COOK FOOD GOOD - Blogging BDL's Cookbook
COOK FOOD GOOD - BDL's Book Blog; First Entry -- Parts I and II
Posted 07-29-2008 at 08:24 PM by boar_d_laze
Updated 08-02-2008 at 04:41 PM by boar_d_laze (Tweaking Title)
Updated 08-02-2008 at 04:41 PM by boar_d_laze (Tweaking Title)
COOK FOOD GOOD – The Blog
I. Introduction
As many of you know, I’m working on a cookbook. The information seems to have reached the important people, and I was asked by Chef’s Talk to blog the process. (H/T Nicko).
It’s a good idea for several reasons. Chef’s Talk thinks it will be interesting – as much for the writing and publishing aspects as the cooking components. Sure. Interesting. Okay for you. But, what about me?
I’m hoping the discipline of posting on a regular schedule will help me discipline the book writing process which has been giving me fits. I’m also hoping to use the blog to try some things out in terms of teaching, organizing and recipes and get some feedback on them; so they can be tweaked to work as well in reality as in my imagination (where they work great!). If there is any way to include the enthusiasm for learning that pervades this site, that will be lightning in a bottle.
We each have a role. Me blog. You feedback. Every two to three weeks, expect a new installment plus progress report. Meanwhile, I’ll sit here waiting for your responses. Alone. In the dark.
II. Book? What book?
The working title is, COOK FOOD GOOD: American Cooking and Technique for Beginners and Intermediates. Let’s call it CFG for blogging purposes.
CFG’s rationale is to present a modular approach to cooking and share some interesting recipes ranging from easy to challenging. By “modular” I mean that cooking is based on a finite number of techniques (“the basics”) which can be transferred to a variety of recipes and cuisines. Control enough of these and you can cook pretty much anything. This isn’t particularly controversial. Unfortunately organizing a cookbook by techniques rather than by particular types of foods is difficult – at least I’m finding it so.
When I first started this I was thinking about those few hundred things that every good cook knows, but for whatever reason never make it into cookbooks or Food TV. Things like: Tapping a piece of food on the side to get it to release before going under it with a spatula. How to hold a knife. How to preheat a pan. Those sorts of things. There are a lot of them and they’re sort of random. That got me to thinking about a better way of presenting them, which led me to the idea of quit fooling around, teach cooking, and be done with it.
CFG’s target audience is people who want to cook better. Just for now, let’s call the target audience, “you.” It’s catchy and suits you well. I’d like to get you to where you can cook a good meal every time; enjoy yourself doing it; and walk away from the kitchen knowing that you are a good cook. People get this look on their faces when they taste something that’s delicious. Their eyes narrow, their mouth relaxes into a half smile. It’s a wonderful thing to see. Cooking is a craft that occasionally approaches art. And as an art form, it has a unique advantage. The little flaws get eaten. It’s about satisfaction, fun and love – all of which you should have. Also, you should have a nice meal yourself now and then.
Sometimes cooking is hard work. That’s not so bad. Sometimes it gets a little tense, though. You feel the pressure. Get rid of the fear of failure and the flop sweat. The worst that can happen is you throw out a bunch of expensive food you were cooking for people you care about, say some bad words, send out for some pizza, go for a beverage run, and beat the pizza man home. That’s the worst. The absolute worst. The worst is not so bad. Don’t sweat it.
And, oh yes. It should be a decent read, too. Maybe not summer on the beach, but there’s no law which says a cookbook should be boring.
All of that cheerleading, and technique in a book. With recipes yet. A tall order which takes us back to fear of failure and flop sweat – only this time mine. There are quite a few contributors to Chef’s Talk that are making a big difference in my confidence and determination in seeing CFG through. You know whom you are. Thank you.
Enough with the introductions and the mushy stuff.
I. Introduction
As many of you know, I’m working on a cookbook. The information seems to have reached the important people, and I was asked by Chef’s Talk to blog the process. (H/T Nicko).
It’s a good idea for several reasons. Chef’s Talk thinks it will be interesting – as much for the writing and publishing aspects as the cooking components. Sure. Interesting. Okay for you. But, what about me?
I’m hoping the discipline of posting on a regular schedule will help me discipline the book writing process which has been giving me fits. I’m also hoping to use the blog to try some things out in terms of teaching, organizing and recipes and get some feedback on them; so they can be tweaked to work as well in reality as in my imagination (where they work great!). If there is any way to include the enthusiasm for learning that pervades this site, that will be lightning in a bottle.
We each have a role. Me blog. You feedback. Every two to three weeks, expect a new installment plus progress report. Meanwhile, I’ll sit here waiting for your responses. Alone. In the dark.
II. Book? What book?
The working title is, COOK FOOD GOOD: American Cooking and Technique for Beginners and Intermediates. Let’s call it CFG for blogging purposes.
CFG’s rationale is to present a modular approach to cooking and share some interesting recipes ranging from easy to challenging. By “modular” I mean that cooking is based on a finite number of techniques (“the basics”) which can be transferred to a variety of recipes and cuisines. Control enough of these and you can cook pretty much anything. This isn’t particularly controversial. Unfortunately organizing a cookbook by techniques rather than by particular types of foods is difficult – at least I’m finding it so.
When I first started this I was thinking about those few hundred things that every good cook knows, but for whatever reason never make it into cookbooks or Food TV. Things like: Tapping a piece of food on the side to get it to release before going under it with a spatula. How to hold a knife. How to preheat a pan. Those sorts of things. There are a lot of them and they’re sort of random. That got me to thinking about a better way of presenting them, which led me to the idea of quit fooling around, teach cooking, and be done with it.
CFG’s target audience is people who want to cook better. Just for now, let’s call the target audience, “you.” It’s catchy and suits you well. I’d like to get you to where you can cook a good meal every time; enjoy yourself doing it; and walk away from the kitchen knowing that you are a good cook. People get this look on their faces when they taste something that’s delicious. Their eyes narrow, their mouth relaxes into a half smile. It’s a wonderful thing to see. Cooking is a craft that occasionally approaches art. And as an art form, it has a unique advantage. The little flaws get eaten. It’s about satisfaction, fun and love – all of which you should have. Also, you should have a nice meal yourself now and then.
Sometimes cooking is hard work. That’s not so bad. Sometimes it gets a little tense, though. You feel the pressure. Get rid of the fear of failure and the flop sweat. The worst that can happen is you throw out a bunch of expensive food you were cooking for people you care about, say some bad words, send out for some pizza, go for a beverage run, and beat the pizza man home. That’s the worst. The absolute worst. The worst is not so bad. Don’t sweat it.
And, oh yes. It should be a decent read, too. Maybe not summer on the beach, but there’s no law which says a cookbook should be boring.
All of that cheerleading, and technique in a book. With recipes yet. A tall order which takes us back to fear of failure and flop sweat – only this time mine. There are quite a few contributors to Chef’s Talk that are making a big difference in my confidence and determination in seeing CFG through. You know whom you are. Thank you.
Enough with the introductions and the mushy stuff.
Total Comments 14
Comments
-
Hey bdl, this sounds great. I bought a cookbook that came recommended, called "How to cook everything" and it turned out to be "how to cook everything you already know how to cook". I was looking for a cookbook that would fill in the gaps of my knowledge, so that i could cook pretty much everything. I also once (many many years ago) bought a book that promised to give recipes as "patterns" that could be used for variations, but it was completely useless i thought at the time (I no longer have the book).
Yours sounds really good from your presentation (and from your postings). I like the basic techniques, many of which i know but some (like the tapping you mention) that i'd never heard of.
I also sense it will have an engaging style and warmth, which is what cooking is all about, after all.
good luck, or in bocca al lupo, as they say here (into the mouth of the wolf)
siduriPosted 08-01-2008 at 02:15 PM by siduri
Updated 08-01-2008 at 02:18 PM by siduri -
It sounds like a book that every parent should buy for their child, every spouse should buy for their non-cooking/culinarily challenged partner, or one that I would buy, as your style of describing how to cook a recipe is detailed without being fancified, and gives a hands-on methodology of getting thru to the end of the meal with an enjoyable result without a great deal of stress and confusion.
I collect many cook books and some are more comfortable to work with than others - those difficult ones are now gathering much dust. I don't think yours would gather any
One of my very favorite books is Elizabeth David's French Cooking (don't quote me on the title). It's not strong on recipe quantities etc, but it gives a lovely feel for the cooking (it does assume you know some things about cookery) but it has inspired me to try some things I would never have thought of. It's that kind of book.
Best of luck with it - looking forward to your continuing input in the forums here.
Daina - DC SunshinePosted 08-02-2008 at 12:21 AM by DC Sunshine - sorry - posted it twicePosted 08-02-2008 at 12:36 AM by DC Sunshine
Updated 08-02-2008 at 12:38 AM by DC Sunshine (Posted twice) -
Your book seems like it will be quite informative. I like the fact that you are into the chemistry of foods as well as the prep. This impresses me because I know many cooks and chefs that do things out of habit but really have no idea of why they are doing it. I also like your writing style.Posted 08-02-2008 at 03:28 PM by ED BUCHANAN -
"We each have a role. Me blog. You feedback. Every two to three weeks, expect a new installment plus progress report. Meanwhile, I’ll sit here waiting for your responses. Alone. In the dark."
I think you should write the whole thing with this style. It'd be the creepiest, yet funny, cookbook ever.Posted 08-03-2008 at 11:22 PM by Greg -
i would expect nothing less from you than a witty, warm and informative book..you'll include drawings right? can i get an autographed copy? you are so right about cooking being an art form, just like music, painting, wine...and the far away look people get in their eyes when tasting something wonderful and thinking..how do they do that? can i do that? how? it would be a wonderful gift from you to teach this and to kind of demystify cooking(although i do strongly believe that there is magic involved)...i think some of the things we do when cooking are so 'right brained' and natural that we don't even think about why or what we are doing..for instance, dredging your protein in flour before sauteeing..sometimes when something is explained simply, its like a huge 'duh'...you will teach that well..just from your posts,i think you have teacher written all over you..and its also a true labor of love
joeyPosted 08-04-2008 at 01:04 PM by durangojo -
Wow
I can't tell you how good all this support feels. Well, I could. But not on a family forum.
Durangojo -- re the drawings: Yes. I'm thinking line drawings for most of the technique -- in an old timey kind of style. I've been trying to talk my daughter into it, but am meeting a lot of "I can't do it," resistance. God forbid I hire a pro when I can get a relative for free.
Did she go out and hire a professional father when she was a little girl? I ask you.
For now, I'm avoiding any visual aids as a way of making sure the verbal descriptions of the techniques are adequate. But, pictures there will be.
After looking at RPM's photography in the Caldo de Pollo and Classic Caesar Salad threads, I'm wondering if there's some way to work in photographs of my recipes cooked by "ordinary people." Well, obviously there's a way. I'm just wondering if it's a good idea.
BDLPosted 08-05-2008 at 09:45 PM by boar_d_laze
Updated 08-05-2008 at 10:02 PM by boar_d_laze - BDL,
Good luck. I am attempting to do the same (blogging and bookwriting). I am anxious to see how things turn out for you.Posted 08-06-2008 at 03:32 PM by Mickey19 -
Yes and no. It may be best if you have a photo of how you prepared the dish. That way the readers have a clear picture of your intentions. If, in addition, you have pics of other interpretations, the reader, especially if a novice cook, will be able to see that variation and individual preference can give good results as well, and perhaps feel more inclined to experiment.Quote:I'm wondering if there's some way to work in photographs of my recipes cooked by "ordinary people." Well, obviously there's a way. I'm just wondering if it's a good idea.
The downside of this idea is cost. It costs a lot of money to include photos in a book, and you, of course, are hoping to hit a $9.95 cover price to make the book accessible to a large number of people
shelPosted 09-01-2008 at 01:24 PM by shel - It's the people's book. Power to the people!
BDLPosted 09-02-2008 at 12:02 AM by boar_d_laze -
I'm reading these entries backwards....kinda funky reading references to posts not read yet.
REally smart to write pre pix so that your words would not have the photo crutch, that most beginners will buy a cookbook.....Look and Cook series by Anne Willan had a step by step photo, didn't care for the books necessarily but my kids loved to look at the pics.
What's the worst that can happen is the best advice you can give. Always have a backup, even if it's go pizza...
boy oh boy this is going to be a big ole book.....remember to save shtuff for tome twoPosted 10-03-2008 at 08:00 PM by shroomgirl -
Good luck BDL, I like many others here admire your writing style and wit. Your posts are informative, articulate and well written. You have set yourself a huge challenge with this book and I look forward to it's progress. For what its worth I think it should have pictures but not too many.Posted 10-05-2008 at 06:29 AM by Bazza -
I finally got around to reading BDL's blog--I have meant to for a while.
BDL, I'm sure you will make a great book. I can't imagine you writing something boring, and the recipes you've written in the forums are written absolutely GREAT. By that I mean, easy to follow with instructions that come from someone very experienced, who is also able to translate that experience for the target audience.Posted 11-16-2008 at 09:58 PM by OregonYeti -
Your great sense of humor is infectious. We all know how serious cooking can be but what a joy to find someone who can balance the two. You inspire people to be better cooks with your methodical reasoning and explanations, to the point where you excel beyond excellence.
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." Aristotle Thank you for all the direction.Posted 09-28-2009 at 08:51 AM by petalsandcoco
