Last week I spent a very happy day pottering around my kitchen and garden, cooking egg recipes for the blog and for the book (more on the book in a minute). Oliver Edwards, young and upcoming local photographer, joined me to document the day as a test shoot. Test shoots are a regular thing for food stylists and photographers to see if they like working together, the bonus for me being some professional photography for the blog rather than my usual snap-happy efforts.
Between us we cooked and photographed three dishes, a summer berries and cream shortcake, a florentine-style spinach and egg tart, and a pea, mint and yellow courgette quiche. Here are a few shots of the action - if you want to see more you can find them here: Oliver Edwards test shoot
I'm really thrilled that I've finally been commissioned to write my book on egg cookery - the proposal for which was written some time before the blog was even started - but the success of the blog has certainly played an important part in securing me the book deal. Transworld (part of the Random House group) will be publishing it in spring 2013 under the provisional title of The Joy of Eggs: A Year of Recipes from an Urban Hen-Keeper. To be honest I remain a little unconvinced about the title, something the publishers are aware of, and we have agreed to keep thinking on it. I preferred The Egg Diaries: Culinary Adventures of an Urban Hen-Keeper. Do feel free to give me your thoughts.....
Congratulations and beautiful photography! I like "The Egg Diaries"... feels a bit more close to home. I mean, I see why they like "joy of eggs" - it's celebratory. But this isn't a high-browed tribute (or is it?), to me it sounds like "Eggs in Real Life"... i.e. "The Egg Diaries". I'm rambling. It doesn't matter. Love it all! Especially that spinach tart...
ReplyDeleteThanks Monica. Frankly, I told them I though The Joy of Eggs sounded a bit too close to The Joy of Sex for my liking. Remember that horrid beard....?! But I'm warming to it, they insist its a bit tongue in cheek.....
ReplyDeleteYeah for you with your book deal. I look forward to reading it! I think that I would be a stickler on the title too. 'The Joy of Eggs' makes me think it is very connected to 'The Joy of Cooking' and 'The Joy of Baking' series (great books but no pretty photos......I would keep pondering it all. I love the egg-a-day idea. We have 5 hens, 2 guinea fowl hens and five ducks (all laying) and A LOT of birds for the table too, so always looking for creative ways to use those eggs! Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for you positive comments - boy you have a lot of birds! I think I might get into big trouble with my husband if I suggested guinea fowl and ducks. Mind you we do have a small pond........ ha ha. Thanks for reading my blog!
ReplyDelete