Your kitchen book
I’m in the frenzy of manuscript writing and I realized I’ve missed a very important step. YOU!
Here’s a super-sneak preview of the basic format of the book, and I’d love your input on what you, the prospective reader, might find helpful within the chapters in each of the sections.
Section I offers the essentials for setting up your kitchen, from equipping your ship to stocking the shelves.
Section II is intended for a hit-the-ground-running approach, seeing as you need to eat three times daily whether you’ve mastered your kitchen or not. This portion offers real life advice, tips and recipes to move you from clumsy to confident in the kitchen.
Section III helps you put it all together with entertaining planning and recipes, preserving projects, food gifts and food party ideas.
What kinds of things do you want to see in my new book? Is there anything that has changed your kitchen experience that you’d like to share with the still-clumsy kitcheneers?
Book Process, Kitchen
Reader Comments (5)
One of my favorite cookbooks is a slim little volume from Julia Child called "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom." It doesn't have recipes so much as techniques, and "master recipes" that can easily be altered in 100 ways.
I think basic cooking techniques tend to get lost in our obsession over the latest hot ingredient (quinoa, anyone?) and the relentless pressure to write recipes that are brief so it doesn't look like a time-consuming task. But I've taught some basic tricks/techniques to friends - things like, to brown the meat effectively, you must not crowd the skillet, or grating frozen butter for a quick & easy pie crust - that I've seen light up their kitchen experience. And it seems a perfect fit for Section II, no? Arm your readers with the skills they need to tackle any kitchen project with confidence and the recipes & parties in Section III will be a piece of cake.
Your question made me smile, remembering some eventful parties and kitchen-related crises of the past decade or so. Here are a couple of suggestions for your book.
Section 1 - how to set up your kitchen and pantry so the useful stuff is easy to get to. I could probably use a refresher on that one myself.
Section 2 - probably the most useful trick I have learned is to use an appropriately-sized cutting board for the task at hand. Slicing one lime and slicing 5 pounds of onions are two totally different endeavors and you can save a lot of headache by using different tools for each job.
Section 3 - a useful trick I've learned is to plan your party for easy clean-up. Placing adequate trash, recycling and compost containers in prominent places (perhaps with labels) prevents your guests from peppering you with questions about trash, recycling and compost.
Somewhere in there, you should have a little bit on care and maintenance of your kitchenware and appliances. I remember a very sad day when we cracked a wooden salad bowl by leaving it to sit overnight in the sink.
Perhaps another little bit on moving your kitchen when you move apartments - what to keep, what to pitch, packing basics.
I'm looking forward to this book - I know it will be fun and practical.
Kaela and Rachel: what fabulous feedback! Thank you ladies for taking the time to share these thoughtful ideas. You know, I leafed through Julia's Kitchen Wisdom a couple years back, but totally forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!
JUST BE YOUR USUAL CREATIVE SELF AND I KNOW IT WILL BE A HIT !
What about a small section or mention dealing with special needs? just a reference option
Could be so many areas -such as your gluten free items or handicap needs.
easy kitchen math reference or guide
I am sure it will be a hit! Love your first book!
amy