Tattoo artists from around the United States invite you into their personal kitchens in this intimate cookbook full of their favorite home recipes. Full-color photos of their own tattoos showcase their work in vivid detail. Recipes are easy to follow and range from guacamole and margaritas to guava-glazed ribs, from mom's quesadillas de Oaxaca to vegan churros, and from grandma's baked apples to Freddy Corbin's apple pipe. Knives and Needles celebrates the intersection of food and tattoo culture and the beauty that comes from skill transforming into art, whether it is through ink or the plate.

Over 60 chefs share the personal stories of their tattoos, and many also share their signature recipes.

From New York Times bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton and bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald--the stories behind the tattoos that chefs proudly wear, with their signature recipes. Winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals [IACP] Cookbook Design Award. Chefs take their tattoos almost as seriously as their knives. From gritty grill cooks in backwoods diners to the executive chefs at the world's most popular restaurants, it's hard to find a cook who doesn't sport some ink. Knives & Ink features the tattoos of more than sixty-five chefs from all walks of life and every kind of kitchen, including 2014 James Beard Award-winner Jamie Bissonnette, Alaska-fishing-boat cook Mandy Lamb, Toro Bravo's John Gorham, and many more. Each tattoo has a rich, personal story behind it: Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food remembers his mother with fiery angel wings on his forearms, and Dominique Crenn of Michelin two-starred Atelier Crenn bears ink that reminds her to do “anything in life that you put your heart into.” Like the dishes these chefs have crafted over the years, these tattoos are beautiful works of art. Knives & Ink delves into the wide and wonderful world of chef tattoos and shares their fascinating backstories, along with personal recipes from many of the chefs.

"Why did you get that tattoo? Every tattoo tells a story, whether the ink is meaningful or the result of a misguided decision made at the age of fourteen, representative of the wearer's true self or the accidental consequence of a bender. These most permanent of body adornments are hidden by pants legs and shirt tails, emblazoned on knuckles, or tucked inside mouths. They are battle scars and beauty marks, totems and mementos. Pen & Ink grants us access to the tattoos of writers Cheryl Strayed, Tao Lin, and Roxane Gay; rockers in the bands Korn, Otep, and Five Finger Death Punch; and even a porn star. But it also illuminates the tattoos of the ordinary people living in our midst--from professors to thrift store salespeople, cafe owners to librarians, union organizers to administrators--and their extraordinary lives. Curated and edited by Isaac Fitzgerald, who sports ten tattoos himself, each story features Wendy MacNaughton's stylish full color illustrations of the tattoos on black-and-white drawings of the bearer's body. At its heart, beneath its colorful skin, Pen & Ink is an exploration of the decision to scar one's self with a symbol and a story"--

Meld your mind with your palate with this in-depth look at the culinary ventures of many great chefs and restaurants, and an examination of some of the most current megatrends in dining and wining experiences.