Book Launch

October 17, 2017

The happy launch of Wild Honey and Rye and how to party like a Pole!

A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported me this month…

Hooray – 7^th September 2017 saw the launch of Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes, my debut cookbook published by Pavilion Books. This is a day I will never forget because it was the day a very big dream became real. If you believe in numerology, there is great significance in the number seven; there are seven days in a week, Newton identified the seven colours of a rainbow, September means the seventh month in Latin. Seven years ago, in September 2010, I had just enrolled in an online Diploma in Food Journalism. Shortly afterwards, in November 2010, I started this blog as one of my first assignments.

Ren Behan Wild Honey and Rye — Photo Credit: Stephanie Belton Photography

Although I haven’t always appreciated it, symbolism, it seems, is quite important to me. I chose to be published by Pavilion Books because our first meeting had taken place in a room opposite my old lecture halls in Bloomsbury – a sign I took as being on the right path. As often as possible and particularly when I have a significant decision ahead of me, I try and go with my instinct and I look for signs as reassurance that I’m heading in the right direction. It was all very surreal and overwhelming, as big moments usually are. On that particular day in November 2015, as I left Pavilion’s offices with bright blue skies beaming over me, I remember strolling past Senate House Library and past my first student halls feeling a strong sense of going back to something as well as forwards into something new. Of course, I wasn’t to know then that the offer of a publishing contract would come, but I hoped that it would and of course, as Wild Honey and Rye now shows, it did.

I wrote about the cookbook process itself here in an earlier post. Aside form having no roof at the time, the process was mostly straightforward and hugely enjoyable. Throughout, I kept in mind that all my food heroes, from Elizabeth Luard to Nigella Lawson must have started somewhere and that they wouldn’t be where they are today had they not just kept moving forwards. I also kept in mind that there would be some people who liked the book and some who wouldn’t. I hoped and prayed that it would be positively received and so far there has been a stream of bright and cheerful 5* Amazon reviews (thank you!) and heaps of positivity all round. It seems Polish food can be exciting and inspiring and cool, who knew?!

Time to Party like a Pole…

Publication day itself was really like taking a big deep breathe and then exhaling. I was nervous, yes, but excited more. There was joy and elation and giddiness and champagne (and vodka) but in the quieter moments, I was just so happy to have been able to share my Polish food through Wild Honey and Rye.

My Mum came to spend the week with us, which was lucky because it also coincided with the madness of back-to-school week. My family and original antenatal group friends came over to eat Polish food. A week later, I hosted a gathering at my favourite Modern Eastern European restaurant called Baltic in London, where the chef Marek made some canapés to tie in with the book and where barman Karol created a divine Polish plum and chilli martini to mark the occasion. Katie at Pavilion Books gave a speech that made me cry and I was very spoilt with gifts of flowers, champagne and even food styling props. It was like all my birthdays rolled into one!

I was so grateful for all the friends came along to celebrate with me, including my oldest school friends from Cheshire, friends with a Polish connection, buddies from the online and blogging world – travelling even as far as from Newcastle and of course, the whole book crew from Pavilion as well as the shoot team, minus Alexander who we missed.

When I decided not to return to the law ten years ago, I can honestly say that I didn’t expect my second career to be anything near as exciting as this one has turned out to be. I saw every glass raised during the whole month as an opportunity for me to say thank you to those who have supported me throughout my journey.

It’s fair to say I have been overwhelmed by the response to the book so far. Readers up and down the land (as far as the Shetland Isles!) have been making pierogi (Polish dumplings) sourcing Polish cheese or creating their own fillings. Young people have been baking and achieving Scout badges for their efforts. One little girl, a third generation Pole, said that she baked my Plum and Poppyseed cake and that it was as good as her Babcia (or Granny) makes – phew. Many have identified with my dual-heritage upbringing and have said that it has helped them put put their own upbringing into context, others have said it has helped them to reconnect with Polish food. Some have booked trips to Poland. One reader shared a photo of the book arriving in Hawaii, another friend took a photo of Wild Honey and Rye in Omnivore Books in San Francisco. Lots of people have also commented on the beautiful design of the book and on the light and modern photography. Every single photo and message I have received has made me bounce with joy – thank you.

I was also super happy to receive some very special press coverage. delicious magazine selected Wild Honey and Rye as one of four September ‘Hot new cookbooks’ and Sainsbury’s are running a series of four recipes in their autumn edition of Bake Magazine. I was interviewed by Brin Best for Tydzień Polski newspaper (extended version here) which is one of the oldest running Polish newspapers in London. There were mentions in The Herald, Scotland by Sumayya and on a new blog called Polish at Heart by my friend, Ania. I took my book and some plum cake onto Nick’s afternoon show on BBC Three Counties Radio. I also received a very nice letter from the Polish Ambassador in London, to say that he would welcome Wild Honey and Rye into his culinary collection. There’s a special mention below to all my food blogging friends, too, who blew me away.

The 10th St Albans Food and Drink Festival and Street Cafe Supper Club

Locally, September was an amazing month too because we celebrated the 10th St Albans Food and Drink Festival. I had lots of support from Becky ‘The Local Foodie’ at the Herts Advertiser, as well as from the Food Festival team itself and Radio Verulam. I hosted my first Wild Honey and Rye supper-club at Street Cafe (a huge thank you to Rita and the team there) and conquered my fears of cooking live during my first cookery stage demo.

I have lots more exciting events in the planning so keep an eye on my shop and events page for more info.

Thank you to all who came along!

And so now, I find myself, once again, sitting at my kitchen table, catching up with my blog and feeling so, so grateful. This space has very often been my window out into the world, as well as a little window into my world. If I look to the very beginning of my journey into food writing, almost seven years ago, I can see that there has been one key factor which has encouraged me to continue and that is the sense of community and support that I have felt very strongly whenever I shared a recipe, experience or my thoughts. Without that sense of community, whether prompted by way of a comment from a reader, or a share by a fellow blogger, I wouldn’t have felt compelled to continue.

The Amazing UK Blogging Community

I was particularly touched by the fact that some of my best blogging pals rallied around me on publication day and during the weeks that followed. They sent messages of support and looked forward to receiving the book to cook from and review. Often, when I have sat here, in between nap-times and nursery runs, very much feeling the quietness, these writers have inspired me to keep my blog going. Their posts also showcase, I believe, the standard that British blogging has reached – that there should be such beautiful photography throughout and such very kind words within and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you in upcoming posts.

Join me next week for the Wild Honey and Rye Polish Cookalong!

More Recipes:

If you’d like to try some recipes from Wild Honey and Rye, you can find three of my favourite recipes over on Great British Chefs:

Pierogi Ruskie (with Cheese and Potatoes)

Kopytka Polish Gnocchi with Bacon and Mushrooms

Krupnik Honey Vodka

Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes published by Pavilion Books is currently available on Amazon for £13.60 – grab your copy now and join us next week for the cookalong!

Thank you for your support (and for buying the book and leaving reviews) and to all at Pavilion Books for their faith in my Polish recipes and for producing such a beautiful cookery book.

I think I’ll have a little rest now…

December 18, 2014

Comfort Food Book Launch and Christmas features for JamieOliver.com

It’s rare for me to venture out these days, juggling three children is proving to be, hmmn, quite a challenge. However, I did manage to jump on a train and head into the big smoke for a night out in London, getting home just before my carriage turned into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight! The event that lured me into town Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food book launch at his cookery school, Recipease in Notting Hill.

As you may imagine, this was a party and a half, with a lavish display of Comfort Food-style celebration cakes, as well as a selection of savoury recipes from the book, including Irresistible Pork Buns, Polish Kiełbasa (there’s a recipe for how to make your own at home in the book), Beef and Barley Buns, Massaman Curry and hand-made Ravioli. There was also craft beer, wine and bespoke cocktails on tap. And if that wasn’t enough, we were also offered cured meats from Cobbled Lane Cured and following the success of the Truffle Cheddar experiment, we were treated to more Westcombe Dairy cheese.

…

June 13, 2011

Tomato and Garlic Pasta

Last week I posted an interview with Vanessa Kimbell and hosted a competition to win a copy of her new book, Prepped!

As mentioned in the post, Vanessa gave up her job in order to pursue her dream of writing a cookery book, documenting the process through her blog Writing a Cookery Book giving us all a fascinating glimpse into the world of food writing and publishing. Her book offers time-saving recipes and introduces a concept called ‘linked cooking’ as well as double-cooking, incorporating flavoured sugars and syrups that can be made-ahead and ‘mixed and matched’ according to what you have to hand.

Thank you to everyone for entering and telling me which one of the chapters in Vanessa’s book would be your favourite from the inspiring selection on offer including Elderflower, Rhubarb, Lavender, Lemon, Vanilla, Tomato, Plum, Caraway, Chocolate, Cardamom or Orange & Clove.

I’m very pleased to announce that the winner, chosen by a randomiser, is Sally from My Custard Pie who I am sure will love Vanessa’s book and make excellent use of it!

I have to say I am truly torn. Having tested recipes for the book from both the Chocolate and Vanilla chapters I am certainly won over by the ease of Vanessa’s recipes.

I’m also both intrigued and inspired by some of the more unusual flavour combinations in Prepped! – the Victoria Sponge with Cardamom Rose Cream and Rhubarb along with the Chocolate Beef are next on my hit list. However, my favourite recipe so far (and one that, I confess, I am slightly addicted too at the moment) can actually be found in the Tomato chapter, so I’m probably with Sally on her winning choice.

Vanessa’s Tomato & Garlic Pasta, also known as “Garlic Yum Yum” pasta is possibly one the the quickest and simplest recipes in the book. It also happens to be a ‘linked’ recipe, meaning that you can make double the quantity and use it as the base for the Tomato Pizza.

Vanessa has kindly given me permission to share the recipe with you below – I urge you to try it – it is so simple but really delicious and my kids love it too.

Last week also marked the official launch Prepped! It was lovely to be able able to chat and mingle in a very leisurely fashion at Rococo Chocolates with Vanessa, other food writers, bloggers and members of the ‘Prepparati’ including Helen from Fuss Free Flavours, Katie from Feeding Boys and a Firefighter, Jayne from Jaynerly and Becky from Rebecca Bakes Cakes. We also sampled some of our favourite treats and recipes from the book, including Chocolate Chilli Cupcakes, Pink Meringues with Elderflower Cream, Victoria Sponge with Cardamom Rose Cream & Rhubarb, Chocolate Cookies, a Chocolate & Raspberry Cake, the Chocolate, Vanilla & Black Pepper Cupcakes as well as the obligatory taste of some Rococo Chocolates too.

What a clever idea to host a party in a chocolate shop and not just any chocolate shop, Rococo’s was a truly luxurious experience and we all left hideously high on chocolate!

Thank you so much to Vanessa’s good friend Chantal Cody and to all her lovely staff who looked after us so well and of course, to the bright and bubbly Vanessa Kimbell for the kind invitation for us to take part as recipe testers for Prepped! and to the launch.

Prepped! is available on Amazon, currently at £10.48 or at many branches of Waterstones (RRP £20.00) and is published by Spring Hill

Tomato & Garlic Pasta

Posted with the kind permission of Vanessa Kimbell

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 whole medium garlic bulb

500g spaghetti

1 x 200g tube tomato purée (I used a can)

80ml extra-virgin olive oil

120g fresh Parmesan, grated, for serving

Salt

Method:

1. Peel and finely chop all the garlic cloves (I put them in a mini blender but you can just finely chop). Put a pan of boiling water on for the pasta and add a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan for 1-2 minutes then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (do not burn!) You are not looking to brown the garlic at all, so you must keep the heat at a medium temperature.

3. Stir in the tomato purée and turn the heat down to a slightly lower temperature. Keep stirring. As the tomato cooks it incorporates most of the oil and turns from a fresh red into a deeper, darker red. After 5-7 minutes the sauce is cooked. The pasta will be ready too.

4. Drain your pasta and add it to the tomato sauce, stirring well. Serve immediately with fresh parmesan.

There won’t be any left as it is so delicious but you could make double the quantity of sauce, as Vanessa suggests, and use it as a base for Vanessa’s Tomato Pizza and Oregano Bread

June 2, 2011

Interview: Vanessa Kimbell tells us how to be ‘Prepped!’

There can be no doubt that Vanessa Kimbell is an inspirational woman. Over a year ago, Vanessa gave up her successful career to pursue her dream of writing a cookery book – called Prepped! She came up with a new and exciting concept and landed a publishing deal with Spring Hill who jumped at the chance of giving this new author the opportunity to share her ideas through a recipe book. At the same time, Vanessa started a blog, called Writing a Cookery Book to document her journey charting the highs and lows of the process of writing her first book. Her blog gave those of us who followed it the opportunity to become part of the process, both through reading Vanessa’s posts and in some cases, through recipe testing. As a very new blogger, I was one of the lucky few to be part of ‘Team Prepped!’ testing Vanessa’s recipes for her ready-made Vanilla Pancake Mix and her Chocolate, Vanilla & Black Pepper Cupcakes.

It has been a privilege to be a (tiny part) of Vanessa’s creative journey and to watch the anticipation levels grow in the lead up to the launch of Vanessa’s book. Just a few days before the official publication date, I met Vanessa for the first time in her home to talk to her personally about what really inspired her to write Prepped! and to find out where Vanessa’s journey will take her next.

Vanessa, what was the inspiration for Prepped! – the actual moment that you decided to write a cookery book?

The actual moment, believe it or not, was when I was visiting a hypnotherapist. I had read that you could be hypnotised into losing weight. I was talking about the fact that I was food obsessed and that I woke up thinking about what I was going to cook, that I owned about 400 recipe books, that I think about ingredients everyday, that I listen to the radio and watch the television about food and I suddenly realised that I was somewhat obsessed with food.

I wanted to stop thinking about food because I thought if I stopped thinking about it then I might actually lose some weight. Then, I thought, you know what, I don’t want to stop thinking about food, I need to do something with it. It’s a passion, rather than anything else.

There were also a few incidents that had happened in the lead up to that moment. One of them was that a particular girlfriend would almost look at me and shake her head in disbelief at the fact that I would be able to whip something up out of absolutely nothing on a moment’s notice or that I could turn up to a party with a cake that was already decorated even though I had only been given two hours notice to come. Things that I would take as standard practices, she had no idea about.

So, I went to the book shop and there was nothing that answered her questions – how to do two things at once in the kitchen. A lot of people may have been doing it for a lot of years but nobody, as far as I’m aware, had tackled that particular way of cooking. It’s not what you cook its how you put it together and how you manage the process in a timely fashion.

Does it take a certain amount of confidence as a cook to be able to do that?

I think because I’ve been cooking for many years, some twenty-two years in fact, it is instinctive for me but what I observed was that it is not instinctive for all cooks and in order to make somebody do something you have to give instructions. The difficulty was translating the physical way of cooking two or three things at once into a way that people could follow it.

It took me about a month to work out how I did it myself and the only way I could describe it to someone was that I link my cooking together, like a chain. It’s not even one chain, one recipe could link to ten other things. For example, an elderflower syrup could make nine other recipes, in fact, more than that because you could substitute or swap it all the way through for perhaps a rhubarb syrup or a lemon syrup, so you can do twenty different things with one base recipe. You could make a cocktail with it, a sorbet with it, you can add it into ice cream, you can add it to a savoury dish.

Prepped! is about thinking: what can I make at the same time? How can I make two things out of one recipe? This book tackles that really nicely.

Do you think that ‘linked cooking’ is something that people can learn how to do from your book?

Oh totally, just on a very basic level if you are making custard you could make double the recipe – one half you’d use on your crumble and the other half you use as an ice-cream. And the point is that as soon as people start looking at it they are going to realise they will be doing the same amount of shopping, the same amount of cooking and the same amount of clearing up.

What have you found to be the highlights of the process of writing?

There have been so many. Meeting like-minded fantastically, amazing people who have got their own stories and their own recipes. That, to me, has been huge. Yes, as a mum, you meet other mums but through this I’ve actually met people who are like me. To be able to chat about food with other people is a joy.

Another highlight has been broadcasting through the BBC, which also brings me into contact with people. And I suppose getting to meet people like Nigel Slater, Dan Lepard, Rick Stein, Sophie Grigson and Jason Atherton. People who are really seriously amazing foodies who have been supportive and who have been kind and didn’t laugh.

In a nutshell, who is your book for?

My book is for people who are time-short foodies, people who love cooking already or who perhaps don’t cook as much as they want to because they don’t think they have enough time.

In essence, the way that I cook is multi-tasking so you end up with delicious food but with a more concise and streamlined way of cooking in the kitchen. Although I have been quite instructional and I haven’t made too many assumptions about anybody’s ability. At the same time I haven’t made people who already cook utterly bored with what they are reading.

Do you think your book will encourage the average busy cook become more adventurous?

What I’m hoping for is not that people will become more adventurous because I think that people are naturally inclined to be adventurous and that’s the fashion at the moment. What I’m hoping for is that instead of people slogging away and missing all the fun they can take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way so that things can be ready to go.

Prepped! is real because I really am a mum, I really have three children, I really cook in my kitchen and I really have to do all my own washing up. The joy of having had all these recipes tested by my team of recipe testers, ‘the preparati’ (as they called themselves) to me is the most important thing because they are all real people. We’re not all about sitting in the test kitchens of celebrity chefs who don’t even have to do their own washing up.

Having got to where you are today would you do it all again?

Yes I would and yes I will. There is a second book that will follow. But I will do things differently. I will go to bed before one o’clock. Past that time I don’t think my work was as good as it should have been. I would take longer than a year to do it. In all honesty, I had no sleep for a year. In a way it has been worse than having a baby because it has been all-encompassing.

Also, with the first book I had a huge learning curve. At the beginning I would write recipes and I would cook instinctively and not measure things. I also had some serious learning to do with photography. Though now there is a template. The first forty recipes I wrote I had to go back and re-write because they were too long for the format they were put in and that was really hard work. It was almost as hard as writing and developing them in the first place.

Is the food in Prepped! genuinely the sort of food that you cook for your kids and your family?

Yes, it is exactly what I cook and how I manage to be this ‘domestic diva’ or ‘kitchen genie’ or whatever I was described as! I have put every trick I know in the book, not only from the point of view of being a trained chef but also as a working mum.

I believe I have put everything in the pages of Prepped! that will allow a person to tackle their food in the same way.

Prepped! – Gorgeous Food without the Slog – a Multi-tasking Masterpiece for Time-short Foodies is published by Spring Hill (RRP £20.00) Available at Waterstones and Amazon (currently at £10.60)

Thank You to Vanessa Kimbell for cooking me a lovely lunch and for allowing me to interview you with two kids in tow and for my signed copy of your book!

Giveaway now closed – winner Sally at My Custard Pie
Thank you to everyone for entering!