Author Talk: Lane Selman and Margarett Waterbury, Radicchio

We are delighted to welcome Oregon State University professor and writer Lane Selman and award-winning writer and editor Margarett Waterbury to the shop on Thursday, October 15th, for an author talk to celebrate their new cookbook Radicchio! In this beautiful and comprehensive guide, Lane and Margarett celebrate the once-overlooked vegetable, exploring its culinary history and versatility through recipes, stories, and traditions from Italy and the US. Join us as Lane and Margarett present the history, traditions, farming, dishes, and community of radicchio, followed by a Q&A, tasting, and book signing!

Reservations are non-refundable and can include a signed copy of the $40.00 book. Applicable sales tax and a $2.50 transaction fee are also included. Can't attend but still want a signed book? Order here for shipping or in-store pickup.

About the book: A once-obscure vegetable with a reputation for bitterness, radicchio has deep roots in Italy where it has long been celebrated as a central part of Italian cuisine. Over the last several years, radicchio has undergone a renaissance in the United States, inspired, in major part, by the work of Lane Selman. Radicchio is now appearing in top food magazines and on restaurant menus across the country, and people are catching on. American farmers are also growing more radicchio, as it performs well in the field and brings color and beauty to the winter table.

A captivating cookbook for chefs, home cooks, gardeners, and anyone interested in Italian culture, Radicchio offers easy, delicious recipes by contributors from Italy and the US, including chefs, grandmothers, and farmers for using radicchio in pasta, rice, polenta, pizza, with protein, in salads, preserved, and in sweets, celebrating the exuberance of the world of radicchio in all its forms and permutations. With gorgeous photographs showcasing the connection between Italian and North American culinary culture, Radicchio is also the first in-depth book on the subject, sure to be considered the ultimate resource.

About the authors: 

Lane Selman is a Professor of Practice at Oregon State University and a nationally recognized leader in the movement to connect agriculture, flavor, and community. She grew up in Florida where her childhood was shaped by working with her extensive Sicilian family on their citrus farm. Her connection to the land, her Sicilian roots, and time spent cooking each day with her nonna formed the foundation of her life’s work. In 2012, she founded the Culinary Breeding Network, a community-driven initiative that connects plant breeders, farmers, chefs, and eaters to develop and promote diverse, organic, and flavorful varieties of vegetables, grains, pulses, and fruits. By helping breeders create new varieties, promoting biodiversity and bringing people together, she has reshaped how we grow our food, and how we celebrate it. Lane’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Civil Eats, Eating Well, and Saveur. She is a dual American and Italian citizen and continues to deepen her roots in both places. Lane lives in Portland, Oregon with her son Pasquale.

Margarett Waterbury is an award-winning writer and editor interested in how landscape, history, and culture shape what’s on our tables. She is the author of Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland’s Whiskies and the editor-in-chief of Distiller Magazine. Her work has appeared in Epicurious, Whetstone, Food & Wine, Whisky Advocate, Civil Eats, and many other publications. An enthusiastic gardener and home cook, she has a special fondness for the wild foods of the Northwest and growing really big garlic. Margarett has traveled extensively throughout Italy over the past two decades and speaks just enough Italian that people are generally willing to entertain her probing questions. She grew up in Southeast Alaska and on an island in Puget Sound, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, who owns a small distillery. You can find her online at @margarett_maria.