Kissed by Fire: Wood Oven Recipes from Wine Country

Like most cookbook authors, I’m very detail-oriented—some might say obsessive. I love nothing more than to describe the process of cooking for readers and cooks—I’ve done so in thirty-one cookbooks. But cooking in a wood oven is personal and intuitive rather than scientific, and involves a steep but fairly fast learning curve. Those who are new to the practice should first understand a few basic principles. Once you begin to experiment, you’ll quickly develop an instinct for the heat, and the primitive, living force of the fire itself. And you’ll learn to cook by sight and sound. These two senses must become your guides, rather than a clock or a timer.