Big new project for 2014: A cookbook!

I’m very excited to lift the lid on a project I’m cooking up for 2014 … a cookbook!

Since last summer, I’ve been flirting with the idea of writing a cookbook. An opportunity that arose in August didn’t quite pan out, and then a few weeks later, the perfect project landed in my lap. (As they say: When a door closes, a window opens.)

I couldn’t imagine a more fitting project: I’ll be writing “The Findlay Market Cookbook” for Farm Fresh Books, with an anticipated publication date in October 2014. The book will celebrate local food in Cincinnati — as it’s best represented by the historic Findlay Market in the city’s re-emerging Over-the-Rhine district. This is the third in Farm Fresh Books’ series of market-focused cookbooks (the first centered on the renowned Ithaca Farmers’ Market).

People who visit the market experience what a community it is — with vendors and a diverse body of shoppers all coming together around food. The book will represent that sense of community. It will share the stories of the various market vendors and their specialties. Recipes will come from farmers, producers, artisans and retailers. Too, we’re asking for recipes from prominent chefs in the city who, like the creative team producing the book, love Findlay Market for its fresh and seasonal offerings. So, while the cookbook centers on Findlay Market — it’s more broadly a big dinner party with contributions from all over the city. You don’t have to be a Findlay Market shopper to enjoy it — you just have to love Cincinnati.

Rob and I have been regular Saturday-morning shoppers at Findlay Market for 20+ years. I would estimate that we do 50% to 70% of our weekly food shopping there. It’s an all-inclusive experience: an amalgam of people from different parts of the city, browsing for everything from international specialty items to prepared foods to fresh, local produce, meats and dairy.

I’m really excited to be collaborating with a great project team: Karen Kahle, Findlay Market marketing director, and Julie Kramer, photographer and Edible Ohio Valley publisher, along with Farm Fresh Books editor Michael Turback.

Read what Cincinnati’s newsweekly CityBeat had to say about The Findlay Market Cookbook. Stay tuned for updates as “The Findlay Market Cookbook” progresses!