Photographs of the artist and ceramicist Peter Shire, by photographer Brian W. Ferry

An interview of Peter Shire conducted 2007 September 18-19, by Jo Lauria, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Shire's studio, in Los Angeles, California.

Over seventy-five salad recipes, with contributions and interviews by artists & creatives like William Wegman, Tauba Auerbach, Laurie Anderson, and Alice Waters. Julia Sherman loves salad. In the book named for her popular blog, Sherman encourages her readers to consider salad an everyday indulgence that can include cocktails, soups, family style brunch dishes, and dinner-party entrées. Every part of the meal is reimagined with a fresh, vegetable obsessed perspective. This compendium of savory recipes will tempt readers in search of diverse offerings from light to hearty organized by season. Recipes include: Collard Chiffonade Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing and Crouton Crumble Heirloom Tomatoes with Crunchy Polenta Croutons Flank Steak and Bean Sprouts with Miso-Kimchi Dressing Grilled Hearts of Palm with Mint and Triple Citrus Golden Crispy Lotus Root with Asian Pear and Yuzu Dressing Shaved Cauliflower and Candy Cane Beet Salad with Seared Arctic Char Curly Carrots with Candied Cumin And many more The recipes, while not exclusively vegetarian, are vegetable-forward and focused on high-quality seasonal produce. Sherman also includes insider tips on pantry staples and growing your own salad garden of herbs and greens. Salad—with its infinite possibilities—is a game of endless combinations, not stifling rules. And with that in mind, Salad for President offers a window into how artists approach preparing their favorite dishes. She visits sculptors, painters, photographers, and musicians in their homes and gardens, interviewing and photographing them as they cook. Utterly unique in its look into the worlds of food, art, and everyday practices, Salad for President is at once a practical resource for healthy, satisfying recipes and an inspiring look at creativity. Praise for Salad for President “Part relational art, part self-discovery, Salad for President turns our notion of ‘salad’ on its head in a funny, beautiful, and most personal way.” ?Bon Appétit “Makes even the most unrepentant meat eater consider their leafy greens; it is a decidedly bitter, yet delicious, pill to swallow.” —John Martin, Munchies

Published on the occasion of the exhibition, The Idea of Building, at Matthew Marks Gallery, curated by Matt Connors.