The Book: Intro

One of the most asked questions both on Quora and elsewhere is about book suggestions. Aspiring cooks are seeking but, apparently, not finding the cook book. Something to explain, expand, and demonstrate the techniques and thought processes behind a dish. More often than not books fall into one of three categories: the recipe book which provides glossy pictures and step-by-step instructions, the “tome” which attempts to make up in width what it can not in depth, and academia, books like “On Food And Cooking” which are indispensable to cooks and chefs but intimidating and useless to anyone attempting their first or second steps in the kitchen.

So I spent time, over a year, buying and reading cook books and books on cooking to find the one I was comfortable sharing with a broad group of friends, from experienced home cooks to first timers on pots and pans. And didn’t find any.

So I set out to write the book I would want to read. And, more importantly, give as a gift.

Further updates will be on this blog, a predicted release date of the Creative Commons licensed electronic version should be around mid-June to early July this year.

There is an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for the first print run. I’ll link it as soon as it goes live.

A sample of some answers can be found on this Quora page. In general I try to answer things in a way that is logical and understandable. With the book I will have much more leeway to start from scratch and build upon ideas without having to repeat them with every answer.