Griffin Bay Bookstore hosts an evening with Greg Atkinson, Nov., 5, 7 p.m. to sign and talk about his latest book, “At the Kitchen Table: The Craft of Cooking at Home.” Atkinson is a former San Juan Island chef and a long time proponent of local and Northwest foods and cooking.

Atkinson not only explores the power of food in his book, but the meaning of coming together at the table, as well as the pleasures of home cooking. Each of the two-dozen essays ends with several related recipes.

Atkinson is also a regular contributor to The Seattle Times and a food commentator on Seattle’s public radio station KUOW.