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Presenting…The Simple Bites Kitchen cookbook

Published Date
Author Aimee

by Aimee

I‘ve been counting down the days to this very post: the one where I reveal the cover of my next cookbook, The Simple Bites Kitchen and share a few details about this personal project.

As of now, the edits are a wrap, the cover is confirmed and this labour of love is getting ready to go to press. We also have a set release date: October 3, 2017. That’s just six months away!

So how did this book come to be? And what is it all about anyway? Keep reading for the story, a few behind-the-scenes photos…and the cookbook’s cover reveal.

Almost as soon as I wrapped up my book tour for Brown Eggs and Jam Jars, I threw myself into recipe development for The Simple Bites Kitchen. It was helpful to have a new project to throw myself into, so soon after coming off a thrilling book launch.

In many ways, the warm response to the release of my first book propelled me to make the second even better. I was determined to create another collection of recipes that would help out every young family in their kitchen and around the table.

From February through May of 2015, I spent the bulk of my time in my kitchen, developing recipes, tasting and testing recipes, writing them out and sending them to a team of testers. Week after week, I unpacked multiple bags of groceries to stock the pantry shelves. My dishwasher ran three times a day, and Danny took care of a pile of hand washables every evening.

Many recipes were our tried and true favourites, which I was finally forced to transcribe to paper from the memory files in my head. Other recipes were creations from my days as a pastry chef and line cook that I adapted for the home baker and cook. Those recipes required much more testing, like the Apple Almond Galette pictured below, which I perfected after about eight attempts.

Then, in May, we started the photography for the cookbook and worked, on and off, through the summer and into the fall. I teamed up again with the very talented Tim and Angela Chin, who photographed my first cookbook.

You, dear readers, shared your feedback on my first book, which was phenomenally positive, but one thing stood out: you wanted a photo for every recipe. I was determined to deliver, and am happy to tell you that every recipe in this cookbook has an accompanying photo! Yep, right down to the last crouton.

While I took the lead on cooking and styling the dishes, Team Tim and Ange lent their creative eye to the photography.  Together we made thousands of beautiful images – and then chose about 130 of the best. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Because of the cookbook’s specific title and the personal content, I was determined to shoot the entire book in my kitchen. And so we did!

We stayed out of studios and sets, opting for my back patio, garden bench, kitchen counter and dining room table instead. As a result, the photographs closely mirror the personal recipes and stories in the cookbook.

It truly is an honest reflection of the Simple Bites kitchen. If you’ve ever wanted to come over and cook alongside me for a day – this cookbook gives you the chance to do so on every single page.

My team at Penguin then took the manuscript and images and created an original design that is absolutely beautiful and suits my work to a T.

They also created this….

It’s a cover!

The Simple Bites Kitchen: Nourishing Whole Food Recipes for Every Day is packed with 100 delicious recipes for modern families. 

It features nourishing breakfasts, lunchbox inspiration, supper solutions and healthy snack options. There’s a homestead garden-inspired chapter of vegetarian goodness and a round-up of my most essential pantry staples. The cookbook also includes canning recipes to keep your preserves pantry well-stocked all year, cooking tips and simple tutorials. Because I love bringing people together over food, there are also ideas for homespun hospitality.

While my first cookbook featured quite a few special occasions, outings and events, my second has more of a weeknight, no-nonsense approach. There are only a handful of desserts, but the hefty ‘Everyday Suppers’ chapter provides ample inspiration for fast, fresh and family-friendly dinners.

I can’t wait to share this book with you.

And so … Good news! My new book is finally available for preorder. This helps ensure that you will have it as soon as it becomes available (occasionally a few days before) and also helps us to gauge interest in the cookbook. So please tell your friends and family about it.

Find The Simple Bites Kitchen: Nourishing Whole Food Recipes for Every Day

Thank you all for the tremendous support. It means so much to me.

Presenting…The Simple Bites Kitchen cookbook

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