I first heard about the 55 Knives project last September. Nick over at the food blog Macheesmo had come up with what sounded like a brilliant idea—and a daunting task: He would ask 55 food bloggers to each submit a recipe and the story behind it and turn all of this into an eBook. I was one of the 55 bloggers Nick invited.
And now it’s in print! Well, in “print.” Nick has just published 55 Knives as an eBook, a downloadable, interactive, searchable, printable PDF. You don’t need a Kindle or an iPad to read it—any computer will do. There’s even a blogger index page that lets you connect and communicate with any of the authors in the book (including me, I guess—yikes).
What attracted me to the project at the outset was the stories. I like a good recipe, but I love a good story. And here was a chance to be part of a collection of 55 stories! Stories of recipes handed down, family dinners around the table, great triumphs and disasters—or, in my case, an irascible old French woman and a three-legged beagle—these are the things that make cooking and cookbooks memorable.
55 Knives just hit the virtual bookstores Tuesday, May 25. Check it out and see what you think. To read sample sections, see the list of the 55 bloggers involved in the project and, well, to buy a copy of the book, click here for details. (If you do decide to buy a copy—and absolutely no pressure here, please understand—if you click on the link above to do so, I’ll get a piece of the action.)
And finally, a big thanks to Nick for including me in 55 Knives. Congratulations on a job well done, sir.
Congratulations Terry! As a butcher’s daughter, I especially appreciate that you and your sharp wit are now officially a published Knife (of the round table?) Hope this is just the beginning of many many more chances to see you in print beyond the Blue Kitchen!
Thanks, Ronnie Ann! And yeah, the knife thing caught my eye too. Pretty cool.
This is wonderful, Terry! In fact, I think this is a great idea for your own cookbook ~ your stories are {almost} as fabulous as your recipes! I hope you have a great summer.
Congratulations Terry! Off to download it now.
Thanks, Dani!
And wow, thanks big time, Laura! Hope you like it.
Clever idea this guy had, and he was especially smart to include you. (I’m so literal, at first I thought this was a collection of knife stories, but heck, if you wrote it, I’d read it.)
Aw thanks, Altadenahiker! Funny you should mention knives, by the way. When we were in New York last weekend, I bought a really impressive (verging on scary) new chef’s knife. Still trying to get used to it.