For most of this year, I’ve immersed myself in writing a new cookbook, “East Bay Cooks” (Figure 1 Publishing), which spotlights the diverse, progressive and talented chefs of the East Bay Area.
Writing a cookbook is a major undertaking involving a multitude of interviews, fine-tuning a heap of recipes, and conducting scores of interviews.
For so long, it’s lived mostly as text in my manuscript. But last week, it all came to vivid life when the photography on the project began.
Chefs from all around the East Bay descended upon the incredibly equipped Rule & Level Studio in Berkeley, where they and their dishes were photographed by the incomparable Eva Kolenko.
The week was flush with laughter, some rockin’ dance moves, warm and wonderful camaraderie, and more dazzling food arriving on set every hour on the hour than we could believe.
Vegan hazelnut cake with pear compote by Oakland’s Millennium restaurant, which will be featured in the book.
We all joked we gained at least five pounds. But there’s no doubt that what I acquired was some great new friends and untold respect for the team that’s bringing “East Bay Cooks” even closer to reality.
Now, I just have to patiently wait until the cookbook debuts in September 2019.
I’m beyond stoked to show it off to all of you.
More About My New Cookbook: Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Yours Next Year