So You Want To Write A Cookbook? Part V: Writing, Testing And Photographing Recipes

 

By Jenny McCoy, Chef Instructor, School of Pastry & Baking Arts

 

Alright readers...here we are. Part five. The last post in my, "So You Want to Write a Cookbook," series. We're almost at the end of this exciting, grueling, rewarding process—I hope you've managed to stay tuned!

 

As I write this post, I'm in the midst of my latest cookbook project. I recently signed a cookbook deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which means I'm knee-deep in developing a fresh batch of recipes—so what better time to coach you through that very process?

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Creating Your Recipe Roadmap
As a first step, I drafted a working list of the recipe ideas I'd like to feature in my cookbook. My new book is contracted to have six chapters and 80 to 100 recipes in total. If you do the math, that's about 13 to 16 recipes per chapter. So I started by creating a list of 15 ideas per chapter.

 

Why the extra work? Once I begin to test these recipes, I know that some will be tossed, others will morph into entirely different ideas, and a few will remain exactly the same. My list will constantly evolve—and even more recipes ideas will pop into my head during the testing process—but I've found that having a game plan at the outset is the best way to start.