VENTURA : Cookbook Sale, Signing a Tasty Treat for Buyers

There was more than the smell of brand-new books in the air Saturday at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Ventura.

The scents of garlic, olive oil and basil wafted through the aisles, luring customers to the north wing of the bookstore where two of west Ventura County’s best-known chefs served some of their favorite creations.

In one corner, executive chef Robert Garcia from Capistrano’s restaurant in Oxnard served bruschetta , an appetizer made of French bread topped with olive oil, garlic, basil and tomatoes. Nearby, executive chef Louis Ludwig of the Ventura Pierpont Inn dished up samples of hearty New England clam chowder.

For two hours, the chefs fed book-lovers to promote “Cookin’ in Ventura,” a collection of recipes compiled by Ventura resident Gail Hobbs. The cookbook features 54 recipes for appetizers, soups, entrees, dressings and desserts from 30 Ojai, Oxnard and Ventura restaurants.

On Saturday, Garcia and Ludwig, whose recipes are included in the collection, signed books for customers who eagerly sampled the food the chefs had prepared.

“This tastes absolutely delicious,” Ventura resident Lavonne Askay said as she savored marinated raw Norwegian salmon served on a slice of bread and covered with a dill sauce. “I never thought that I would like raw fish, but this sorts of melts in your mouth.”

Like many of the patrons who tasted the food, Askay purchased a copy of the book so she could try the recipes at home. “I love cooking, and if all the recipes are like this one, it will be worth buying it.”

The book, which costs $9.95, also includes recipes from restaurants such as Ventura’s Rosarito Beach Cafe, Wheeler Hot Springs and Oxnard’s Yasmeen’s India Cuisine.

“The book was designed to educate people on what is available in our area,” Hobbs said, “and also to promote the sense, the reality, that we have some wonderful restaurants.”

Hobbs said she is donating 5% of the profits from sales of the book to Casa Pacifica, a Camarillo residential center for abused and neglected children.