eat the word

experimental book exercise
yummmay

ideas!!!

my close friend is another cook/baker extraordinaire, and we were just chatting about my cookbook n all and she gave me so many great ideas!!

i told her my concern about not having enough content, so we came up with these other things that i could include—which works PERFECTLY with my "blog/journal" theme.

i have to write them down before i forget:
-a trip to the grocery store/market: things i can include -- what's in season, what's great to cook in season, what to look for when shopping for ingredients, why im passionate about grocery stores
-cafe/restaurant reviews: my fav restaurants, food
-tools of the trade: my favorite tools in the kitchen, stories about them possibly, how to use them, tips

coookbooooks

i have been reading cookbooks nonstop.
they have always been my favorite read and instead of a nice novel (which i do love reading too, of course) i enjoy a cookbook at my bedside table. hehe. i have been reading so many nowadays and i'm starting to notice things that i would like to put in mine.

these are a few of books that i think are inspiring:



this is a collection of the best recipes from the best cookbooks of the year. it's really fun to read because for each book, they interview the author and you learn a little about the master behind the food. it also has a short section describing the book itself: "the book" "the gist" "the ideal reader" "the extras". as well, it has small tips and the cook's tidbits here and there. the recipes themselves are very neatly designed and composed. i really like this book!



yes yes.. i am a huge martha stewart fan. but other than her genius in cooking, baking, crafts, home care, and making LOADS of money, i love her books! this one is great because it has a beautiful photo for every recipe. i mean, that takes a lot, cuz there are hundreds of recipes in this book. also, each chapter is divided into different kinds of baked goods and she includes a introduction/basic techniques/required tools for them. it really is a handbook because it covers tons of material in an organized, accessible way.


another giant in the cooking entertainment world. hehe. but i like him because he's down to earth. and that's why i like his books too. his books have a sense of persona, a voice that just kind of talks to you as you read the recipes. he's really casual in his book and he has funny little bits and pieces in the book. i want to incorporate that in my book..possibly.. without seeming too cheesy of course.

recipes

so i'm trying to finalize on all the recipes that i am going to put in the cookbook. i thought this would be easiest part! but alas, i realized my repertoire of cooking/baking is not so impressive. :(

i really want my book to be like a book -- not a booklet of "favorite recipes". so i must go on and look for some good recipes. well, you see, i think that's where the problem arises. i want all the food in the book to be test-kitchened (or kitchen-tested, i guess) AND i want photographs for each one so that means i need to get cooking!! how am i going to do all this? which recipes do i choose and make? who is going to eat it all? and.. cost! all that food is going to cost me a lot of money.. sighh..

well, anyway,
this is the list of recipes for now:

dessert

•double choc chunk cookies
•oatmeal cookies
•sugar cookies
•cupcakes
-vanilla vanilla
-after eight
-red velvet
•cheesecake

entree

•baked ziti
•mini gourmet burgers
•baked dijon salmon
•green salad with various dressings
•dduk-bok-gi (korean)
•bibimbop (korean)

meal

•sarah's grilled chicken & Sundried Tomato Penne
•bruschetta
•strawberry spinach salad
•pound cake

thanksgiving

•roast chicken (for the smaller families like mine)
•garlic mashed potatoes
•cranberry-onion stuffing
•extraordinary cranberry sauce


okay
and the question of how will i organize this? in what order/groups will i put the recipes?
i was thinking about it, and i really wanted to make this interesting.

i know i am trying to make it sort of like a blog; but blogs are usually just exhausted lists and lists of postings and i don't think that's very fun.

and so this is my idea! since my focus on cooking and baking is usually to FEED the people around me (feeding others is one of my biggest joys in life) i thought i would divide it into groups of eaters. haha! it's a vague idea so far.. but i think it might be something interesting...

oh
and for the title, im thinking of including the word "FEED" somewhere.
hahaha without making it sound like some cow food.

ah finally

i have finally made my blog for our book project.

i am very very excited about it, but to be totally honest, i haven't been working on it much lately. i've just been so overwhelmed with everything going on right now, so i haven't sat down to think about it. but! i pretty much think about it doing anything else-- while i'm eating, driving, chatting, partying -- i think about my book. hehe.

i guess my main issue right now is the content and which recipes i am choosing.
i am also wondering when i will be making them and taking the photos, because i don't want to push it last minute. but i also want to make the photography consistent, which means i have to decide on what style of photography pretty soon. (i also wish i had an awesome DSLR camera for those shots.. does anyone know where i can borrow one??)

i should slowly think about the design style and look of the book. i have something floating in my mind somewhere but it's not quite coming out on paper. we'll see how it goes.

this blog is actually pretty neat! it's like having an adviser or someone who just listens to my ramble to keep me sane. haha. nice.

well... hopefully next time i come back on i'll have more to show.