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Award-Winning Westport Author Jane Green Finds New Focus On Food

WESTPORT, Conn. -- Long before Jane Green established herself as the worldwide queen of “chick lit,” the Westport resident and award-winning author conquered her kitchen.

Jane Green of Westport is the author of 18 novels, 17 of which reached the New York Times Best Seller list.

Jane Green of Westport is the author of 18 novels, 17 of which reached the New York Times Best Seller list.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jane Green
Award-winning author Jane Green of Westport recently published a cookbook.

Award-winning author Jane Green of Westport recently published a cookbook.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Her latest endeavor is a cookbook, “Good Taste: Simple, Delicious Recipes for Family and Friends,” was published late last year. Her recipes cover the entire culinary spectrum, from inviting over friends for an impromptu brunch to impressing guests with new recipes.

  • Who: Jane Green, Westport
  • What: Award-winning writer has published her first cookbook, , “Good Taste: Simple, Delicious Recipes for Family and Friends,”
  • Learn more: http://www.janegreen.com/

“I was looking for a new challenge,’’ said Green, whose next novel, “The Sunshine Sisters,’’ comes out on June 6. “I love writing the novels. Food has always been an integral part of them. The time was right to bring my recipes together.”

Green is not a kitchen newbie. She studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York, and two of her novels, “Promises to Keep” and “Saving Grace,” are filled with recipes culled from her own collection. While her cookbook delivers recipes, she said it’s more than writing about food.

“It’s more about creating the atmosphere to make the people you love feel nurtured and valued and love,’’ Green said. “I wanted a book of easy, comfort food recipes.”

Green said she considered published a cookbook for years. When she put it together, she initially self-published it and sold it through Kickstarter. “I thought I might not get a publishing deal,’’ Green said. “A publisher contacted me and said they wanted to publish a slightly different version and I got a publishing deal.”

The mother of five children, Green said she likes to keep her recipes simple. “The ingredients have to be readily available,’’ Green said. “I don’t want to take too much time. I have too much going on.”

She also feels dinners are integral part of a stable family live. “There’s nothing better for the kids than coming home and smelling food being cooked,” Green said. The importance of a home cooked meal cannot be overstated. The truth is that family cooking is entertaining.”

Recipes in the book include a segment on “Beginnings” that include Basil Lemon Pesto, French Onion Soup and Prosciutto and Sage Wrapped Dates; “Middles,” which includes Daily Baby Back Ribs, Mild Green Fish Curry and Pantry Chicken and Beans; and “Endings,” where Green’s recipes include Ginger Ice Cream, Salted Chocolate Moose and Scones.

“It was much easier to write this than a novel,’’ Green said. “Every recipe has a story for my life. They are often fun, silly stories.”

The book has gained a wide audience and reviews are solid. “ You can plan a meal from start to finish in the time it takes to turn a few pages,’’ one reviewer wrote on Amazon. “...And you have the added bonus of having Jane Green narrate the whole thing. It is like she is right there with you, telling you what to do and how to do it.”

Green will return to writing novels, but her cookbook satisfied a writing craving she had for a long time. “I’m completely thrilled with it,’’ she said. “I feel like my fingerprints are on every page.”

Click here to learn more about the book or to purchase it on Green’s website.

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