Hey Boar d laze !!

[izbnso]

Boar d laze,

Your profile says you are working on a cookbook.

Just wanted to say that I, for one, would be very interested in knowing when you are done so that I might procure a copy.

I really enjoy your posts and find you to be a font of useful knowledge on a very broad spectrum of topics. Better yet, your writing style is very conducive to passing along technical knowledge, i.e. extraordinarily descriptive and crystal clear (two things that are not always found together). Furthermore, you seem to (in your posts) focus in on passing on the ability to master the art and science of cooking as opposed to simply following recipes, I’m loving that. Not to mention I enjoy your sense of humor and the anecdotes you use to get your point across.

All of that together equates to me being ready, willing and able to fork over some cash even if it is for a photocopied Word document in a 3 ring binder. Keep me posted.

[RPMcMurphy]

me too me too!

[OregonYeti]

I agree!

It seems BDL could write a book on just coffee too.

[boar_d_laze]

Thanks so much guys. The truth is, I've been stalled for a little bit and your encouraging words are just what I needed!

BDL

[Gunnar]

Well I am not gonna drive past San Diego any time soon, so I can't invite myself over for dinner, But put me down for a copy too.

[OregonYeti]

Thought about putting a lawyer joke up here but decided not to

BDL is multi-talented for sure.

[Erik]

I'll 5th(?) that!

[OregonYeti]

I amended my thought

[CookingAngry]

I am all about BDL's book. His posts rock out hard. I would be especially excited if he would include information on kitchen knives (he knows a lot about steel varieties and sharpenning) and some anecdotes about professionally cooking during the explosion of New California Cuisine.

BDL, get to work!

sugguested tittle, (The Woop@$$ Book 'cooking for the hardcore')

[boar_d_laze]

People are very nice on this board.

I'm still working on collecting, writing and editing recipes appropriate for the book.

Several of the recipes will be "teaching recipes" (need a better name, eh?) that are very technique oriented with LOTS of explanation, and they'll be keyed to the technique and equipment chapters..

The first section of the book will be about the prep side of the kitchen with a chapter on knives, but including some other prep tools including cutting boards. I'm thinking of making the first teaching recipe arroz con pollo, but haven't decided yet. Arroz con pollo is a nice reward for learning to cut carrots and onions, and chop cilantro. But maybe I should stick with something a little more American. What do you think?

The knife section's been killing me. I'm dividing it into sections of ordinary people and for people who are a bit nutty for knives. OP are definitely be free to skip the nuts stuff.

I know the first hot technique section will be "hot pan" and the recipe keyed to that will be pan-roasted beefsteak with a cognac/ cream/ green-peppercorn reduction. Very easy.

Definitely open to suggestions,
BDL

[OregonYeti]

Nutty for knives? As in those who throw a chicken in the air and try to cut it into boneless skinless pieces before it lands?

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

Nutty for knives? As in those who throw a chicken in the air and try to cut it into boneless skinless pieces before it lands?

No. I can do that. I mean nutty.

BDL

[izbnso]

Open to suggestions are we?
My input would be to first identify and focus on your market, (Me, Me, Me). I assume the least common denominator you would be writing for would be those with zero culinary knowledge, but who have a burning desire to build their knowledge and want to be serious foodies.(People that eat from boxes will never care, not even if Solient Green is people. ) In the median range are people who are already on the foodie path who are looking for good information in a cooking manual to enhance their burgeoning skills. Given your previous writing examples on this forum I can see hard core foodies and even professionals being interested in a reference or refresher book, doubly true for professionals who are young in their careers.
All that being said, not a single type in your market would want “Americanized” or “more American” recipes. You can get that kind of book anywhere. Do the arroz con pollo, but give us some of that classic boar d laze background info that we can use to impress our friends and loved ones when we show off our new found skills.
The thread on Alfredo Sauce is a prime example of what you do very well. When you went into the history of the dish you mentioned how it rose to fame and referenced Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, great info. The fabulous part was when you later referred to them as “Mary and Doug” that is a style thing that makes the reader feel like they are “in” on a secret. Those types of style choices set you apart and make the reader like you and keeps your highly technical work from being a dry boring text book that puts people to sleep.
As a side note, I grew up with a mother who could follow a recipe but couldn’t cook her way out of a wet paper sack. When I had been out on my own for about a year I made friends with a fellow who was first generation Italian on his father’s side and Sicilian on his mother’s side. Boy could he cook! I didn’t even realize that such food could be made, let alone from the dregs of my refrigerator. I had been eating at the Olive Garden thinking that was good food. My favorite was Fettuccini Alfredo. Then he made it from scratch. It was a defining moment in my personal food history and darn near a sexual experience (with the sauce, not the guy). I never went to the Olive Garden again. Yet, now I find that it was al burro, not Alfredo. Doesn’t change what I love, just makes me better informed and I will soon get to trying Alfredo, thanks to you.
Really and truly, I would probably enjoy reading your description of how to make toast. Outside of my dreaded sea food allergy I would try my hand at anything you recommended based on how you describe things. The style you write in might even convince me to cook sea food; I just wouldn’t be able to eat it. My husband would love you for that.
So recipe suggestions: a spectrum of what you like. Your knowledge is self-evident. No disrespect to that knowledge, but it really is your approach and flair that makes me want your book as opposed to another with the exact same technical information.
Also, my brilliant deductive skills have pieced together enough bits of information that you have dropped to lead me to believe that you have a European background. Americans love nothing more for someone from across the water to instruct us on how to be more than bourgeois, even if that person is merely an American who has spent time abroad. Play that up to an American audience. Wax poetic about your time outside of our borders and how you first came to love arroz con pollo in its purest form. And then tell us how to make it.
I first started visiting this forum a year ago. I fell off the radar last December when I took ill and my teenager killed my computer. After surgery on both the pc and me I came back to find a new dude with some serious posts. (That would be you.) I’m nosy and like to know who I am interacting with so I always check out the profiles and websites of posters who peak my interest. When I read that you were working on a cook book, I assumed that all of your posts were research and practice runs for your book. And given the amount of posting you do I figured you were getting fairly close. Hence I started this thread. I find it funny, that you have been writing min-instruction manuals in this forum but say that your book is stalling.
If you compiled all of your posts, you could have a basic outline. Not to mention that questions posed by others here and advice that is sought ought to give you a good idea of the topics that people are most interested in learning about.
Got to go, kids are all home for the summer and they have been quite for far too long.

[RPMcMurphy]

I like my "what I want in a cookbook" post

also, BDL...have you ever thought about doing "podcasts"

cooking blogs seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays (wsj had a good article today) but podcasts are great too.

or even better, video podcasts

or even better.....your own SHOW haha.

[CookingAngry]

I second the podcast thing. Finally would be some video worth putting on my IPod.

Also, don't skimp on the knife stuff. An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward is the only kitchen knife book that I am excited about so more info in print would be a valuable contribution.

DON'T water down. Don't Americanize recipes. That would be selling you short.

I also second the poster stressing your personal experiences making for interesting text. Keller does this and I truly feel better about food every time I open his book.

Hearing about you working with the names that you did during a time when the scene was just blossoming is very intriging.

Do you want my pay-pal info now?