{"product_id":"not-a-cookbook-robby-reis","title":"Not a Cookbook - Robby Reis","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAt first glance, Not a Cookbook appears to be just what its title implies—but beneath the surface lies a layered, collage-style portrait of a restaurant and the family that holds it together. Centered on Resto Palme, a Caribbean restaurant in Montreal run by married duo Lee-Anne Millaire Lafleur and Ralph Alerte, the book offers a deeply personal and provocative exploration of kitchen culture, where food becomes a lens through which to examine family, friendship, labor, and resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA longtime friend of the family, Reis takes an embedded, nonlinear approach to storytelling. Through photographs, texts, and contributions from customers and staff, Not a Cookbook captures not just the daily challenges of running a family business, but also the peripheral stories—of racism, activism, and the emotional labor required to build and protect something shared and sacred. Despite its name, Not a Cookbook does offer some treasured family recipes—however, when it comes to a few key ingredients that make a certain sauce so special, Alerte leaves us simply with, “sorry blood, I can’t give it away.” The result is a new model for the cookbook: a radical kitchen guide rooted in community, resilience, and love. Less about what’s on the plate, and more about everything that makes the plate possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTBW Books, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tenderbooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56796042264962,"sku":"TB046","price":34.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0463\/8313\/6933\/files\/Notacookbook-2.jpg?v=1785236936","url":"https:\/\/nepentheslondon.com\/products\/not-a-cookbook-robby-reis","provider":"Nepenthes London","version":"1.0","type":"link"}