Cookbook author releases coming-of-age memoir
Brigit Binns, a local cookbook author, and her memoir, “RottenKid: A Succulent Story of Survival.”
Book to be released this week
– Brigit Binns, a local cookbook author, will release her memoir, “RottenKid: A Succulent Story of Survival,” on Mar. 5. In the memoir, Binns details her experiences growing up and how simultaneous privilege and profound neglect led this author of multiple cookbooks to seek comfort in the kitchen.
Binns reflects on her formative years in the context of Hollywood dysfunction in old California, offering insights into her youth as viewed by her “small, insecure self through coke-bottle glasses.” Following her parents’ divorce, her father, actor Edward Binns, departs, and her mother sends her to boarding school, allowing her mother to maintain a lengthy romance with a married California Governor.
Thrilled to escape her mother’s scrutiny, Binns changes schools seven times and makes a series of decisions before turning 16, eventually attending college out of state. Food, particularly her mother’s “life-altering” cheese souffle, becomes a rare source of harmony in their turbulent relationship. The memoir explores the destructive nature of their connection, highlighted by incidents such as one chilling instance where her mother “briefly shoves a .22 rifle into 15-year-old Binns’ belly.”
Binns’ memoir encompasses Hollywood narratives, global travels, and a persistent desire for belonging. It serves as a portrayal of female resilience and offers inspiration to those dealing with the repercussions of a narcissistic parent. Brigit Binns, author of 29 books, including “Eating up the West Coast,” collaborated with chefs like Michael Psilakis and Joachim Splichal.
After spending a decade in Europe, Binns graduated from England’s Tante Marie cooking school, lived and catered in Spain, and edited Costa del Sol’s English language magazine. She currently resides in California’s Central Coast wine country with her husband, Casey, known as the “Paso Wine Man,” along with her two dogs.
Sibylline Press, a publisher featuring the work of women over 50, will publish Binns’ memoir. The book will be distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West. Sibylline Press draws its name from the Sibylline Books, ancient writings of wise older women. Further information is available at sibyllinepress.com.
Click here to learn more about the book.
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