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Maman’s Homesick Pie

Praise for Donia Bijan and Maman’s Homesick Pie…

“Treat yourself to this delectable debut …ultimately this memoir is a loving tribute to her mother, her heritage—and food. Pour yourself a cup of cardamom tea (recipe included), and indulge in this savory slice of life.” —Family Circle

“Chapter by chapter, Bijan recreates the memory-menu of her life …by its heart-plucking end, this literary feast accomplishes what only the best meals do, bestowing …a larger appreciation of life’s precious table.”—National Geographic Traveler

“In its profound understanding of how food connects us to the past and future and to the places and people we love, Maman’s Homesick Pie gets to the very heart of why recipes and food—and the stories we tell about them—matter so much.”—Literary Mama

Maman’s Homesick Pie is one of the best food memoirs I have read . . . The recipes at the end of each chapter add surprising depth to her story.”—Largehearted Boy

“The push-pull of Ms. Bijan’s relationship with her parents during their grief as she came of age will feel familiar to many readers, but the details of Ms. Bijan’s life will not.”—The New York Review of Books

“A lyrical memoir by an acclaimed San Francisco chef.” —St. Petersburg Times

“The memoir smoothly combines stories of Bijan’s childhood in Iran and transitions to life in America with pieces of her parents’ lives, and the family’s migrations after the loss of their homeland… They are the quietly compelling stories of an ordinary family dealing with extraordinary circumstances. Memories of family are inextricably linked to food.”  –Wichita Eagle

“An elegant memoir.” –Hudson Valley News

A “wonderfully written memoir … so well rendered … Bijan writes movingly of her parents’ accomplishments, their difficulty adjusting to their new home, and her own burgeoning love of food and cooking … Like the perfect dessert, each chapter ends with recipes.”—Publishers Weekly

Donia Bijan graduated from UC Berkeley and the Cordon Bleu.  After presiding over many of San Francisco’s acclaimed restaurants and earning awards for her French-inspired cuisine, she ran her own restaurant, L’amie Donia, in Palo Alto for ten years.

New Small Paintings

"Clecy," 2007-2012 22x26 inches oil/linen

Click on these links to see more paintings:

A new album of large paintings.

Work on paper.

Album of small paintings.

My wife’s amazing new blog.

My wife’s highly acclaimed food memoir “Maman’s Homesick Pie.

New Large Paintings

"Istanbul," 2009-2011 58x82 $40,000

Click on these links to see more paintings:

A new album of large paintings.

Work on paper.

Album of small paintings.

My wife’s amazing new blog.

My wife’s highly acclaimed food memoir “Maman’s Homesick Pie.

Work on paper available in 2012

"Brisbane #23'" 2008-2011 25x38 inches

A new album of large paintings.

Work on paper.

Album of small paintings.

My wife’s amazing new blog.

My wife’s highly acclaimed food memoir “Maman’s Homesick Pie.

Mitchell Johnson paintings in Crazy Stupid Love


"Truro (Bands)," 2009 Collection Provincetown Art Association

Thanks to my agent, Jennifer Long, at FILMART LA, you can see seven of my paintings from Cape Cod, Italy, France and Denmark in Steve Carell’s latest Warner Bros. film, Crazy Stupid Love.  The painting in the photo above, “Truro (Bands),” 2009, is in the collection of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Other paintings have appeared in The Holiday (2006) and It’s Complicated (2009).

New Paintings, new video

Antonio's Sunflowers, 2011 16x24 inches $5,500 SOLD

I have new work from Europe and Cape Cod so please get in touch about a studio visit.  My industrious son also prepared a video you can see here from my 2010 exhibit in Kansas City.

Mitchell Johnson and Karen Cappotto at Munson Gallery

"Yellow Table (Chatham)," 2011 28x24 inches $7,000

The new show, Color, Water and Shade, opens at Munson Gallery in Chatham Friday August 5.  I will be there for the reception from 5:30-7:00.  All of the paintings are now at the gallery so you can ask to see them if you are on the Cape.

Mitchell Johnson Paintings at Solo Ciccia

Small Abstract Paintings at Solo Ciccia in Panzano in Chianti

You can see some of my smaller abstract work if you are in Chianti in the next few months.  A group of my abstract paintings is now at Dario Cecchini’s Solo Ciccia – my favorite restaurant in Toscana.  Slow food and slow paintings are a good match.

Summer Schedule

"Five Pickets (Truro)," 2011 15x28 inches sold

I will be posting new paintings in late July when I get home from Hungary and Italy.  Please join my FaceBook page to learn about new catalogs and shows. To see all 12 of my catalogs click here.  Have a great summer!

Summer Open Studio


"Seven Pickets (Truro)," 2011 16x30 inches $6,000 oil/linen

My studio will be open Wednesday-Saturday, June 22-25, 10:30-1:30.  Appointments are also available.  Please RSVP to get the address.  You can see all of my catalogs here.