Culinary
Services

COOKBOOK COLLABORATION AND CONSULTING

Together we can create a great cookbook with appetizing, well-written recipes, informative front and back matter, engaging headnotes, and captivating photography. My cookbook proposals to publishers are dynamic and get an editor’s attention by addressing the all-important issues of marketing, competitive titles, and platform. My clients include:

Williams-Sonoma (12 titles)

Sur La Table

Food Network’s Chopped:  Chris Santos

Cooking Channel’s Extra Virgin: Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Frankie Avalon

Nadine Redzepi

Patti LaBelle

Teresa Giudice

Tommy Bahama

Owen Han

Diane Morrisey

Matt Broussard (A Cook Named Matt)

Nordstrom

Carrabba’s Italian Grill

Shun Lee Restaurant

Patsy’s Restaurant

Tate’s Bakery

The Model Bakery

Sarabeth’s

While somewhat dated, here is an article that explains a lot about my working process:

Recipe testing

Having an experienced culinary test your food before publication is invaluable, as reliable recipes are essential to a fine cookbook. Drawing on my decades of experience behind the stove (often working at some the nation’s top food magazine test kitchens) and the computer, I evaluate and prefect recipes to show them and the client at their best. I learned recipe testing skills working in the kitchens for food magazines and television shows.

Lisa Vanderpump (Simply Divine)

Julie Loria (Diamond Dishes)

Lilly Pulitzer (Lilly: Holidays)

Dan Leader (Bread Alone)

Patti LaBelle (LaBelle Cuisine)

Rose Levy Beranbaum (Rose’s Christmas Cookies and 2 others)

"Working with Rick on my cookbook was an absolute delight. His culinary expertise and creative flair helped to bring my vision to life beautifully. Rick infused each recipe with his passion for food and knowledge of diverse culinary traditions. His meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality made the entire process truly enjoyable. I am profoundly grateful for his collaboration and invaluable input. I look forward to continuing to work with Rick in the future!”

"Rick is a pleasure to work with. He truly understands every aspect of the food universe. He has extensive knowledge of cooking terminology in many languages and the actual techniques needed to translate recipes from the professional chef to the home cook. Talented and professional, Rick brings high-quality writing to every book that he crafts, whether it is his own or with chefs like me.”

Rick Rodgers is a dream to work with. He delivers clean manuscripts and pays attention to even the smallest details to make the editing process as smooth and seamless as possible. I cannot recommend him highly enough.”

“Working with Rick Rodgers has been a revelation to me. Not only did I made a new friend, but I tapped into a cornucopia of culinary talent and historical information that makes each and every one of our working sessions something I wait for impatiently. His quick wit, his deep understanding of my Italian roots, and our shared appreciation for simplicity in good food may prove to be a curse to him—it will be hard to get rid of me now!”

INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK CONVERSION AND AMERICANIZATION

The internet has broadened the marketplace for cookbooks, and recipes must now be globally understood. Preparing them for sale goes beyond changing a few words and numbers. I make foreign books accessible to American readers, and vice versa. I am fully conversant in metric weights and measures.

Avery

Random House

Dorling Kindersley

Harper Collins

Chronicle Books

Stewart, Tablori, and Chang

Work with Me
A collaboration with me will bring your cookbook to fruition. Co-authoring, ghostwriting, creating publisher proposals, project management, recipe testing… I have done it all.
Literary Agent: Susan Ginsburg, sginsburg@writershouse.com

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