About this item
Highlights
- At the age of 37 Howard Lev started a pepper business based on his mother's recipe.
- Author(s): Howard Lev
- 264 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, Culinary
Description
About the Book
At the age of 37 Howard Lev started a pepper business based on his mother's recipe. Over the years, Mama Lil's Peppers grew in popularity and distribution across the Pacific Northwest, and eventually nationally.
Book Synopsis
At the age of 37 Howard Lev started a pepper business based on his mother's recipe. Over the years, Mama Lil's Peppers grew in popularity and distribution across the Pacific Northwest, and eventually nationally. "A Pepper for Your Thoughts?" is a memoir chronicling the ups and downs of the pepper business & Howard's experiences as Mama Lil's grew. The book contains 30 tasty recipes revolving around the use of his peppers as an ingredient.
He claims to have only succeeded in that due to his utter fear of failure, which he believes is the origin of his grit. Either that or as his dentist claims, "Howard has the bite of an ox." He has never won an award or had any acclaim whatsoever but is uniquely qualified to have written this book.
Review Quotes
This unique book is many things: A culinary adventure story. A cautionary tale of entrepreneurial innocence. An inspirational memoir with a soundtrack of recipes. If you've ever contemplated a life in the food business, Howard will sober you up even as he's opening another bottle of go-for-it. It's fun, appetizing, and a pleasure to read.
- Tony Gilroy, director and screenwriter of the Bourne movies, Michael Clayton, and Andor
When I first met Howard 25 years ago at a farmers' market selling his pickled peppers, I asked him the obvious: "Does Peter Piper work for you?" He said, "He did, but I canned him." I chuckled and bought my first jar of Mama Lil's. I also bought into this poetically woven entrepreneurial memoir that kept me chuckling as it kept me turning the pages. Howard's book personifies both the perfect pepper of a life, and of an iconic gourmet food brand.
- Tom Douglas, James Beard award winning restaurateur, cookbook author, and radio host.
I traveled the world listening to so many stories that I thought I heard them all. This braided personal/entrepreneurial memoir puts a whole new spin on what it takes to succeed and to fail in business. As much about the family as the recipe, it is so vigorous with stories, it reads like a gourmand version of Kerouac. Devour this book. And if you're lucky you'll do it while putting a ring of Mama Lil's Peppers on each bite.
-Dan Dennedy, author and co-founder and former host of the storytelling podcast, The Moth