We published a book!
How a Palate & Palette story inspired a new book about food and life at a special restaurant: My Place by the Sea.
I am excited to tell you about the recent publication of My Place by the Sea: A Slice of Heaven—Cookbook and Stories. The book is by Kathy Milbury, Barb Stavropoulos, Nick Hafey, and me. We began the project in March and are amazed to see it in print only nine months later.
Creating the book was a labor of love of good food and a lot of work by the coauthors and numerous supporters. Readers will appreciate the many recipes, photos, and stories about running a restaurant in Rockport, MA, for nearly 30 years. Importantly, all proceeds will go to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Check out Kathy’s recent interview on radio program Food for Thought with Billy & Jenny here.
The Book Backstory
Here’s the header from the triggering email:
From: Amy Allen
To: My Place by the Sea
Subject: Cookbook?
I sent the email five months after publishing my article about My Place by the Sea in May 2024:
I based the article on an interview with the Kathy and Barb, the restaurant owners. I also met Nick at the time. All three of them were wearing their signature fun and colorful-print pants and fitting in time to talk between serving lunch and dinner guests. They also insisted on feeding me, important research for the story.
During the interview, I asked Kathy about the ingredients in the restaurant’s legendary Herb Bread. Did the recipe contain molasses, beer, and oregano? She smiled and said with a laugh, “Nope. You’re going to have to wait for the cookbook!”
Wrapping up the interview, I asked the duo, “So when is the cookbook coming out?” They did not offer a date for what had always been on their life’s to-do list. But Kathy said with enthusiasm, “Oh, we have SO many stories!” Barb added: “The things that have happened over the years, you would not believe!”
I was interested in the place’s history as well as the Herb Bread recipe. Spontaneously, I offered to help them write the book. But this was at the start of their busy summer season. They advised me to ask again in late fall when they had time to breathe.
Fast forward to November 2024, when I sent the “Cookbook?” email cited above. Kathy and Barb explained they wanted to create much more than a cookbook. Yes, they wanted to share recipes so their fans could reproduce their favorite dishes at home, but they also wanted to capture the heart and soul of My Place, their restaurant. They proposed that we start the project after the new year.
And that is how earlier this year the cookbook project got started with these goals:
(1) Raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.
(2) Provide the restaurant’s most popular recipes, adapted for home cooks.
(3) Share photos and stories about a special place that has shaped the Rockport community and helped many individuals, including some dealing with cancer.
An overarching mission
There are numerous stories about people undergoing cancer treatment who come to My Place by the Sea for respite. Kathy and Barb wanted to honor these people, along with their families and the healthcare professionals who care for them. This drove the decision to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.
Gestation period
We began the book project in March of this year and shipped it to the printer in October, which we noted was the same number of months as a pregnancy.
At the outset, Kathy created a list of her greatest hit recipes—more than 100 of them, including drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. She and Barb sketched out the stories they wanted to tell. We began recipe editing and testing in the spring and into the summer: the busy season when the restaurant is open six days a week for lunch and dinner.
Between lunch and dinner service, Kathy would review recipe edits, answer my copious questions, and respond to recipe testers’ feedback. Sometimes, I’d bring a dish I tested to the restaurant for feedback. This helped us refine recipes so they would be successful downsized for smaller groups and adapted for home kitchens.
In late summer and through September, Kathy and Barb turned to the task of writing stories and gathering photographs from the past and present—the book features a delightful collection of photos. We’d discuss edits and revisions by phone during interstitial moments when Kathy wasn’t cooking on the line. Book designer Patricia Nieshoff accepted the challenge of a condensed design and production schedule so the book would be printed in time for the holiday season.
Now, in Palate & Palette style, here are some questions and answers. The difference this time is I am posing the questions to myself. Feel free to ask your own questions in the comments.
What was involved in developing the recipes for publication?
When Kathy hauled out the restaurant’s well-worn recipe notebooks, I thought it would be a simple transcription exercise. Then I looked at the recipes. The quantities were intended to serve 20-30 people! Even more daunting, the instructions were minimal.
We experimented with AI and soon realized Kathy would need to prepare the recipes with a note-taker at her side. I volunteered, anticipating all the delicious dishes I’d sample, but Nick Hafey, the restaurant’s right-hand person for both front of the house and in the kitchen, stepped in as scribe because this activity occurred in spare moments between restaurant tasks. After Barb photographed each dish, Nick texted me a rough draft recipe, along with the photo and sometimes a video. Then I edited and formatted each recipe, inserted my questions, and sent the recipe back to Nick and Kathy for answers and review.
Who tested the recipes?
After testing 15 recipes myself—much to the delight of friends and family members—I realized I needed help. I turned to my friend Victoria Wallins, who participates in five—yes, five!—cookbook clubs. She enthusiastically recruited an equally enthusiastic group of testers, and their feedback helped us revise ambiguous instructions and adjust ingredient proportions to achieve the best flavor. Thank you, Victoria and recipe testers!
What’s the story with the Herb Bread?
For years, people have asked Kathy to share the Herb Bread recipe and—smartly—she wouldn’t, until now. She was so intent on keeping the recipe secret until the book came out that she insisted that I be the sole tester.
Given all the buzz about the bread, I was intimidated to test it. I’m not much of a baker [the Staff Photographer disagrees]. One of my most enjoyable experiences during this project was when I completed my second Herb Bread test and delivered it warm from the oven for Kathy and Barb to sample. In between bites of the warm bread slathered with butter, they proclaimed that I nailed it.
What’s your favorite recipe in the book?
It’s a three-way tie between the Mussels Simmered in White Wine (even more delicious with Herb Bread for dipping into the leek-infused broth), the Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew (characterized by a flavorful, fiery tomato broth and a medley of seafood), and the Crab Cakes (all about the crab). Another favorite is the Something Chocolate cake, which I tested and served at the Staff Photographer’s birthday dinner. It’s the best chocolate cake I’ve tasted.
Tell me about the stories in the book.
Some people don’t know this, but Kathy and Barb were instrumental in overturning the alcohol sales ban in Rockport 20 years ago. The book recounts that story and so many other tales.
There’s the time the entire restaurant staff went to the Four Seasons in Boston to experience fine dining, when Kathy’s brother Mike Milbury brought his Stanley Cup ring to the restaurant and it made the rounds all over Cape Ann (the photos accompanying the story will make you smile), Hump Day summer dance parties, a dramatic water rescue outside the restaurant, a whirlwind birthday dinner in NYC, and a most memorable Illumination Night (spoiler alert: no one paid for their dinner that night). There are so many other stories.
Tell me about the book cover.
It’s a painting by Judi Rotenberg, a prominent painter and friend of the restaurant. The original painting decorates the restaurant, and there’s another one of Judi’s paintings inside the book.
What did you learn while collaborating with Kathy, Barb, and Nick?
I acquired new skills for preparing seafood. Turns out that dipping shrimp into a mix of olive oil and Old Bay and then tossing them into a dry very hot pan is delicious. Pan-searing salmon is also delicious.
Quality ingredients matter. When I told Kathy I was making the Something Chocolate cake with Hershey’s chocolate, she insisted I swing by the restaurant to pick up Valrhona chocolate. I compared the scent and taste of the two chocolates and understood; I will never go back to Hershey’s. My first Crab Cake test was a failure, partly due to store-brand mayonnaise. I swapped in Hellmann’s for the next test, which proved successful.
The My Place crew works hard. Kathy is in the kitchen on the line every night until the last entrée is served. Barb never stops moving. Nick always appears calm and smiling, even on the most hectic of days.
Barb is very organized, creative, funny, and loves Peppermint Patties. One of my favorite lines in the entire book is a quote from Barb: “It’s perfect.” You’ll have to read the book to know why that is such a gem.
My Place has their own way of doing things. That’s why the book chapters are song titles such as “Let’s Get It Started” and “This Is How We Do It” and “How Sweet It Is to be Loved by You,” which is, of course, the dessert chapter. The songs reflect some of the Hump Day greatest hits.
Kathy and Barb love exclamation points in all forms of their writing. Lots of them!!!
The restaurant has a cadre of enthusiastic regulars. I was fortunate to meet many of them at my strategically planned lunchtime drop ins and on multiple Hump Days (the summertime, Wednesday night dance parties).
Volunteer proofreaders Amy Solov and Gail McCarthy are lovely people and word nerds of the best kind.
What happened that was unexpected?
I knew adapting restaurant recipes for home cooks would take some creativity and experimenting. But I didn’t expect that replicating the restaurant’s Spiced Pecans—with only five ingredients!— would prove so difficult. The Spiced Pecans served at the restaurant feature a light, sugared, crispy coating. Mine didn’t at first, second, third, and fourth try.
After numerous failed attempts, I insisted that Kathy and Nick prepare the Spiced Pecans in my kitchen with my wok and oven. They had hosted me at their restaurant numerous times, and it was fun to invite them into my kitchen and to meet Graymo the cat, who had made prior appearances on our Zoom calls.
Kathy and Nick arrived, colorful pants and all, ready to get to work. They quickly recognized the need for slightly more sugar and slightly less cooking time to prepare the pecans just right in a home kitchen rather than a commercial kitchen. I appreciated that they took the time to get the recipe right.
Who took the photos?
Barb took most of the photos in the book. The book also includes photos by the late Kindra Clineff (professional photographer for Yankee and Coastal Living magazines) and Palate & Palette’s Staff Photographer. Photos in this story were taken by Barb and the Staff Photographer. Here are some of my favorite photos:
Where can I buy the book?
Come to the book launch party! It’s today, November 29 from 2-5pm at the Elks Club (Atlantic Ocean Room) in Gloucester on Atlantic Road. Starting tomorrow, November 30, you can buy the book at My Place by the Sea, shops around Rockport, and online at myplacebythesea.org
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Kathy, Barb, and Nick for taking me along for an amazing ride—with so much good food! Others I want to thank: the Staff Photographer, who encouraged me to take on this project supported it in so many ways; book designer Patricia Nieshoff, who produced a beautiful book at lightning speed; Ken Novack, whose enthusiasm led me to write the initial story about the restaurant; and my parents, who raised me to appreciate the pleasure of sharing good food with people we care about and who continue to inspire me.
Amy, love your articles. Have tried to reach you to recommend an artist you might want to interview but cannot find your contact information info anywhere.
How amazing! Congrats!