A cookbook can be much more than a simple written record of prepare specific food dishes. A cookbook can offer insight to a specific area, culture or religion as well as tell readers about the community where the book was produced. Putting together a cookbook also can help raise funds for a cause, such as a high school drama production or a donation to help feed the hungry. You can create your own cookbook to help encourage the preservation of traditions that otherwise might be lost and earn money at the same time.
Instructions
1. Create a form to use to collect recipes. In order to make organizing the cookbook easier, use a specific template for each recipe. The template should list the recipe author's name, the name of the dish, the ingredients used, the quantities required as well as a specific description of the steps involved to make the dish.
2. Allow space for recipe writers to tell the reader something about the recipe. A good recipe isn't just about writing down make a soufflé or cook chicken soup. A good recipe should tell a story. The recipe should tell readers something about the person creating it. Readers who learn a bit about how the recipe was designed will feel more welcome to try the recipe on their own. Offering insights from local community members can serve as a selling point for the book.
3. Solicit recipes. Contact community members and ask them to write down recipes for the book. Put up a notice on a local bulletin board. Post a paragraph in a newsletter. Ask teachers to send a mailing home to parents asking them for recipes. Tap into all segments of the community. People who contribute recipes may be more inclined to buy the finished product.
4. Edit the recipes. Look carefully at the recipes before you use them. Measurements should be specific and consistent. A recipe for two people usually does not call for massive amounts of ingredients in large quantities. Check for typos. Make sure that a reader can easily understand the steps required. Cut all material that is redundant or confusing.
5. Write a preface. A cookbook should have an introduction. The introduction should introduce readers to the authors, state the purpose of the book and indicate where additional copies can be purchased.
6. Find a publisher. If the cookbook is being marketed to a large metropolitan area, consider sending a finished copy to a national publisher. If the publisher finds the cookbook good, it can accept the cookbook for publication and distribute it to a vast audience all across the country.
7. Self-publish the book. If you market the book only to a local community, it may make sense to publish it yourself. You can run off copies of the book on your own and bind it yourself. You also can contract with a press to make completed copies for you as orders come in or in advance to take with you to a fund-raiser.
Tags: about recipe, community members, good recipe, local community, recipe should, recipe should tell