What people are saying:
The Atlanta Foodcast
Leslie Lennox started making pesto when she and her family purchased a home here in Atlanta — back in the late 90s. This wasn’t just any home, though. It came with a 1200 sq ft greenhouse which was pretty prolific in terms of basil production. Fast forward to 2007, she, her husband, and daughter, Hope, start selling their pesto, Hope’s Gardens Pesto, read more here!
Pesto gets personalized
There’s something reassuring about having a container of pesto in the fridge at all times. Stir a dollop into a pot of noodles, and dinner’s on. Add a smidge to a bland soup or a naked piece of fish, and a boring dish suddenly becomes exciting. Mix with sour cream or mayo in a pretty bowl, surround with crudites or crackers, and start the party.
read more here!
Sara Moulton Review
Summertime and plentiful herbs (maybe even in your very own backyard) makes this new book something you might want to pick up and cook from. With a one-size-fits-all-herbs master recipe and 90 more using that master recipe, you will be busy celebrating summer’s bounty way into the fall.. read more here!
Know Your Local Chef
Leslie Lennox is the leading Pesto-preneur of New York and Square Roots’ go-to pesto expert. Following a career in fashion, Leslie began making homemade pesto with basil grown in her family’s greenhouse. Once it took off at local farmer’s markets, Hope’s Gardens Pesto started popping up in Whole Foods Markets and on Delta Airline flights across the country. read more here!
Square Roots Article
Pesto is more than the emergency jar of pasta sauce in the back of your pantry. A simple homemade pesto can unlock greatness in your go-to dinners and on-the-go lunches. Once you start thinking of this herby delight as more of a condiment than a sauce, you’ll never go without it again. read more here!
Classic Basil Pesto
Leslie Lennox is the leading Pesto-preneur of New York and Square Roots’ go-to pesto expert. Following a career in fashion, Leslie began making homemade pesto with basil grown in her family’s greenhouse. Once it took off at local farmer’s markets, Hope’s Gardens Pesto started popping up in Whole Foods Markets and on Delta Airline flights across the country. read more here!
THE EPOCH TIMES
Lennox approaches pesto as “more of an outline than a prescription,” she writes, open to endless customization by individual cooks. You can’t go wrong with a classic basil pesto—which was Hope’s Garden’s original product and remains a best-seller—but the options don’t stop there. How about swapping the basil for mint or spinach, or in the dead of winter, a few handfuls of kale? read more here!
The Takeout Article
Leslie Lennox’s new book, Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce, offered me plenty of outside-the-box inspiration for this summer sauce. One of the most intriguing is this one for Spicy Thai-Inspired Noodles. The pesto component uses up not just basil but optionally other herbs you might have in your garden or fridge... read more here!
The Takeout Article
But the best single-subject cookbooks expand your understanding of a dish or ingredient you might have previously considered narrow. Such was the case with Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce, a new cookbook I’ve found surprisingly versatile. Its pages are already olive oil-smudged from many consultations this summer. read more here!
Foodista Article
Much like a well-made sauce or vinaigrette, a pesto can elevate even the simplest dish to a new level. In her new cookbook Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce (May 2019), Leslie Lennox, author and owner of the artisan pesto company, Hope's Garden Pesto, takes you through the sensory delights of this aromatic little green sauce (and sometimes not green) - from modern variations... read more here!
Eat Your Books Article
It's preview time! This month's releases bring us a nice variety of titles from Italian small plates to pizza making, barbecue secrets, to unleashing vegetables from the amazing Jose Andrés.
As always, if I have the book, I will share a blurb - if I do not, I hope to bring you more information at the end of the month in the Cookbook Review. BDigital titles are noted and other pertinent information is... read more here!
PRAISE FOR PESTO: THE MODERN MOTHER SAUCE
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“Pesto is the only condiment I prefer to make at home, and now with Pesto, I’m inspired to make it not only differently, but more frequently! Leslie Lennox offers up recipes for unique varieties of pesto like Roasted Jalapeño Cilantro and inventively provides ideas for new ways to incorporate the sauce into recipes like Chicken Pesto Fajitas. Whether you’re looking for a guide on how to grow herbs and make exciting pesto combinations or just searching for healthy and delicious meal inspiration, Pesto is a fabulous choice.” — Ali Maffucci, cookbook author and founder of Inspiralized
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“I'm so excited to cook my way through Leslie’s book. Traditional pesto was one of the first things I taught myself how to make as ‘an adult.’ It’s time to expand my pesto repertoire past basil, and it’s lovely to have this beautiful book as a guide.” — Kerry Diamond, editorial director of Cherry Bombe and host of the Radio Cherry Bombe podcast
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“Once you learn how to customize your ideal pesto, you’re unlikely to go back to store-bought versions. Leslie carefully guides readers to create many varieties of this modern ‘mother sauce,’ including classic and globally inspired versions. This enjoyable cookbook just may convince the skeptic that pesto works as wonderfully on grits and tacos as it does on pasta and pizza.” — Diana Kuan, author of Red Hot Kitchen
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“If you think you know all the ways to make pesto, think again. This fabulous cookbook is brimming with fresh ideas.” —Suzy Chase, host of the Cookery by the Book podcast
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“At the heart of Pesto is passion. Leslie’s love of “green gold” (as her family calls it) is inspiring, as is her dedication to democratizing pesto—offering readers a user-friendly template from which to build a sauce that fits individual tastes and dietary needs. This is an exciting, bold, and most importantly, delicious collection of recipes that is perfect for feeding family, friends, and neighbors.” — Hetty McKinnon, cook, columnist, and author of Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day
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“The modern home cook is looking for two things: freshness and convenience. In this beautiful book, Leslie Lennox gives us both. She offers delicious recipes that use familiar ingredients in simple but creative ways to help home cooks upgrade every meal. Lennox makes a convincing case that pesto, in any form, is always a good idea. Consider this the pesto manifesto.” — Alison Cayne , founder of Haven’s Kitchen
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“Leslie Lennox has a passion for pesto and showing people the array of delicious combinations that anyone can concoct with a few simple, fresh ingredients. I have always been a huge advocate of her innovative ways to use pesto, and we included them in a variety of our soups, sandwiches, and salads in the early days of our restaurant!” — Jenny Levison, chef-owner of Souper Jenny
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“Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce is a revelation! I never knew I wanted to learn so much about pesto until I read this beautiful and instructive cookbook. Leslie Lennox has written the ultimate resource on pesto, with imaginative recipes that I’m excited to play with in my kitchen.” — Klancy Miller, author of Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself