I am the author of 40 original cookbooks, and the coauthor, ghostwriter, recipe tester, or consultant to more than 30 additional titles. I provide culinary and literary services to chefs, corporations, and celebrities, drawing on deep experience in these very different worlds. Click the links to see some of my work.
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 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)
- Food Network’s Chopped: Chris Santos
- Cooking Channel: Extra Virgin’s Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar
- Frankie Avalon
- Nadine Redzepi (Noma Restaurant)
- Patti LaBelle
- Tommy Bahama
- Carrabba’s Italian Grill
- Patsy’s Restaurant
This is an article I wrote about celebrity cookbooks in the marketplace.
Corporate Recipe Development
I develop consumer-friendly recipes for branded corporate cookbooks, websites, blogs, newsletters, brochures, apps, advertising, and more. My specialty is that I have no specialties! My clientele includes (more links on request):
- National Pork Board
- Double Smoky Ribs with Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Driscoll’s Berries
- Weber Grills
- Publishers International, Ltd.
- Boston Market
- Fresh Market
- Epicurious
Recipe Testing
Having an experienced pair of hands test your recipes is invaluable, and reliable recipes are essential for a fine cookbook. Drawing on my decades behind the stove (often working at some of nation’s top food magazine test kitchens) and the computer, I evaluate and perfect recipes to show them at their best.
- Art Smith
- Lisa Vanderpump (Real Housewives of LA)
- Julie Loria (Diamond Dishes)
- Lilly Pulitzer
- Dan Leader
- Patti LaBelle
Brand Ambassador
I have helped many food and beverage companies leverage their brands across platforms. I’ve done both multi-city and satellite media tours, held online chats, and taped cooking videos, all resulting in greater customer engagement.
- Perdue Farms
- Kingsford Charcoal
- Grand Marnier
- Four Roses Bourbon
- Driscoll’s Berries
International Cookbook Conversion and Americanization
Cookbooks from other places must be understandable and accessible to American readers, and preparing them for market goes beyond changing a few words. I identify and explain cross-cultural nuances and am fully conversant in metric weights and measures.
- Random House
- Dorling Kindersley
- HarperCollins
- Chronicle Books
- Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
Culinary Instructor
I have over two decades of experience as a cooking teacher, with appearances at every major cooking school in the U.S., as well as venues in France and Korea. I am the recipient of Bon Appétit Magazine’s Food and Entertaining Award for Outstanding Culinary Instructor, a distinction shared with only nine other people, including Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay.
I am currently teaching online at my own baking school, Coffee and Cake