Last Thursday I submitted the manuscript for my cookbook to University Press of Kentucky. I’ve never been on this end of a cookbook before. I’ve cooked from several, I’ve edited several, but up until now I’ve never written one.
Writing a cookbook is a lesson in multi-tasking – writing text, writing recipes, developing recipes, testing recipes, and living life outside “the book” with family, work, and other activities. At time the road was smooth and at other times when I was questioned my ability to write the book I wanted to write. In the end I strove to maintain balance and not wear the best male cook I know out as he took over the laundry and dish-washing. I happy to report we’ve all survived and my manuscript is in the hands of two outside readers hired by the press. I’m also happy to report I’m cooking from the book, tweaking recipes where they need to be tweaked, and resuming the life I lived in between the margins without any deadlines looming. Here are a few details:
Working Title: One Year in My Kentucky Kitchen – 12 Months of Menus, Stories, and Recipes for Fresh Homemade Food
Publication date: May 2011
Availability: Wide distribution through Kentucky bookstores and gift shops, and Amazon.com. I’ve always dreamed of having a book for sale in a Kentucky State Park Resort gift shop. We’ll see~
Keep up with the production and design of the book via this blog or follow me on Twitter @KentuckyKitchen or @GreenApron.
And now for something completely different….. my second weekend without writing a cookbook.