Chronicle Books Blog

A benefit of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is how easy it is not to have a car. The city is filled with commute options. The Marketing Design team here at Chronicle all bike to work, but we all get here in very different ways and routes.

Tina Hardison – Marketing Designer

Tina lives in San Francisco in the Inner Sunset, and rides her 1985 Peugeot 6 miles to work. Her route includes zipping down a hill from her apartment through Golden Gate Park, the Panhandle, the Lower Haight down The Wiggle, through the Mission, to SOMA—home of Chronicle Books. “My bike commute is the most inspirational point of my day. If I get in a funk, as soon as I start cruising through San Francisco on my bike I feel like a million bucks. The highlight of my commute is riding through the Eucalyptus trees in Golden Gate Park and down the hill from the top of Dolores & 14th. Biking to work puts me in a good mental and physical state to get cracking on the fun stuff at Chronicle.”

Liz Rico – Marketing Design Manager

Liz commutes from Albany in the East Bay to San Francisco, so she decided to buy a folding bike so she could take it on the commuter train (BART) and save the time she used to spend walking to and from the station. Liz says, “It’s so much fun to get on my bike every morning… it makes me feel like a carefree little kid. My teenage kids tell me that I LOOK like a dorky kid riding it, too (it has really small wheels and a high seat and handle bars), but I remind them that people are always telling me how COOL it is!” Watching Liz fold and unfold the bike swiftly is, in fact, super cool.

Kelsey Premo Jones – Marketing Designer

Kelsey lives in Oakland, and rides her bike from her apartment to catch the Transbay bus that goes from downtown Oakland, across the Bay Bridge, and into the city’s Transbay Terminal. From there the ride is .8 miles to the office. Kelsey rides a (very) colorful little fixed gear bicycle. It’s perfect for the short commute every day because it’s super lightweight and easy to throw on a bus and carry up/down the stairs to her apartment. “My favorite part of the commute every morning is crossing over the Bay Bridge. I especially love looking out into the bay and watching all the fishermen, sail boats, and huge cargo ships. That plus the view of the city skyline and Golden Gate Bridge are the best way to start my morning.”

Laura Bagnato – Senior Marketing Designer

Laura commutes from her apartment in Oakland on her mid-80′s Peugeot City Express commuter bike. To get to Chronicle, she bikes to Oakland’s 19th Street BART, take BART to Embarcadero, and then bikes down the Embarcadero to 680 Second Street. To get home, she bikes up the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building, where she boards a 25-minute ferry to Oakland’s Jack London Square. Laura likes to bike “to combat the fact that I sit in one position for 8 hours a day—I’m becoming chair-shaped. It just so happens that biking is also incredibly fun and liberating, and now I get to work feeling pumped and ready to actualize. I also ride a boat home from work every day, watching the city skyline recede into the distance.” Not having to park, buy gas, or pay car payments are also plusses.

The Marketing Designers aren’t the only employees at Chronicle who bike to work. The Chronicle Books “Bike Parking” area is filled with beautiful bikes every day.

Last week, I came across this interesting Wall Street Journal piece that showcases the style of a few of our publishing community colleagues at New York-based publisher Simon & Schuster. Don’t get me wrong – this group’s got style – but it got me thinking about workplace fashion, and how much it can vary, especially from coast to coast.

I’ve often marveled at how incredibly stylish (and unique) the Chronicle Books team is. With over 150 employees in our San Francisco headquarters, my creative coworkers experiment with fashion, each creating a signature style of their own. Whether we’re embracing this season’s trends or setting them for next season, what we’re wearing here at Chronicle Books is truly as distinctive as the books we publish.

From left to right:

Tyrrell Mahoney
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Wearing: H&M dress.
“I love getting dressed up. Any excuse.”

Guinevere de la Mare
Community Manager
Wearing: shirt = Orla Kiely for Uniqlo, skirt = Anthropologie, shoes = Chinese Laundry (Yep, I’m cheap)
Giving us “Technicolor florist”

Michael Morris
Associate Design Manager, Entertainment Publishing
“Imagine you awoke in the night and discovered a psychotic clown was breaking in through your window. After a struggle, he falls on the humorously oversized knife that he was going to dismember you with. You drag his lifeless body into the woods, and in the process discover a garbage bag filled with old clothes, left in the woods by a mysterious gypsy. All of that is the look I was going for.”

Kelsey P. Jones
Junior Designer, Marketing
Wearing: blouse = Anthropologie, shoes = Vera Wang Lavender, skirt = H&M, tights = Free People
Loves getting dressed for: First days!

Kim Lauber
Senior Manager, Children’s Marketing & Publicity
Wearing: cardigan & tights = J. Crew, boots = Frye, watch = Cartier, earrings = Kate Spade, dress = Francesca’s Collections, belt = Anthropologie
“I’m a New Yorker living in San Francisco, so while my first instinct is always heels and ‘anything black,’ I’ve really learned to embrace color. San Francisco is just as chic as New York, with an added dash of calculated whimsy that truly sets its style apart. I love the challenge of pulling together unexpected pieces for a night out.”

Stephanie Wong
Marketing Manager, Children’s
Wearing: cardigan = Madewell, skirt = Trina Turk, circle scarf = handmade (by me!)
“Head of the color blocking club!”

Andrew LeValley
Operations Assistant
Wearing: Gap, Urban Outfitters, West Marine (boots), Warby Parker (glasses)
Rocking “Marina Chic” or “Houseboat Realness”

Alyson Pullman
Publicity Coordinator
Wearing: Banana Republic / H&M
Loves getting dressed for: Our holiday party at Chronicle Books (duh!).

Emily Haynes
Senior Editor, Entertainment
Wearing: boots = Gunmetal, dress = Jeremy’s
Sporting “Between-seasons editor” – spring frock with winter boots and lots of layers.

Peter Perez
Associate Marketing Director
Wearing: Liberty of London Arts+Crafts-inspired tie, Prada shirt (from outlet in Italy — I never pay retail), + for denim, ALWAYS Levi’s.
Representing “Post-Millennial Victorian Post-Punk”

Laura Bagnato
Designer, Marketing
Wearing: Fred Perry enamel badges, J. Crew dress, Plenty shoes (from Jeremy’s via Anthro), H&M shirt (that used to be a dress).
Embodying “The Jam’s Sounds from the Street meets Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music”

Ben Kasman
Production Lead, Business Development
Wearing: jacket = A.P.C, shirt, shoes = Fred Perry, tie = Charvet, sweater, pants, socks = Uniqlo
Loves getting dressed for: Steaks and martinis (consumed regularly)
Aspiring “Millionaire hobo”

Bridget Watson Payne
Editor, Art
Wearing: boots = Frye, tights = American Apparel, skirt = Plenty, sweater = Moth, necklace = Toast, belt, t-shirt = Banana Republic
Channeling “Colorful Schoolmarm”

Ryan Kelly
Sales Manager, Special Markets
Wearing: jacket = Apolis Global Citizen, boots = Timberland, watch = Nixon, shirt = Urban Outfitters, eyes = Smoldering Eyes, body = Awkward Posing
Loves getting dressed for: Prom… I better get invited this year.

Sarah Billingsley
Associate Editor
Wearing: tights = Anthropologie, shoes = Coclico, skirt = Helmut Lang, top = Azalea’s (no brand. Store brand?), earrings bought on the street in the Marais district in Paris, bags under eyes courtesy of my 16-month-old daughter’s early wake-up
Demonstrating “Mad Men meets Mission District”

Lorraine Woodcheke
Marketing & Publicity Manager, Lifestyle (and the author of this post)
Wearing: My favorite outfit – dress = Collective Concepts, leggings = Nordstrom, necklace = gift, ring = Jeremy’s
I call this look “desperately trying to keep up with my stylish co-workers.”

Click on images for larger versions. Thank you to the stylish citizens of Chronicle Books for showcasing their work wear. BIG thanks to the lovely and talented Laura Bagnato, art director and photographer for this piece.

This week we’re pleased to feature Suvir Saran’s Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country, which was recently nominated for a prestigious 2012 James Beard Foundation Book Award in the American Cooking category (break a leg, Suvir!).

Enjoy this perfectly seasonal recipe from the book. And if you leave a comment about the recipe, Suvir’s stint on Top Chef Masters, or his latest Martha Stewart appearance, you’ll be eligible to win a copy of the book we’ll reward to a randomly selected winner (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Happy springtime cooking!

Asparagus and Green Pea Risotto with Fresh Herb Tarka
Serves 8

In India, we look to add flavor to food using spices and cooking techniques, not stock. So instead of weighing risotto down with chicken broth, I instead fry herbs in butter and oil to make a tarka, a seasoned oil stirred into food to brighten its flavor. But I like a good stock, too, and I make mine with every scrap of vegetable when I cook, meaning that the carrot peelings, mushroom stems, and asparagus ends become stock for the risotto, introducing depth, nutrition, and interest beyond what plain water can bring. Making water-based scrap stocks also helps control the sodium levels of your foods (read the nutrition label on that can of chicken broth and be prepared for a shock when you get to the percent of sodium that one serving of the packaged broth adds to your daily intake). A Parmigiano-Reggiano rind or a few whole black peppercorns add a nice extra flavor.

For the tarka
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

For the risotto
2 lbs/910 g asparagus
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional), plus 1 cup/100 g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper (optional), plus 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cups/200 g Arborio rice
1/2 cup/120 ml dry white wine
10-oz/280-g bag fresh or frozen green peas
Finely chopped fresh basil for serving

To make the tarka: Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, basil, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set aside.

To make the risotto: Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and add them to a large soup pot. Slice the trimmed asparagus spears on the diagonal into 1-inch/2.5-cm lengths, leave the tips whole, and place both in a medium bowl and set aside.

Pour 12 cups/2.85 L water over the asparagus ends and add 1 tsp of the salt and the Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (if using), and the coarsely ground pepper (if using). Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer until the broth is fragrant, about 25 minutes. Strain the broth into a clean pot, cover to keep the broth warm, and discard the asparagus ends and the rind. (The broth can be made up to a week in advance; reheat before making the risotto.) You should have about 10 cups/2.35 L of broth.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the freshly ground pepper and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onion and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and soft, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the grains are opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring often, until it is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup/240 ml of the broth. Cook the risotto, stirring constantly, until the liquid is mostly absorbed (when you push a wooden spoon through the center of the pot, a trail should remain for 1 second before the rice comes back together), and then add another 1 cup/240 ml of warm broth. The rice will probably need about 2 minutes of cooking and stirring between each addition.

Once you have added 5 cups/1.18 L broth total to the risotto (after about 10 minutes), add the sliced asparagus, asparagus tips, peas, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. You know the risotto is done when the rice is creamy, not mushy, the grains are plump yet separate, and the rice is cooked to an al dente doneness (there should be an opaque speck in the center of a grain of rice), after another three to five additions of broth and 8 to 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the tarka and 2 tbsp of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, stirring to combine. Spoon the risotto into serving bowls, shower with some fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve.

Purchase: Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country.

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We’re excited to have Greg Stones as a guest blogger this week! Greg is the author of Zombies Hate Stuff. What are your feelings on Zombies? Leave a comment below by April 2nd for a chance to win a copy. We’ll select one winner at random (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Zombies Hate Rowboats

This is my very first blog entry anywhere in the entire history of time, so you will have to bear with me. I’m not sure if I am supposed to rant angrily about something that doesn’t really matter, or glow nostalgically about something that doesn’t really matter. I guess I will just start writing and see what happens.

As almost none of you may know at this early stage in my publishing career, I have written and illustrated a book entitled Zombies Hate Stuff. And when I say “written,” I mean that I have avoided using any actual sentences and stretched 68 individual words into a 64-page book. Perhaps it is also worth mentioning that my editor Steve Mockus thought of four of those words. So, let us do the math: Between 2008 and 2011, I wrote 64 words. The chances of my winning a Pulitzer Prize this year are fairly slim.

Zombies Don’t Mind Magic

On the bright side, I also painted 56 watercolor illustrations to accompany the text, and since a picture is worth, like, six BILLION words, you are probably now regretting the fact that you inwardly mocked my intellectual capacity while reading the preceding paragraph. So there.

By now you are surely asking, “Greg Stones, how do you know so much about zombies? How do you know what they hate? And why do you smell of urine?”

First of all, leave my bed-wetting out of this. Secondly, I have no idea what zombies actually hate, partially because they don’t exist, but mostly because research makes me sleepy.

My history with the undead boils down to this: I saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time in 2004 and thought it was really cool, so I started adding zombies to my paintings. Not gross, rotting ghouls like you see these days, but classy zombies who understand the importance of a good suit and tie. (The small amount of research that I did showed that nine out of ten victims prefer being eaten by a professional living corpse who looks the part, versus some weekend warrior who thinks it is actually okay to wear warm-up pants in public.) Getting back to my incredibly enthralling artistic evolution: first I painted lone zombies wandering through pretty landscapes, then I unleashed the walking dead on a series of unsuspecting penguins, and finally I turned the ghouls against the entire world in a series of pieces entitled “Zombies Hate…” whatever. Eventually it occurred to me to organize all these random zombie hatreds into a book.

Zombies Hate Moon Penguins

More imagined questions from my audience:

Will this book help us survive a zombie apocalypse?

Yes, obviously. If you know that zombies hate clowns, you will not become a clown, with the added bonus that there will be one less clown in the world. Based on this fact alone, Zombies Hate Stuff benefits the entire planet.

Should this book become a huge success, how soon will you begin to display diva-like behavior?

Next Thursday.

And so concludes my first stab at writing for a blog. Either my editor will read this and think “Wow! What a writer! Let’s have him create ten more books for us!” or “Wow…I can’t believe we published one of his books…”

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, because a book about a bed-wetting zombie clown who hates penguins sounds like publishing gold to me.

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Last week I posted about The Cult of Beauty show at the Legion of Honor, this week I wanted to expand on what brought me to the museum in the first place—the children’s books in a related exhibit called Making the Modern Picture Book.

Illustrated children’s books became popular in the second half of the nineteenth century in England. They were called toy books, and early versions were colored by hand. Once printers developed inexpensive color printing techniques, toy books became affordable to the growing middle class.

Walter Crane was one of the most prolific illustrators of toy books, and there’s a lovely quality to his work that doesn’t feel childish at all. Below, some pages from A-Gaping-Wide-Mouth-Waddling-Frog, a nursery rhyme illustrated by Crane in 1870. I love the red and blue palette and the hand-drawn initial caps, as well as the gruesome subject matter.

Below, some of Crane’s illustrations from My Mother, a somewhat treacly poem made into a toy book in 1874. Again, he gets a lot of mileage out of a limited palette. The interior spaces are richly detailed. You can page through digital versions of both books at the Internet Archive.

And, finally, I couldn’t resist picking up a reprint of a Crane book at the exhibition’s gift shop. First published in 1905, A Flower Wedding has been reprinted by the Victoria and Albert Museum in a sweet little package. It tells the story of a wedding day, and although it ends on a strange note, the illustrations more than make up for it.

Cover: gold foil on cream book cloth.

Lovely endsheets.

The marriage procession—check out the bridesmaids’ dresses!

This spread is about the father of the bride—apparently he was quite a dresser back in the day.

This is the final spread—the bride lost her trousseau in the hubbub, but luckily the groom is loaded, so it’s happily ever after for the new couple. (Note: pile of money.)

Allison Weiner
Designer