be known as “the dinner.” As the countdown to the event dwindled to mere weeks and all the cookbooks the author could meticulously scour were perused, Karst’s anxiety about cuisine, wine selection, and china finally resulted in an impressive, elegant multicourse dinner fit for a Supreme Court justice. The author makes the journey a fun one thanks to a smooth, charming writing style and the food preparation subject matter that readers can relate to. More than just a dabbling chef’s journal of the most important meal prep of her life, the book is also educational, fortified by intriguing information about Supreme Court cases and protocols along with “interlude” sidebars that elaborate on everything from Ginsburg’s personal and professional history to her outspoken reputation as an outlier. Bonus material features complete recipes for some of the dishes Karst prepared for the justice’s meal, including “Seared Sea Scallop with Ginger-Lime Cream Sauce,” “Wasabi Mashed Potatoes,” and “Blackened Ahi.” Home chefs and Ginsburg fans will find this culinary adventure exquisitely delectable.

A savory stew of memories and entertaining anecdotes about a dinner with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Kirkus Reviews