An outpouring of cookbook love

Last week we shared the sad news that the 3,800-volume cookbook collection of California chef Cindy Pawlcyn was destroyed in the Glass fire that swept through the Napa Valley. As news of the devastation circulated, friends, coworkers, and even total strangers reached out to Pawlcyn, giving her cookbooks to replace some of what she had lost.

The contributions became so numerous that the chef’s longtime friend Monty Sander, owner of a public relations firm in Yountville, volunteered to oversee the donations. If you are interested in contributing any cookbooks, Sander asks that you email him first with the ISBN number. If someone hasn’t already provided that volume, he will reply with mailing or delivery instructions. In case you get hit with a paywall in the article, his email address is monty@fullerandsander.com.

The collected books will be stored at The Culinary Institute of America in Napa until Pawlcyn, who is living temporarily in a Napa Valley rental house, can rebuild on her own property. This situation reminded me of Delicious New Chapters, the group that was started a couple of years ago that replaced cookbooks lost in the 2018 fires. That organization has since disbanded, although it seems the need remains.