''I wanted to go on reading it forever'' Nigella LawsonTwo strangers. One recipe. A friendship for the ages. Creamy risotto alla Milanese. Mussels in a hot, buttery broth. Chicken spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Joan Bergstrom and Imogen Fortier understand the key to a savoured life: delicious food. Young Joan is just discovering herself as a food writer in bustling Los Angeles, while experienced magazine columnist Imogen is settled in her decades-long marriage on Camano Island outside Seattle. When Joan sends a fan letter to Imogen, alongside a gift of saffron and a recipe, their journey of culinary exploration and life-changing friendship begins. A long-lost flavour unearths buried memories, a quest to make carne asada opens the doors of a sheltered life, and, as the two women connect through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the unexpected changes in their own worlds. ''Like a dinner with friends you won''t want to end'' J. Ryan Stradal ''Warm, delicious, and absolutely satisfying'' Meg Waite Clayton ''You''ll want to share it with everyone you call friend'' Louise Miller