You are cordially invited to attend the debut of the Warwick's Cooking Club with Adam Schell, author of Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Love, Lust & Forbidden Fruit at Isabel's Cantina in Pacific Beach (966 Felspar) on Friday, June 26 at 6:00pm.

Stumped for that perfect, unique Father's Day or graduation gift? Or just looking for a fun evening out with friends or even a romantic night out with that special someone? You won't want to miss this special event, designed in partnership with renowned San Diego chef, Isabel Cruz and featuring recipes from Adam Schell's new book. For only $55 ($35 for couples wanting to share a book), you are in for a fun night of great food, wine, an author talk, and, of course, a signed copy of Tomato Rhapsody. Sample menu may include Nonnos honeyed tomato marmalade with grilled rosemary bread, mixed tomato salad with basil drizzle and balsamic reduction, penne with Mari's pan-roasted tomato sauce with balck olives and wild salmon, a glass of red wine, and flourless chocolate cake with espresso cream and chocolate ganache. Sound enticing enough? Spaces are limited, so call, email, or stop by the Warwick's book department to sign up today! (858) 454-0347

Tomato Rhapsody:  A village in Tuscany is the setting for this joyous debut—a novel that defies all our expectations as it puts a fresh, clever, captivating spin on the age-old tale of forbidden love. Rich in literary delights, filled with spectacular wordplay, and rife with the bawdy humor of Shakespeare’s comedies, Tomato Rhapsody is the almost-true tale of how the tomato came to Italy—at once a brilliantly inventive fable of love, lust, and longing, and a dazzling feast for the imagination. This is a story born from love—a forbidden love—between Davido, an Ebreo tomato farmer, and Mari, a beautiful Catholic girl. But it’s not only Davido and Mari who have secrets of the heart. Everyone around them yearns for something—from Davido’s grandfather, who tenderly cultivates the tomato plant he stole on his voyages with Columbus, to Mari’s villainous stepfather, whose eye is trained on his stepdaughter’s virginity and his neighbor’s land. Caught in the midst of these passions and machinations is a village full of eccentrics who speak in rhyme, celebrate the Feast of the Drunken Saint, and live a life untouched by the passage of time. The schemes and dreams of these men and women are about to change as what is forbidden becomes too delicious to resist. Tradition, religion, and good taste collide unforgettably in a story about the courage to pursue love and tomato sauce at all costs.   (USA Today review.)

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Adam Schell holds a master’s degree in creative writing from Antioch University. He played inside linebacker at Northwestern University, has made two award-winning short films, worked as a screenwriter, directed commercials, cooked professionally, picked grapes and olives in Tuscany, got fired as a food critic, then moved to the left coast with his wife, where he works as a yoga teacher and writes.

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Courtesy of Dining Out, America's premier guide to the local restaurant scene, Veramonte wines will be sponsoring our Cooking Club event with Adam Schell!  For more information on Dining Out, please visit diningout.com and for more on the world-class wines of Veramonte, visit www.veramonte.com.