Mastering My Mistakes with Dana Cowin of Food & Wine

In an online world where all aspects of lifestyle culture can seem to be about achieving perfection, it’s wonderfully refreshing to see someone who is respected and established admit that they still have a few things to learn. Dana Cowin, the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine, set out to write her first cookbook with that very theme in mind: mastering the mistakes she still made while cooking at home. Throughout the course of Mastering My Mistakes In The Kitchen, Dana learns to cook a wide range of recipes, from snacks and breakfast dishes to decadent desserts, and gets tips from some of the country’s top chefs along the way. And while I generally get excited about cookbooks this time of year (I seem to gravitate toward the kitchen when the weather gets colder), I’m especially excited about this one because I got to see parts of it come together in my own home.

My wife Julia worked with Dana on this cookbook, helping to develop and test all sorts of delicious recipes. And while there were many that stood out to me, there was one that I still can’t stop thinking about: Pear Brown Sugar Upside-Down Cake. Julia saved me a tiny sliver when she tested the recipe and I immediately requested (politely) that she make us another cake to have at home. So I was thrilled when Dana agreed to not only chat with me for an interview, but to share that recipe here today (both after the jump). Dana also kindly offered to give two lucky D*S readers a free copy of her book! All you need to do to enter the contest is share the story of YOUR biggest cooking mistake and how you learned to overcome it. Leave your story in the comment section below and we’ll pick two winners next week to receive a copy of Mastering My Mistakes In The Kitchen. I’m so excited to hear everyone’s stories (I’ll leave mine below, too). Thanks so much to Dana and everyone at Ecco for sharing this with us today! xo, grace

All photographs by John Kernick, styling by Susie Theodorou

Click through for Dana’s interview and her delicious Pear Cake recipe after the jump!

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