{"product_id":"la-copine-new-california-cooking-from-an-oasis-in-the-desert","title":"La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Several people yelled at me for spreading the word about La Copine because it's truly a secret gem. Thank God they wrote a book so I can relive my perfectly yummy experience there.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Olivia Wilde, writer, producer, actor, and director\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"...La Copine manages to serve the kind of seasonal, reassuringly confident food that appeals to both brunching families and retreat-seekers on a cleanse, in an inclusive dining room run with joy and exuberance.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Tejal Rao, The New York Times\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNikki Hill\u003c\/b\u003e and \n\u003cb\u003e Claire Wadsworth \u003c\/b\u003estarted La Copine in 2015. They had just gotten married and wanted to re-create the night they met, so they started this eclectic, casual, IYKYK restaurant, which has since grown in popularity among celebs and California locals alike, and is a pillar of the California queer scene. \n\u003cb\u003eBen Mims \u003c\/b\u003eis a James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author and food writer. He has worked as a food columnist, editor, and recipe developer for major media outlets like the \n\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eFood \u0026amp; Wine\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eSaveur\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eLucky Peach\u003c\/i\u003e, and BuzzFeed's \n\u003ci\u003eTasty\u003c\/i\u003e. He has written three cookbooks, and his work has appeared in the annual anthology \n\u003ci\u003eBest Food Writing\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"After leaving LA, the chef couple has built what's become a joyful queer oasis in the high desert with two-hour weekend waits. Their eponymous cookbook celebrates the recipes that have made La Copine worth the trek, from their famous beignets to creative sandwiches like the pastrami-spiced Pork Belly BLT.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Bon Appétit, The Best New Cookbooks of Spring 2026\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"La Copine is a special place; anyone who passes through or lives in the neighborhood will tell you the same.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Antonia Lofaso, chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I love Claire and Nikki! The plant-based options at La Copine are delicious.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Tobey Maguire, Golden Globe-nominated actor and film producer\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I felt like a cartoon character in search of water coming across an oasis when I got to experience La Copine. The food they put together is beautiful and thoughtful, and with easy-to-follow recipes it can make your food at home that much more special.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Kwame Onwuachi, James Beard Award-winning chef and restauranteur\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"There's a mystery that was born in the Mojave Desert. If you're ready, it's time to experience it. Because you ain't never done nothing right in your life 'til you taste La Copine. And once you do, you will be different.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell, contemporary artist, filmmaker, and ufologist\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"La Copine is my favorite neighborhood restaurant, despite the fact it is in the middle of the desert, far from where I live. Claire and Nikki's food is beyond delicious, simple in the most sophisticated ways. This book is one you will want to cook from for years to come--a brilliant tome from two of my favorite humans who make magic with their restaurant every day.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Andrew Zimmern, James Beard Award-winning chef and Emmy-winning television personality\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This place is a ten!\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \"Natasha Lyonne, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated producer, actor, writer, and director\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBon Appétit, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e Best New Cookbooks of Spring 2026\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom La Copine, a destination restaurant near Joshua Tree, comes a beautiful debut cookbook with stories of life in the desert and recipes that capture a unique approach to California cooking.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut in the California desert near Joshua Tree, La Copine spins its own kind of magic, powered by business and life partners Claire Wadsworth and Nikki Hill, the drama of the landscape, the eclectic local population, and of course, the irresistible food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith celebrity clientele and glowing reviews in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEater\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, and others, this restaurant is beloved by California visitors and locals alike. In their debut cookbook, \u003ci\u003eLa Copine\u003c\/i\u003e, Wadsworth and Hill share stories of their love, life, community, and the spirit of La Copine, one delicious recipe at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDubbed the West Coast's answer to Via Carota's Rita and Jody, Wadsworth and Hill are passionate, community-driven, California cooks with a deep love for each other and the people around them. They welcome their guests to La Copine (which means \"girlfriend\" in French) with open arms, create a safe haven for the queer community outside of Los Angeles, and have a deep sense of care and pride for everything they put on the plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome cooks will want to adopt the restaurant's \"California soul\" style: veggie-forward, innovative yet comforting, light enough for lunch, yet substantial enough to gather around and linger over. From \"hunky\" salads (as described by the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e) to special-occasion sandwiches to summery, boldly flavored grilled meats and vegetables to simple, no-bake desserts, La Copine's food roams far and wide but always imparts a sense of home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than the recipes, though, Wadsworth and Hill's backstory as a couple, the business they've built together, and the community they've found in the desert, make for an armchair trip through the remote and spectacular setting, as well as a mission statement for creating a life on one's own terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eForeword\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/27\/2026 (EAN 9781419778223, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Abrams Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496030634262,"sku":"9781419778223","price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781419778223.jpg?v=1783051104","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/la-copine-new-california-cooking-from-an-oasis-in-the-desert","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}