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Believe it or not the eve of the Fall cookbook is upon us -- and in just about a week, if all goes well, my very first cookbook will be released. I haven't written much about the details of the project until now and I'm very excited to finally give you all a bit of a sneak peek.

As most of you already know (especially if you have been a visitor here for a while), I've managed to acquire and cook from quite a lot of cookbooks over the past few years. I like to read them, look at the photographs, tag new recipes to try, learn about exotic flavors and ingredients, and generally immerse myself in all manner of culinary excitement, experiment, and adventure. As I started spending more and more time with the cookbooks in my collection I started to have ideas and opinions about how I would organize and write my own cookbook, and I set out to do just that.

To see the Table of Contents, click here

I wanted one volume that taught a basic technique for each of my favorite foods (pancakes, panini, pizza, shortcakes, stir-fries, frittatas, soups, etc). For everyday cooking and staples I didn't want to mess around with new techniques each time I went into the kitchen. For example, there are dozens of ways to make pancakes - I just wanted to figure out, and understand the best approach to making a batch of delicious pancakes that suited my tastes and preferences. I could then use this as a foundation to experiment and incorporate new ideas, variations, and flavors. For Example: Banana Macadamia Pancakes shouldn't have a completely different base method and technique than Basic Buttermilk Pancakes, yet when you look across a range of cookbooks or magazines you will see all sorts of approaches. This is how I ended up with the chart structure you will see in COOK 1.0 - a good base recipe followed by favorite variations.

To get the Banana Macadamia recipe, click here

Other things I took into consideration as I started working on this book -- It was important to me to write an "everyday' type cookbook. One that people would really use (including myself!), not one that collects dust on a bookshelf or coffee table. When I was writing recipes, I would cook my way through many different recipes and figure out what worked best and what didn't, and at the same time take into consideration that most people don't want to spend all night in the kitchen, or shop for exhaustive lists of ingredients. Also important -- I wanted to contribute a book that reinforces the idea that vegetarian food doesn't have to limit you to a diet limited to hummus, brown rice, and lentil loaves, these recipes would appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike...because while most of the people in my life are not vegetarian, they are still always looking for ways to incorporate healthful vegetables and ingredients into their cooking repertoire and diets.

My very favorite recipes from Cook 1.0 are:

-Brie, Apple, Cranberry + Fake Bacon Panini
-Red Pepper + Lemon Kabobs
-Pumpkin, Mint + Ricotta Pizza
-Citrus Risotto
-The table of roasted vegetables
-Cherry Cobbler
-White Sangria with Drunken Peaches
and....

I love the Banana Macadamia Pancakes. I put thin slices of ripe banana on top of the pancakes as they are cooking, flip them -- and then the bananas get all carmelized and delicious where they touch the pan. I serve them sprinkled with brown (or powdered sugar), or crushed honeycomb, and with a bit of pineapple butter melted on top. I love them, and they are a total crowd pleaser - the Apple-Brie Pancakes come in a close second.

Thanks to everyone for all your support and encouragement - I can't wait till you all get your hands on the book and are able to try out some of the recipes in your own kitchens!

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