Why Recipe Stories?
Actually, I decided to spend my last day off before officially beginning 2006 by doing two things--taking down a dormant website I developed for a memoir cookbook I wrote and investigating blogging. I don't think I'll get around to the other job.
I was mostly just curious about blogging before I started mucking about earlier today. "Who," I thought, "has the time for it?" Obviously I do. And I hope to continue. Future blog entries will re-cycle stories and recipes from the book, be about other things cooking related or none of the above. Since I'm working on another cookbook--this one targeting 20 and 30 somethings who never quite got the drift of cooking at home--entries may talk about that as well.
But about the first (and only) cookbook I wrote. It's called 'You Said A Mouthful" and is available at Lulu.com. It was inspired by the thought that every good recipe has a good story behind it. The story may center on an ingredient, where it comes from and what it does to enhance a dish. It may be about the preparation and how the time in the kitchen created a special memory with family or friends. It could be about the people who join you at your table, their relationships, likes and dislikes. Or, the story may root in a past event or snippet of time that was evoked by the food or its ingredients.
Actually, it was inspired by my kids who kept asking me for my recipes. The story idea came later. As I wrote the recipes down, I'd be reminded of a story, so I'd write that down as well. Then, I decided the stories and recipes were too good to keep to myself. That's when I discovered the wonders of self-publishing.
After I published it and told friends and family, it sold quite briskly--until I ran out of friends and family. As one friend told me, memoir cookbooks only work for the famous. However-- in what must be a tribute to Lulu's power-- sales still occur. I do have a website, but since the visitor count has stuck in the 500s for the past year, I don't think it has powered many sales.
I don't have time to get to my second chore today, so I guess the website will stay up for awhile
I was mostly just curious about blogging before I started mucking about earlier today. "Who," I thought, "has the time for it?" Obviously I do. And I hope to continue. Future blog entries will re-cycle stories and recipes from the book, be about other things cooking related or none of the above. Since I'm working on another cookbook--this one targeting 20 and 30 somethings who never quite got the drift of cooking at home--entries may talk about that as well.
But about the first (and only) cookbook I wrote. It's called 'You Said A Mouthful" and is available at Lulu.com. It was inspired by the thought that every good recipe has a good story behind it. The story may center on an ingredient, where it comes from and what it does to enhance a dish. It may be about the preparation and how the time in the kitchen created a special memory with family or friends. It could be about the people who join you at your table, their relationships, likes and dislikes. Or, the story may root in a past event or snippet of time that was evoked by the food or its ingredients.
Actually, it was inspired by my kids who kept asking me for my recipes. The story idea came later. As I wrote the recipes down, I'd be reminded of a story, so I'd write that down as well. Then, I decided the stories and recipes were too good to keep to myself. That's when I discovered the wonders of self-publishing.
After I published it and told friends and family, it sold quite briskly--until I ran out of friends and family. As one friend told me, memoir cookbooks only work for the famous. However-- in what must be a tribute to Lulu's power-- sales still occur. I do have a website, but since the visitor count has stuck in the 500s for the past year, I don't think it has powered many sales.
I don't have time to get to my second chore today, so I guess the website will stay up for awhile
Comments
Have a good one.
- Mandy