Recipe Writing

A Revolutionary Way to Handle Subrecipes

April 5, 2016 by diannejacob 16 Comments

How many subrecipes does it take to make this Buffalo Chicken Pizza from The United States of Pizza? Two. You have to make the dough and the sauce, and then put it all together. (Photo by Jeff Kauck.)

When I read this line, I felt a shudder of recognition: “How many times have I begun working through a recipe only to realize halfway through that I needed to have started yesterday? F*ck2 that!”

You’re probably nodding. This writer hates not being warned about steps to take in advance. He probably also dislikes [Read more…] about A Revolutionary Way to Handle Subrecipes

Making a Chef’s Recipe? Don’t Cook Alone!

March 8, 2016 by diannejacob 22 Comments

Humorist Betty Teller, an accomplished cook, at a cooking party.

A guest essay by Betty Teller

It’s not my fault, not really. I will admit that I procrastinated to the last possible day. But I do that every week. I always put off writing, in the hope that I’ll have an adventure, or inspiration will otherwise strike, so I don’t have to write about raking the yard yet again.

But I woke up early this morning with every intention of jumping right in. I’d cleared my calendar in preparation. I had only one small item on the agenda before I could sit down at my computer.

I had to go buy a few ingredients for the moussaka I was making for the cookbook club dinner tonight. And then I needed to cook [Read more…] about Making a Chef’s Recipe? Don’t Cook Alone!

Writing a High-Quality Recipe is Like a Report, says Real Simple Editor

December 15, 2015 by diannejacob 23 Comments

As the food director at Real Simple magazine, responsible for all recipes, Sarah Copeland has lots of opinions — and experience — about [Read more…] about Writing a High-Quality Recipe is Like a Report, says Real Simple Editor

Busy Mom Starts Online Recipe Business and It’s a Hit

September 29, 2015 by diannejacob 12 Comments

Aviva Goldfarb writes recipes for busy moms and runs a successful newsletter and website for them. (Photo by Mary Gardella.)

Can someone who writes recipes create a thriving recipe business? Yes.

Aviva Goldfarb founded the The Six O’Clock Scramble in 2003, a menu planning service for busy moms. Now she’s a Today Show and Washington Post contributor, and author of several Six O’Clock Scramble cookbooks. She frequently appears on the The Katie Couric Show and in national publications including O magazine, Real Simple, Working Mother, and Prevention. The American Diabetes Association will publish her fourth cookbook in January, 2016 .

I discovered Aviva’s recipe business when researching my new chapter on making money in Will Write for Food. Here’s how she got started and why her business works:

Q. What is a menu planning company?

A. I make busy mom’s lives easier by planning what they have for dinner and what they need to buy at the store. These moms aspire to cook more so I try to take all that stress out of the process and make it more turnkey for them. I give them a weekly menu of [Read more…] about Busy Mom Starts Online Recipe Business and It’s a Hit

Beautiful Cookbooks with Stories and Personality Sell Best, Says Editor

September 15, 2015 by diannejacob 29 Comments

Ten Speed editorial director Julie Bennett says readers want to learn more about the personality of cookbook authors through their lives, world, culture and food.

I’ve been bugging Julie Bennett, vice president and editorial director at Ten Speed Press, for an interview, ever since we met at a conference a year ago.

It’s because Ten Speed publishes so many terrific cookbooks. As the director of the editorial department, Julie manages nine editors who will put out approximately 70 books this year. She has worked at Ten Speed since 1999.

Julie edited New York Times best selling cookbooks Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson and My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz, and A New Napa Cuisine by Christopher Kostow (IACP Cookbook of the Year), just to name a few.

We talked about cookbook publishing trends, whether all cookbooks need color photos, and what she looks for:

Q. What are the latest trends in cookbook publishing?

A. Today cookbooks have more of a personal narrative element. The trend of blogger-to-book ties into it, and there are cookbook writers who have a lot to say.

There are so many recipes online, but books present readers with [Read more…] about Beautiful Cookbooks with Stories and Personality Sell Best, Says Editor

Blogger Finds Famous Cookbook Recipe Doesn’t Work, but He’s Happy

July 7, 2015 by diannejacob 37 Comments

When a high-end cookbook recipe doesn’t work, how can this story have a happy ending? Somehow, it does.

First, a little backstory. Remember when Julie Powell started her career-changing food blog, The Julie/Julia Project, in 2002? It was about a government drone who makes every recipe from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking over a one-year period. Her blog led to the first blog-to-book deal and a subsequent movie.

After that, a whole bunch of people started blogs about [Read more…] about Blogger Finds Famous Cookbook Recipe Doesn’t Work, but He’s Happy

Frustrated by Smaller Can Sizes for Recipes? I Am.

January 6, 2015 by diannejacob 94 Comments

Do canned goods makers have any idea how it affects recipe developers and cooks when they reduce their can sizes?

…and I was just baking, not developing recipes.

Over the holidays I made a pumpkin bread from a favorite recipe in an older cookbook. The recipe called for one 16-ounce can. Yet cans of pumpkin are no longer 16 ounces, but 15.

The manufacturer removed 2 tablespoons instead of raising the price! I repeat: 2 tablespoons. That’s all it takes to mess up [Read more…] about Frustrated by Smaller Can Sizes for Recipes? I Am.