Behind every great chef is a great mother. It's in mother's kitchen where we make our first taste discoveries, where we learn our first lessons in cooking, where we understand that food is not just for feeding the body but also for nourishing the soul. In this heartwarming collection, more than 50 of the most celebrated women chefs working in America today share cherished heirloom recipes, along with the memories that make these dishes so special.

More than a cookbook. In Mother's Kitchen is a testament to the many ways a

mother can shape a child's life through cooking. For whatever ails you, Mama

has a cure she can whip up, such as Lisa Schroeder's Chicken Noodle Soup. Food also conveys cultural traditions: Lidia Bastianich remembers how her mother

passed on Italian classics like Linguini with Clam Sauce, which she now makes

with her grandchildren. Taking her Hickory House Deviled Eggs as an example, Deann Bayless relates how the kitchen is a place to instill not just flavors but also values. Food brings us together for celebrations, when mothers lavish time preparing special dishes, such as Patricia Williams’s New Year’s Tamales.

And, as each daughter learns a recipe from her mother, she gives something

of herself to the dish, tweaking it to fit the new generation's tastes and improving it with techniques learned over the years. With the world-class group of culinary minds involved, there are plenty of innovative twists on old standards, like Artichoke and Potato Salad with Licorice-Mint, Smoked Salmon—Cardamom Spread, Hominy and Ham Risotto, and Chardonnay and Cornmeal Cake. In Mother's Kitchen celebrates the bonds that bring us together around the table.