This is a post about you, not me. Along those lines, I have some questions, I want to get to know you better. To find out what you like, and also what you need.
Why? I’m thinking of writing another cookbook. For the past ten years, I’ve had cookbook writing on the brain. And in the past four years I’ve created two of them. Now, I’m entertaining the idea of writing a third book. If I do, I’d like it to be of benefit to my readers. So here are my questions:
- What, if any, are your dietary restrictions?
- Are there foods you are not allergic to that you avoid?
- Which type of recipe (i.e., bread, salad, entrees, sides, desserts, etc.) do you find most useful?
- Of the cookbooks you own, which sections do you find yourself using most frequently?
- What is your definition of “healthy food”
- If you could ask for one thing in a cookbook, what would it be?
Feel free to answer all of the questions above, or just a couple. I’m really looking forward to hearing from you, and getting to know you a little bit better.
I will (as always) read each and every comment left below and while there may be competing requests and wishes, I will do my best to incorporate them into my future projects.
Crista says
What, if any, are your dietary restrictions? I am a proud vegetarian.
Are there foods you are not allergic to that you avoid? not necessarily (besides animal products
Which type of recipe (i.e., bread, salad, entrees, sides, desserts, etc.) do you find most useful? i love all recipes, there is not one type that is more helpful than another
Of the cookbooks you own, which sections do you find yourself using most frequently? honestly, i don’t use many cookbooks anymore. i find most of my recipes on the internet, or i create them on my own.
What is your definition of “healthy food” raw, vegan, organic, uncooked foods
If you could ask for one thing in a cookbook, what would it be? that it be spiral bound, tabbed, and offer an area for taking notes (many people tweak recipes and it helps to have a place for noting)
Jan Bostic says
Love your cookbooks and would love another one :) I gravitate towards recipes with pictures. If I can see something that looks good I’m much more likely to make it. I would love to see more nut free recipes. Have you worked with plantain flour before?
RL says
For any baking recipes, it would be nice to see ingredients listed by weight. I notice that there seem to be several questions regarding whether something is sifted or not, or if something is packed in or not. Listing something by weight may help alleviate these questions.
Thanks!
tracy says
I cannot eat dairy, wheat, red meat or white/brown/refined/cane sugar. I do use agave, honey. I often have trouble finding recipes that taste good without the sugar and dairy – or I play around with substitutions (sometimes with not so delicious results)
Kayla says
1. GF
2. limited sugar, limited dairy, processed foods
3. all are useful but probably bread, desserts and entrees are most important
4. entrees and breads
5. paleo and whole food
6. keep recipes and prep relatively simple and use ingredients that are widely available. I am try to make a reasonable effort to put good things into my body but I cannot devote masses of time everyday to this process.
I love your recipes because you use real, nutritious food that actually feeds your body instead of replacing wheat junk with other junk. Thank you!
Debra says
I have both your other cookbooks! would love a third!
My thoughts:
Meals that make plenty enough for families and having guests over. Like soups, casseroles, that type of thing. Like your chicken pot pie from your AF cookbook, we make that part of our regular rotation! I’d love to see more items that I can make big batches of and so that we can have leftovers and I spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the kiddos.
I also really like your savory baking, like the goat cheese and scallion muffins. We make those all the time as a side for whatever soup we are having.
Would love a really good biscuit recipe too (that can be adapted to eat with jam or gravy!)
I feel like there are so many Paleo “treats” out there, and what sweetener to use is always in debate, that I would prefer to have more meal and lunch ideas. Although if you’re planning to include desserts, I would vote with the others for more fruit sweetened and pie recipes! :o) Or ideas for items to serve at parties, entertaining, etc.
Excited to see what you come up with. We know it will be brilliant!
PlainJane says
We are presently gluten-free/dairy free, and increasingly vegetarian, the more we become educated about food and nutrition. (Which, considering we are dairy-free, makes us nearly vegan.) We try not to eat a ton of soy, both because of how we feel we tolerate it, and also due to the fact that it is a top allergen and our son is a top allergic child! I’m always looking for fresh, easy, healthy (mostly)vegan *dinner* ideas that don’t rely on tofu, tempeh (not usually GF), seitan, etc. I’m pretty good at handling the snacks and sides and breakfasts. We have come to define healthy food as whole foods, plant-based, and gluten-free (at least for our family!). We are developing a love of raw food as well, and are honestly a little surprised to find it so flavorful and interesting. I have been enjoying your cookbooks and online recipes because you offer gluten-free naturally, and always have a vegan option. (A chia or flax replacement included with each recipe that calls for eggs would be nice!) Your gluten free recipes are also refreshingly simple and approachable, not requiring a pantry full of expensive GF flours. Seems like each author’s take on GF is different, making baking a little dizzying because there’s always *some* esoteric flour you don’t have on hand. Thank you for keeping it simple!
SugarFreeMama says
I’m always looking for recipies that are free from refined sugars, and as I also choose not to use refined stevia or agave syrup anything that relies only on honey, maple syrup or fresh / dried fruit is always welcome! In particular I look for recipes for cakes, treats, snack bars and breads.
One thing that is missing from a lot of my favourite recipe books and blog sites is guides to how best to store the finished product and for how long it is likely to keep. I like to trust my own ability to tell if food is still edible, but my husband finds it very hard to move away from relying on “best before” dates that come on packaged foods, so being able to point to some printed advice in a book would help stop him fretting (and stop us bickering about it!) ALso, although trial and error with storage is fine, a bit of guidance in the recipe would help me decide whether it was appropriate to try a new recipe out just before we go camping for example.
Thanks for such a wonderful website, I have got so much inspiration from your recipes with their beautiful photographs!
Joanna says
1. What, if any, are your dietary restrictions?
It’s for my son with special needs and very restrictive diet.
He could only have almond flour, navy bean flour, chestnut flour, millet flour, sweet potato flour.
He could also have eggs or coconut meat/milk/water (but not flour).
Also no nightshade.
2. Are there foods you are not allergic to that you avoid?
3. Which type of recipe (i.e., bread, salad, entrees, sides, desserts, etc.) do you find most useful?
different kinds of bread and desserts
4. Of the cookbooks you own, which sections do you find yourself using most frequently?
entrees, sides, condiments/dressings.
5. What is your definition of “healthy food”
No MSG, Non GMO, good fats, no coloring, no preservatives, no sugar, no corn, no soy. Grass fed meat.
6. If you could ask for one thing in a cookbook, what would it be?
crunchy taco shell using no grain and no tapioca.
Elizabeth says
1. gluten free, dairy free (except GF butter), soy free (except edamame). also low sugar.
2. avoid – bell peppers, eggplant, whole corn, HFCS and other fake sugars, agave, grapefruit, oranges, caffeine, beef, ground meat
3. entrees and sides
4. sauces (for meats/entrees)
5. healthy food = mostly whole, minimally processed, non-inflammatory foods
6. cookbook – pictures are always great. entrees and sides that have few ingredients. one pot meals.
Elizabeth says
add to #6. also recipes that are GF, DF, SF…