Rottenkid: A Succulent Story of Survival, published March 5th, 2024

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Rottenkid: A Succulent Story of Survival, published March 5th, 2024 . . .

Brigit Binns

FOOD – WINE – COWBOY SPIRIT

Praise for Rottenkid:

“What a tasty read!”

— Meathead, proprietor of the world’s most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com

“Brigit Binns may have had a hard-drinking actor for a father and a mother of dangerous exuberance, but she is the star of her life story. This child of Hollywood writes with an observant honesty, telling of hard times and harrowing psychological troubles with surprising humor and heart. You will come away from this book with great admiration for her spirit and great affection for her.“

— Rick Kogan, Legendary Chicago Tribune columnist, radio personality, and noted author

Brigit Binns

Brigit Binns lives and works in the wine country of Central California, thirty minutes from the Pacific and equidistant between Los Angeles and San Francisco. She has been lucky enough to turn her passion for food and the great outdoors into a career: Brigit is the author or co-author of twenty-nine cookbooks and editor of many more. Along with her husband actor Casey Biggs (aka “Paso Wine Man“), she owns and runs the stunning culinary learning center and vacation rental retreat, Refugio Paso Robles.

Rottenkid: A Succulent Story of Survival

Prolific cookbook author Brigit Binns’ coming-of-age memoir―co-starring her alcoholic actor father Edward Binns and glamorous but viciously smart narcissistic mother―reveals how simultaneous privilege and profound neglect led Brigit to seek comfort in the kitchen, eventually allowing her to find some sense of self-worth. A memoir sauteed in Hollywood stories, world travel, and always, the need to belong.

Published on March 5, 2024

Order now from your favorite indie bookstore (Brigit’s is Omnivore Books in San Francisco), bookshop.org, or Amazon. 

  • "Definitely not the usual culinary memoir, this is a moving, tell-all story of survival, resilience—and the healing power of food.”

    Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appétit Magazine

  • “The recipes reflect this feeling of blending the old and the new. They are made with fresh ingredients local to the Central Coast (which, admittedly, could fill a Whole Foods) and feel on par with the inspired dishes we’d find in any hip and trendy restaurant. But they also draw on Mediterranean culinary traditions, making them feel familiar, slightly careworn, and deeply comforting.”

    —TheKitchn.com

  • “Leave it to her to find the sanctity in yeast, flour, and fire. In the church of Binns, this flawless, crisp dough would make a fine communion. Consider me converted.”

    —Haley Thomas, New Times

  • “It’s Tuscany, with cowboys. That’s how Paso Robles author Brigit Binns describes the Central Coast in her newest cookbook.”

    —The Tribune

  • “Filled with lush photographs of dishes, vineyards and sun-drenched landscapes, Binns' cookbook, like any good dinner party, starts with light appetizers, in a chapter called ‘Magic-Hour Grazing,’ and then moves through dishes based on the main ingredients, such as ‘From the Ranch,’ and ‘From Garden and Orchard.’ …This is armchair wine travel at its most mouthwatering, and even if you get no farther than your own kitchen the trip will have been worth it.”

    —Huffington Post

  • “Thank you so much for making our Zenaida Holiday Class & Dinner something special! Not only was the food delicious, but we are also all discussing our efforts at recreating the dishes. We all cannot wait to do it again and I will be in touch to schedule a wood-burning oven class and maybe a winemaker dinner!"

    — Cheers, Jill Ogorsolka

My Favorite Recipes

Food brings people together to share love, pain, and their spirit. I hope some of these recipes can help bring people closer to you.