As far as I can tell, sharing any sort of creative project, including a book, is full of emotional ups and downs.
One of the lows is the endless parade of self-promotion— look at me! look at me! buy my stuff! I haven’t found much of a way around it except to share the attention with the others, who lent their talents to the book but who’s names aren’t on the cover. There are no fewer than 15 people who spent their time on this book and made it better with their talents, and I want them to feel like it was worth their time.
My only other strategy is to having a toddler around who neither cares about social media metrics and is silly enough to not allow me to take anything too seriously.
One of the ups is by far and away seeing the recipes coming to life in reader’s kitchens. It not only shows that folks are enticed by the work the team has done, but also means that it is now a part of their home. The image above is from a reader who spent her entire Sunday cooking from Pulp and was very happy with the results. What an honor! From my kitchen to yours.
Amazon reviews are one of the places where those two things come together— written by readers and help spread the word. So here’s my self-promoting plea, if you have read Pulp (or Ruffage or Grist for that matter), liked it, and want others to read it, would you leave a review? High review counts not only encourage others to buy the book, but algorithmically, push your book in front of new eyes. Plus, selfishly, it is just nice to see what people have to say (usually)!
In honor of Amanda Ciofu who sent the photo of all the things she cooked, I’m sharing the recipe for Roast Carrots w/ Raspberries, Beet Cream, Chili Oil, and Coco Nibs. This dish is one of the few dishes that shows up from time to time at the dinners we host at Granor Farm. I made it originally in my days cooking at Bare Knuckle Farm. It was also the dish where a diner said, “You cook with a lot of fruit. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I did!” which eventually led to the creation of Pulp. Full circle.
I hope you enjoy it and then tell someone about it. (Ugh.)
Abra
I can’t stop!
Review submitted and shout-out in my latest Substack!