Kainei Edward Espe Brown (born March 24, 1945) is a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki and a well-known gourmet cook. A Dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman, Brown is the author of the best-selling Tassajara Bread Book. He regularly leads instructional cooking and baking classes and has been featured in the 2007 documentary film How to Cook Your Life by Doris Dorrie. Brown was ordained a priest by Suzuki-roshi in 1971, and from the mid-1960s on through the 80′s Brown lived at any one of the three San Francisco Zen Center locations—City Center, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and Green Gulch Farm. Currently Brown leads the Peaceful Sea Sangha in California. Brown is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association.
