How did a nomad with no formal culinary training or really any kitchen skills publish a cookbook packed with tons of great and good-for-you recipes?
Here’s how…
Did I ever imagine I’d write a cookbook?
Definitely not during college or my acting years (most of my 20’s), when I was in the kitchen to either boil water or use the microwave.
Even when my eating habits started to improve (late 20’s), I was still surviving off the frozen food section at Trader Joe’s. :)
I was never that adventurous or experimental, and I certainly never made anything that made people say, “Wow.”
So how did my love affair with food and cooking begin?
I was really lucky.
When i started traveling, I went to an organic farm in Hawaii and experienced what amazing, homegrown food was like. From there, I went to Kauai and again experienced the ridiculous quality of local food—AND how wonderful I felt.
When I left the islands, I remembered thinking, “I don’t want that to stop—I know what’s healthy for me and what works, and I want to keep doing that.”
I refused to take on the normal budget traveler’s diet of white bread and ramen noodles.
I just knew how toxic and unhealthy those kinds of things are, and how horrible I’d feel if I started eating that stuff regularly.
So I kept up the “good food” practice. I kept learning, experimenting, and trying new things. And my journey continues; it will for the rest of my life.
I discovered that I really enjoyed making great-tasting and super nutritious food for others—and they really enjoyed it, too!
That gave me motivation to keep doing it, and by regularly getting into the kitchen, day after day, I kept getting more and more comfortable.
It’s not rocket science: if you keep working on anything (music, writing, dancing, language) in a consistent manner—and truly ENJOY the activity—you are BOUND to improve.
I’d actually think it’d be pretty impossible *not* to get better. Like, you’d have to be really trying hard. :)
Where did the idea for the cookbook come from?
It all started as a simple “Recipe Guide” for my Kickstarter backers.
I’d heard from a few people about how much they liked the Chili recipe and wanted to know how to make it. And lots of people have enjoyed the smoothies I’ve made. So I figured, sure: I’ll put together a super-simple 10-15 page PDF with some recipes.
Between the handful of recipes I had published on the site and a few others I used regularly, I was pretty confident I could put this together easily.
I’m pretty handy on the computer, so no big deal, right?
Five months, 30 recipes, and over 60 pages later—including LOTS of nutritional info—I finally PUBLISH this thing!
Turns out, I had a bit more to say on the subject. This project totally took on a life of its own—what started out as a simple idea just naturally and organically kept growing and blossoming.
Between the first and second draft, I added in 3x more nutritional info because I was just so fired up about it and felt like I couldn’t leave it out.
“I gotta include THIS and I definitely want to add THAT!”
After all: this book represents WHAT I’ve learned and done to stay ridiculously healthy while traveling—I wanted to include as much as I could on the subject.
I’m definitely in the best shape of my life, and I wanted to share HOW I did it. :)
I know that even if you aren’t a nomad, you could benefit and thrive with this information and these recipes!
It’s been an amazing, challenging, and highly rewarding process.
I even went through doubts: is this actually any good? Who am I (with no formal culinary training) to put out a cookbook? Yada yada yada…
Ultimately, I had to trust myself, and that I was doing was worthwhile. Now, I have no doubts how awesome this cookbook and nutritional guide is. :)
I *really* believe in this book.
I’ve never been more proud of something I’ve created, and I think this has the potential to change your life, to help you reach a NEW level of health that perhaps you never thought possible.
If you want to grab a copy (and I’ve included LOTS of extras, from interviews with nutrition experts to virtual cooking classes and more), head on over here: it’s cookbook time!
Let me know what you make. :)
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What are you working on that you really believe in? What’s the backstory?
I’d love to hear your response + any other thoughts you have below.
from Queens, NY…
PS: I used Apple’s FREE program iBooks Author to write this. Unbelievably powerful program that helps you easily create professional-looking books. I had used Adobe inDesign for other guides, and this was MUCH easier; *highly* recommended for the non-techies out there. :)
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