Teena Hildebrand’s

The Kitchen in The Cellar

“Not Only a Cookbook, It’s An Inspiring Story”

Sold Out: stay tuned for 2nd Edition

The Kitchen in the Cellar: A Recipe for Reinvention is a cookbook-memoir filled with over 100 seasonally inspired, wine-friendly recipes for everyday cooking. 

As co-owner and chef of Narrow Gate Vineyards, located in the El Dorado appellation of the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, Teena Hildebrand shares the creative recipes and wine pairings she’s made and served over a 15-year span for thousands of her winery guests, friends, and family. Woven throughout is the story of the Hildebrands’ adventurous journey of pursuing their implausible dream to plant a vineyard and build a winery, and the miracles that made the dream a reality. Their recipe for reinvention unfolds through the inspiring story of their leap of faith from fashion to wine and from city life to country life, while maneuvering through a constant maze of seemingly impossible-to-overcome obstacles. Hildebrand weaves in her personal culinary journey, which began at age nine and was first inspired by Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet. Forty-five years later she met him in his kitchen, and here she shares how Kerr’s influence in her life today goes far beyond food and wine.

An elderly man and woman sitting at a wooden dining table, the man holding a wine bottle and laughing, while the woman smiling with a wine glass in front of her. The table is set with wine glasses and a tray of condiments, in a cozy, well-lit home interior.
A cookbook titled 'The Kitchen in the Cellar' by Teena Hildebrand, featuring a cover with a rustic wooden door with metal handles and a collage of culinary and house photos, placed on a textured cloth on a wooden surface with a rustic wooden backdrop.
A woman with curly brown hair, smiling, sitting behind a table covered with a ornate orange tablecloth, at an art or craft fair. The table has books, a small bouquet of white flowers in a glass vase, and a large open portfolio displaying artwork and a printed table of contents. Behind her are framed paintings of nature scenes and abstract art, some on a black grid stand, and there are white radiators against a concrete wall.

Book Reviews

Green artichoke on a plant surrounded by green leaves, with a red ladybug on one leaf.

As reviewed by a long-time Narrow Gate Cellar Club member:

“…got away this weekend to find quiet time and inspiration. Your book unknowingly became a big part of it. Thank you for finishing this book when you did. I love it! Maybe God does work in mysterious ways?”

Small glass jars filled with a yellow pudding topped with whipped cream, arranged on a dark surface.

From an NGV customer:

“I thought I’d just note the commentary and focus on the recipes.  It is so well written and engaging I’ve stopped reading other books and look forward to the rest of the story.”

Three small white bowls of fresh figs served in a caramelized honey syrup, set on a rustic wooden table with green leaves and whole figs around, and silver spoons and wine glass in the background.

From a former cookbook reviewer, from the SF Bay Area

“The religious journey is a logical part of the whole and seamlessly included.  I’ve read similar books where it is ‘in your face’ and detracts from the total package.”