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I am OVERJOYED and swimming in a pool of surrealism to introduce to you my very first book, Recipes in the Mail. THIS GORGEOUS BOOK features a collection of stories and family recipes collected from friends, family, and professional associates, as well as a few of my own. Flooded with warmth and charm, it recounts the stories behind the food and pays homage to the ‘kitchen whisperers’, those voices from past and present that inform our cooking practice.
My most loved cookbooks are scribbled over with notes and records, together with hand-written recipes, and recipe clippings. cookbooks are never intended to remain pristine they should become spattered with batter and imbued with memories. With this in mind, Recipes in the Mail includes pages for notes and two inner pockets — in which to slip handwritten recipes, cuttings, and other ephemera — as well as matching notepaper.
The recipes within contain warmth, love, and nostalgia. I liken it to being in a grandmother's embrace. Published by Brolly Publishing with photographs taken by the delightful Sally Frawley and myself, along with a preface by kind-hearted and generous cook, teacher, and author, Belinda Jeffery.
My hope for this book is that it transports you into the stories that have been shared, through both the words and the food, and that in turn, they continue to collect many more moments of memories in your own kitchen. Because what is life without sharing good food and stories?
I thought I would share with you an excerpt from the introduction...
Putting pen to paper and watching words flow onto the page is a simple act, but how many of us do it today? - especially when an email can be typed and sent within minutes, and a quick text message reaches the recipient with a flick of the fingers. It is all just so easy, isn't it? And it makes me wonder if the art of letter-writing, of sitting down at a table in a park, a cafe, or wherever takes our fancy is becoming a thing of the past...
My love of writing and human connection, together with sharing memories from time spent in the kitchen - be it in my own kitchen or the kitchens of friends and family - had me wanting to create something that could be shared with the wider community. And it was this desire that planted the seed for the "Recipes in the Mail" project firmly in my mind...and with thought and care it started to bloom...
You can now preorder a copy of my book via the online store, which will come carefully wrapped and delivered straight to your door. Please let me know in the comments section upon checkout if you would like me to sign your book, I would be delighted to do so.
Postage within Australia. Free local delivery.
Preorders will be sent off in the first week of May.
Please get in touch if you live outside of Australia and would like a copy so that I can work out shipping costs.
Also available where all good books are sold. Published and distributed through the trade by Brolly Publishing, email andrew@brollybooks.com for more information.