The husband-and-wife team of Bernard Jarrier-Cabernet and Carole Peck, along with partner Dennis Pistone, have formed Ici La Press. The Woodbury, Conn., publisher will publish English-language editions of European cookbooks and will also bring back out-of-print European and American cookbooks.
The company plans to release 10 hardcovers in its first year, with its first two titles, The Flavors of Sicily and The Magic of the Truffle, published last week. Both books have a first printing of about 4,000 copies. A staple of the company's list will be Michelin-star chefs including Alain Ducasse and Michel Bras, whose books The Good Cuisine (by Ducasse and Francoise Bernard) and The Notebooks of Michel Bras: Desserts are due out over the next few months.
Jarrier-Cabernet serves as the company's publisher, while Pistone, who owns a typesetting company, supervises the translating and production tasks and is currently serving as the company's sales force. "We're looking for a rep," Pistone said. Ici La plans to sell through traditional retail outlets, direct marketing and on its Web site, www.icilapress.com. Ici La also hopes to reach cooking schools and other alternative outlets. In addition to cookbooks, the company may add other books that focus on food, such as culinary history, nutrition and restaurants.
