SNE: The Manuscript Recipe

Iam interested in testing

I’m an experienced tester (we corresponded via e-mail a few weeks ago) and am still interested in testing!

Would love to test if you need people!

I can’t tell you how much your blog has been inspirational. I cook for young children in a daycare in Montréal and the first thing I do when I get to work is to connect myself to your site. So needless to say that WE would be thrilled to help test your new recipes. I am very excited that you are writing a new cookbook.

I’d be interested in being a tester. I’m also in Europe.

Wow, thank you so much for posting this. It’s just fascinating to imagine putting a cookbook together and what all goes into it. Very interesting and a bit like a peek into a secret world. Thanks for sharing…and oh yeah sign me up for taste testing. I’m in Europe if you need to check your metric versions 🙂

would love to give input or test!

Very interesting to see into the cookbook creation process, even if it is somewhat different for everyone. It amazes me how much behind the scenes work is required before it goes to print. Definitely a labour of love 🙂

All your photos look so amazing. I love your page!

I really enjoyed reading this post! I always wondered what cookbook writing REALLY entailed. I’m no pro in the kitchen, but would love to volunteer to test recipes.

I couldn’t be happier that you are sharing your journey of another cookbook with us. As an avid reader of your blog and a home cook, I also keep a notebook of favorite recipes, clippings, print outs, pictures, etc. Your process is demonstrative of how it can actually transform into something.
Thank you for sharing something so special to you. I cannot wait until the book is on shelves.
And if you need a tester….I am most certainly game.

Do you need an intern? I would love to help with your book!

I hope you will consider publishing a Kindle edition for those of us so addicted to your recipes that we want to carry them around in our pockets on our iPhones.
Thanks for inspiring all of us!

Thanks for sharing some details and photos of your process – also an intimate act for a private person, more intimate than recipes I’d say. It’s inspiring and informative to see how you work, the similarities and differences as I develop my own work process are engaging to think about. I’m looking forward to your coming post to see how you’d like to be supported!

I just wrote my first cookbook and it’s a very very tough process. Good job being so darn organized. I still struggle with that – but i guess to get it done you have to choice. -Anupy

I moved to Hong Kong a year ago and really struggled to keep up with healthy living – life here is very fast paced with little time to consider what you put into your body.
That said, I have found your site a source of daily inspiration – something I use to keep me on track. I use your recipes for entertaining guests, feeding myself and my partner and just for sheer delicious pleasure!
I would be so honoured to help with testing!
x

Thank you so much for sharing your process with us! It’s inspiring!
I’m so excited about your new cookbook. Can’t wait.
Testing any time! Just say the word.

I was so surprised to hear your method, I thought I was on my own with piles of inspiration both physical and digital around for that day, month, year when it will come in handy.
It was uplifting to hear you share the same deep appreciation and willingness to devote so much thought to your craft.
I’m a ready and waiting “guinea pig” for recipe testing.

Inspirational! THank you! Can’t wait for it.

Thanks for sharing your process Heidi… Already looking forward to adding another Super Natural cookbook to my collection.

Heidi
Ur recipes are great inspirations for my dinners
Count me in for testing

Heidi, I’d be honored to be a tester. I adore your book as both a recipe book and a good read.

This sounds like such fun…a lot of work…but still great fun. I can’t wait to see the finished product and enjoy all the recipes you share.

I would LOVE to be a tester! I’ve made several of your recipes from the website and they’ve been delicious! Love love the website!

Heidi, you are SO inspirational! Keep it up!

Thank you for all of your hard work! I will surely enjoy the finished product and cook my way through it. I look forward to hearing about testing 🙂 Best of luck. As someone writing their thesis right now I fully feel that “lost” feeling. I’ll be using your method as inspiration to organize my arguments and charge ahead with the last 25 pages.

Heidi, Thank you for sharing your behind-the-scenes work with us! It’s a very interesting process. I am anxiously awaiting your new work of art, SNE. Best of luck!

I have two of your cookbooks already, so it would be awesome if you opened up some testing to your readers here! Count me in, please, if you do!

Thank you so much for sharing, Heidi. As a hard-core cookbook reader/lover/collector I’m always curious as to the kind of work that goes in to the creation of a cookbook. Especially those that really “work” – and I don’t mean only in the recipe department but in that they convey something else, a distinct POV that resonates with the reader. Sounds like this one will be as good, if not better, than SNC.
Take care,
Skye
P.S. Like all the other posters, I’d love to recipe test too!

Thanks for sharing your creative process. I’m really excited about having SNE join SNC and Cook 1.0 on my bookshelf.
It doesn’t look like you’ll have much trouble finding recipe testers, but count me in anyway!

Such an inspiring post and great to know how one’s creative thought-process results into a book.
I am so excited for your new release and hope it a huge success just like SNC.
Siri

Heidi, I work at Amazon and I sure hope you’ve been able to connect with one of us here regarding your book. I’m a big fan of your first one and would more than love to get you on here.
Cheers to you in this exciting (second) adventure!

Heidi, you are inspiring. Super Natural Cooking sits at the top of my little stack of everyday cookbooks. I have a container of clemenquat salad in my lunch bag right now, in fact.
I’d love to help with testing!

So organized! It may be more difficult than it looks, but you have quite a system in place. I’d love to be part of the recipe testing team- look forward to future posts on the topic.

Bonjour Heidi! Funny I just read this today when your Super Natural Cooking – finally! – arrived. I’d been waiting to buy it in the States and turns out it’s at Amazon.fr – fabulous ! By the time the new one is published, I will have time to make everything in Super Natural 🙂
Looking forward to the new book, I too am working on one (no cooking involved 🙂 and know how much hard work is involved so I wish you the best. To echo a few of your other fans, it would be great to see substitutions for some of the wonderful, but heard to find in many parts of the world, even here in Paris, that you use in your cooking. If only you would open up a Super Natural Café à la Heidi here in Paris !! It would be a huge hit. In the meantime, good luck and à bientôt!

You are so organized!!!
If this whole cooking blog/cookbook/photography/awesomeness thing you’ve got going on doesn’t work out for some CRAZY reason, you could definitely add project manager to your list of talents!
You work beautifully with your available daylight – I’m jealous, I live in an apartment with very little natural light.
Good luck with the book!

Please count me in as a tester. This is my first post also. I am completely new to the world of blogging and I am a total devout to yours. I haven’t really found any other that satisfies my tummy so completely. Oh, and my boyfriends – he is super grateful by the way.
I can’t wait to buy your book once it is ready. I am so happy to hear that you are going to include loads of pictures. As a novice to this exciting world of cooking, the pictures really help me out. It gives me direction and let’s me know when I have arrived.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Oh, and the chocolate puddle cookies . . . .do the world a favour and include that recipe in your book. My office thinks I am a baking god!!!!

Your process sounds like a dream come true to this editor. Looking forward to your book.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement everyone. I’ll put a note in the newsletter when I’m ready for testers – just know, I really appreciate your generosity, I know how busy many of you are.
I need to go back up and answer some of the individual questions from a few of you – once I lose the last ounce of daylight, they are top of my list! -h

So excited for you!…and for me and my kitchen ;o)
Thanks so much for posting this! It’s so cool to read from an author’s perspective from the very beginning and it’s inspiring to know that one day you’ll finish it and I’ll have the final product on my shelf…this kind of writing can be looked to for more than just cooking. Thanks for showing the “human” side to hard work…any testing you need, count me in!
Definitely keep us posted! xo

what an interesting insight into your work – good luck with the book

I can’t wait for the book, and would be tickled to test recipes for it!

Heidi – this was such an interesting and attractive post – as always! I’m a big fan of your work and it was really nice of you to let us get an insight into how you work! Thanks Gemma

This was great insight into an amazing process. I find it extremely difficult to document even a three course meal. Im awaiting the new book!

another more-than-willing recipe tester here, ready and waiting! 🙂
your recipes typify what i want to be consuming, cooking, and eating.
SO excited for your new book; thanks for this inside peek!

Heidi, I can’t wait for another one of your cookbooks. Thanks for letting us in on your creative process. I would love to be a tester so please keep me in mind.

It’s so interesting to hear about your process, Heidi. And the way that you put so much of yourself into SNC shows on every page – through the notes, the personal photography, and through the crafting of the lovely recipes. I can’t wait to see your latest project, and if you’re still looking for testers I’d love to be one.

Terrific images!

I love your blog! Good luck with the new testing! Your images are just terrific.

This post is so exciting! Super Natural Cooking has been my bible since I bought it months ago. You are an inspiration!

I look forward to seeing the finished product. Great advice for those who want to create cook books of their own some day. Thank you for your insight.

thank for that. i love to hear about the process behind creative output. i love organization (sorting, mmm), but i’m kind lazy…

heidi —
i’d love to know what materials you use at each step! what notebooks, binders, folders, etc. do you prefer?
thanks so much,
ike

i’d love to test! thanks for great recipes, website, sharing….namaste!

Heidi,
you do it well and you end up making it look very easy. i like how ‘visual’ you are in your process, i can definitely identify with that…and if you are looking for a tester in pennsylvania, my hand is up!
carolina

I am very excited about your new book. I have your crusted beans and greens from SNC on the menu for tonight. You are quite inspiring and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

You are truly inspiring, Heidi. Thank you so much, from someone who yearns to put together a cookbook of her own. I love your blog, and your way with words and photographs, not to mention your amazing way with ingredients. Thank you so, so much for this very private peek into the creative process. It has inspired and motivated me in so many ways.

thanks for a peak at the behind the scenes of the cookbook making process. It is really interesting to hear your process and methods. Good luck with the steps ahead and I would gladly act as a tester if you ever need.

Thanks for sharing your creative process. As someone who would love to write a cookbook (and is daunted by the thought), I found this post to be very helpful and inspirational. And I would love to test recipes!

Dear Heidi, you have revived my interest in cooking. Thanks to you I got excited again in trying out new recipes and new ingredients. When I’m not inspired, I get lazy and I let my husband do all the cooking (luckily he’s a great cook). Now we take turns making dinner – and I always look forward to my turn. He even said he didn’t mind going vegetarian for half of the week because the food was always so delicious and filling. I’m definitely recommending your web site (and your book) to all my friends. Thanks so much!

Your recipes are such a constant source of inspiration for me. And your pictures. And your writing. I’d be over delighted to test any recipe. Sure I will test them all when the book is out 🙂

Love, love, love your cookbook, your blog and your recipes rock!!
Thanks for sharing!

I’m in for testing any vegan wheat-free recipes. My family and I love your site and we love to try (and sometimes modify) your recipes.

Heidi
Thanks for a great blog. It’s the only one I follow. I am not always equally thrilled with your recipes, but with my own twist they work out great.
I would like to test for you. One reason you might be interested in using me is that I live in Denmark, where it is really difficult to get lots and lots of the ingredients you use. So thoughts about substituting would be a large part of my comments – whether I like it or not…!

Hello Heidi
Once I met an Israeli food photographer and an author of some cook books
I told him that one I shall also write a book on mothers recipes …that I had been documenting since the age of 10 …. he gave me a tip…
He told me …many people can write cook books.. but only few are best sellers … why so .. it is because ..the best seller deals each dish like a special character and presents it in a beautiful story …that seem to be real and delicious.
Heidi , You have an amazing talent ….and the way you comprehend your food experiences and recipes ….. is just engrossing .
I enjoy it to the core of my heart. Please go ahead and all the very best
Warm regards
ashish

Just thought I’d show my thanks many of your recipes are staples in my diet now and I even take my own museli and bars tramping with me, so thanks from Wellington NZ.
P.S. Sadly the Maranui Cafe burnt down, but the community rallied together and it’s getting rebuilt

We are so lucky to be part of your journey in producing SNE. Your Binder is just like my recipe folder where I keep all the recipes I find in magazines etc, & where I keep the printed ones of yours. I used to just plonk them in their covers, but now I have dividers too. So much easier to find!
I would love to test any of your recipes. I am sure we would have the produce here in Australia.
Thankyou again for your inspiration, & I can’t wait for the book.

Your creative process looks awe inspiring. My very first class in Art school was called creative process, it has been the most invaluable class of my life time. It helps me develop ideas, recipes, projects, my day, my weeks and my life. My creative process starts the moment I wake up and ends when I go sleep. Sometimes I even dream process…
You are doing a wonderful job.

Heidi, What a great post! I hear you on being private. I try to stay as private as possible, but sometimes that fails for me…
You and the journals, too? I am addicted to my journals. I journal anything and everything that has to deal with recipes and food. I go through 3 journals a month, which sounds crazy, but I always have ideas running through my head.
As for the recipe testing… I’d gladly test recipes out for you! I love making your recipes and helping you would just be an awesome experience!
Great post, Heidi. And good luck with the book. I know it will be amazing! 🙂

I looked for Super Natural Cooking in the library today … it was checked out at all 5 local library branches. I don’t think that there are very many cookbooks that that holds true for. Your blog and your food are inspiring. Good luck!

I love the earthy way you seem to do most of your processing on paper with handwritten notes.
Will the book be typeset or handset? If handset, it would be special if it was in your hand.

Love your book, love your blog, and would love to be a tester for you!
Thanks for sharing with all of us!

My daughter told me about her friend who received a cookbook from her mother for Christmas that contained all of her mother’s best recipes and her friend said it ws her best gift ever. My daughter wants me to do the same, but even the thought of it seemed formidable to me. You make it sound like it could be possible after all. All the best to you, and I look forward to your book.

So glad to hear you are working on another book! I loved Super Natural Cooking and learned a lot from it and am looking forward to your next book and would be glad to recipe test too.

I loved the first book and would love to do recipe testing too!

I;d love to test your recipes! I love to prepare your recipes!! Thanks for your website.

More than happy to help with the testing, Heidi!

avid reader of your blog. and buzzing with excitement for your new cookbook!
my friends and i have cooking fridays– where we bring different recipes and cook till we’re full-to-bursting!! we’d love to be your test kitchen 🙂
thank you for sharing with us in this beautiful space!!

Discovering your blog several months ago has been (almost literally) a lifesaver! At last, healthy and natural recipes that are exciting and tasty…no more cardboard flavors and dull combinations. As a vegetarian married to a non-, it has been a challenge to satisfy his palate and sense of culinary adventure…until now. Please add me to your list of testers!

thank you. i just wanted to say that i really enjoyed this post. it was really interesting to see the organization that goes into creating your cookbook. i am happy to see that i am not the only one gathering up bits of inspiration and then filing up notebooks, drawers, boxes, etc. for tomorrow or another day.
happy cooking!

Thank you for giving us a glimpse on the process of putting a cookbook together. Your article was very insightful and inspiring to me, in the sense that I have hopes of one day publishing my own cookbook.
I appreciate you taking the time to inform other novice cookbook authors. At the moment, I’ll continue to attempt blogging. =)

Ooh, ooh, me, me. I cook a high number of recipes from your site, so I imagine testing would be just as tasty and fun! 🙂

One more comment from me. One thing I loved about Cook 1.0 was all the charts with variations. I would love to see some grocery shopping/menu planning charts in your new book, something like a week’s worth of meals to master, then with suggested variations for future attempts.

What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing part of your process with us. It’s always fun to learn how someone else approaches a creative project.

Hello looking forward to your new cookbook. I am a culinary professional, If u need help in recipe testing I am in. Love all of your Blog.
Wishing u all the best.

What a cool process!
I love to collect and collage, too.
Have you seen this?
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

OMG, thought i’d never get to the end of the comments!!! I would love to test ANYTHING you have to offer as i am sure all the other folks would too!!! Am so looking foreward to this book. thanks again. Susan

Really interesting post, thanks for the sneak peek! Who knew all the energy it took to create a cookbook? Can’t wait to see the final product.

I know you have received many offers, but I am available to do some recipe testing as well (vegan recipes only). I would love to recommend the book to some of my clients once it is completed!

Hi Heidi,
I am a dietitian in Halifax, Nova Scotia – also a cookbook collector (of which yours is a favourite!) and cooking enthusiast.
I love your blog – it inspired me to start my own recently. Let me know if you would like to check it out!
I would LOVE to be a recipe tester FOR YOUR NEW BOOK!
Keep me ‘posted’.

Wow, I never thought of a binder like this. I’ve always drawn out a storyboard and put together a prototype for big projects to help me visualize what I’m working on. I can’t wait to pull out a binder from our work closet and start a new project. Thanks for such a great idea.

What a labor of love!
Susan

Hi Heidi! Looking forward to your new book! Did you know that SNE means SNOW in Norwegian and Danish? 🙂

hi, i love to have your book your ideas, can i buy your book from iran too?

Can’t wait to see your work come to fruition. So interesting to read your process. Would love to test a recipe.

Hi Heidi,
It’s so nice to look into your process of creating the cookbook. Thanks for sharing this with us. I am looking forward for SNE. 🙂
If you are interested, I am in for the recipe testing. I have a food blog in Portuguese, I’ve already prepared some of your recipes (from the blog and SNC) and I also published a review from Super Natural Cooking. Would be a pleasure test a recipe for your new cookbook.

I’m in.

Hello Heidi
Congratulations on the new book!
I have SNC and it’s been a happy addition to my already bulky cookery book collection.
I would find a series of posts on the creative process of writing a cookbook extremely interesting and I would love to see these posts on your website.
Good luck with the project!
Gabriela

Yea for a new cookbook…you’re truly an inspiration, Heidi and I cannot wait to see the delicious and creative new recipes…keep up the great work!

Hello Heidi .. good wishes with your new project. Your admireres at this part of the world are waiting for the new release. Those who are familar with your posts readily understand how demanding is the phase of publication that you are going through, and we are flattered to have your casual, relaxed style of jotting down your insights, feelings about this cookbook development. It’s a gem and a guide for would-be cookbook writers in years to come 🙂 Once more, best wishes.

Individual creative processes fascinate me – they are so absolutely personal! Thanks for sharing yours with us.

I’m sure this has been a project that keeps you challenged and happy–very inspiring! I’m sure only more great things are on the way.

Can I please test recipes? Plse 🙂

wow, what a wonderful post, thank you so much for sharing. when you posted “a first look,” i remember thinking what a bonus that was for readers. the behind-the-scenes is always fascinating – and brings even more to the final product for readers. we feel kind of privileged to have been a part of the process, to have gotten a sneak peek or sorts. fabulous ! i also just LOVE this post because it sounds very much like me- with my endless (yet perfectly organized) moleskins, folders, page sleeves, color-coded documents,… etc.!! 🙂
your post is also a valuable resource for those wanting to write cookbooks, i bet it will be extremely helpful to them. lots of good luck for the next steps ahead…

Dear Heidi,
I have never left a comment before, but I’m a big fan of yours since I discoved your blog!…
I have tried many of your recipes with great success, I love the taste and -most important- the philosophy of them.
Your previous book is absolutely amazing, so it’s really exciting that you are writing a new one!
Unfortunately I won’t be able to taste your dishes, since I am Greek, but you will have a huge list of volunteers anyway!
Good luck and thank you!

Thank you for giving us an inside look at how you tackle creating a cookbook. This is something that I would love to do someday so I really appreciate seeing how it is done!

I’ll be a tester any time!

I’m a recent culinary school graduate, but I have been cooking since I was a child. I would love to test recipes for you!

thanks for sharing your process. someday i hope to go through my own. 😉 count me in as a recipe tester if you need.

I’d be happy to test any recipes — both before the book is finished and after its publication! I’m a west-coast transplant living on the east coast. I feel at home here now but miss Bay Area treasures like amazing farmer’s markets, Rainbow Grocery, Cafe Gratitude, and my mom.
Mr. MG and I enjoy preparing, eating, & sharing natural foods with others. We most recently enjoyed a lightly modified version of your lime and peanut coleslaw. I wish you continued success in crafting your new book!

Thank you for sharing. Inspiring insight as I set out on my own personal process towards a similar goal- doing my best to enjoy every step as the process surely is the outcome.

I’m so hungry I’d taste anything!!

Writer to writer, I appreciated seeing your creative process, which is a little like mine and involves binders. 🙂
Foodie to foodie, I’d be delighted to test.
Since I’m going to guess most people here know how to cook, I’m wondering if there are some non-cooks who could give you amazing feedback because while we might compensate for errors in the writing non-cooks will just end up with a mess. Either way, I’m sure it’ll be incredible.
And to paraphrase Anne Lamont in Bird by Bird , when you hear those doubts come into your head think of them as mice, put them in a glass container, and close the lid. You can open the jar every now and again but don’t let them stop you.

I cannot wait for your new cookbook to come out! I am working my way through this online recipe journal and your cookbook. I was diagnosed with celiac and casein allergies this summer, and your recipes have been a saving grace! Even more than that…your recipes have helped me navigate this new food world AND love it more than the previous food world I was in. Thank you Heidi!

WOW! Thank you for sharing this process with us, your readers. You are an inspiration and a treasure Heidi.

This was such an interesting post to read. Best of luck in finishing the project. And if you need any taste-testers, I’m local! 🙂

Every time I make something delicious for friends, they exclaim, “Oh, that must be another Heidi recipe” . Not only are your recipes delicious, but your creative process is tantalizing as well! Cooking is such an amazing art form which nourished ourselves and our friends and family. Can’t wait to test entries and see the finished product!
Susan

Recipe testing? yes please Heidi. I’m also a pretty good proof reader too. I shall watch with interest.

A new book soon! Fabulous! If you need a tester I’d love to help out!

Heidi, you are truly an inspiration. Writing a cookbook requires a lot of work. Your website is actually one of the first who inspired me to start my own. i would love to be part of process (testing, etc) as I also dream of having my own cookbook as well one day.

Glad I’m not alone in “talking myself out of the trees”.
Really interesting process, with lots of nitty gritty stuff – so good to see.

I am game to read and critique, Ex proofreader for newspaper, and writer for same paper. Love your blogs and recipes. You work very hard at this…. way to go~

Heidi,
this is awesome. Very inspiring. It is always interesting to see other peoples’ creative process. I could never imagina what it was like, writing a cookbook.
If you ever need any testers, I’m so in – love your approach to cooking.

I would also love to be a tester, Heidi… and thank you for including your ‘public’ – we, your Gentle Readers – in the meticulous and very personal process of transforming a private thought of yours into a tangible creation to share with us. And kudos on using your blog as a checkpoint, to gather your thoughts and evaluate your progress, so that we can also appreciate the care and thought you’ve put into it.
The art of creating is a private heaven and hell, in my opinion, so I was most struck by the sentence “So many people involved!”
I find myself wondering how many supporting roles your project has created, and hope that the next time you take a break to update us all, you may shed some light on this!

I’d come all the way from Houston to taste!!

Wow, a new cookbook! That’s so exciting! I’m upp for testing.
Nisrine

Wow, a new cookbook! That’s so exciting! I’m upp for testing.
Nisrine

OK, so I love 101 Cookbooks for the recipes, photos and personality, AND I love the readers who post here because you know how to write complete thoughts, spell correctly, and use punctuation! Hooray for good reading!

I admire your efforts. I have written several technical books (about electronics) in a past life and even owned a publishing company years ago. If you wish for an editor who is brutal about correct use of quotation marks, commas, semi-colons and other such pain-in-the neck fun things, I would be honored to assist. Oh, yes, I am a recent culinary school graduate waiting for my ACF certification to arrive. Send me an e-mail and I will supply contact numbers. Oh, yes, I used to be an attorney (and might be again if a good kitchen job doesn’t develop).

Thank you so much for sharing your creative process. A good roadmap for the rest of us, and a good lesson in how much work it takes to make it happen. Would love to be a recipe tester when the time comes that you need one.

Heidi: This is fascinating! Your organization is a model for anyone working on a book. I will definitely want a copy. And if you need a test kitchen, include me on your list. All best wishing moving forward. HH

Fascinating! I love Super Natural Cooking, so I’m looking forward to your next book and it’s so interesting to read about the process. x

Heidi, thank you for sharing your writing and thought processes. It was not only a generous gesture, but your missive captures the bountiful heart of a woman who prepares and plays with food in the same spirit. I always look forward to reading your blog and continually find inspiration for yet another good meal.

Thanks for sharing, Heidi! I can’t wait for your new book to come out. As an aspiring writer, I definitely appreciate you sharing your creative process and find your ideas so inspiring! And of course I’m always down for testing new recipes 🙂

Heidi…thank you for sharing this with us. I as a non=writer but avid reader appreciate the effort that goes into this or any writing project. Best of luck for the upcoming book.

Testing? I’m all for it – anything that’s gluten-free of course. I wouldn’t mind converting to GF too if you wish.
I’m excited about your new book. I love SNC already, and your blog is always great. Your organization system seems daunting to me! I suppose we all have our ways – if I tried to explain my processes, I bet I’d lose a few people myself!

So excited to hear about upcoming new book! I bought both Cook 1.0 and Super Natural Cooking after discovering your blog. I am very much a novice cook but you have inspired me to venture outside of my comfort zone, learn about new ingredients and eat healthier! I had never cooked brussel sprouts before (bad associations from childhood) and now your caramelized tofu and brussel sprouts dish is one of my favorite staples. Your steelcut oatmeal entry in SNC has entirely changed my breakfast routine (and drastically reduced my Starbucks visits). I would have never thought of making oats for the week and all the variations. I love the idea of the “everyday” focus of your new book as the biggest obstacle for most of us is the misconception that cooking for yourself is going to be time-consuming and complicated. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us and I would love to help!

Thanks Heidi for letting us in on your process. As you know, I’m always up for testing! Be well.

As an American living in the UK, I’d be happy to test any thing for you that has international weights and measures. They are VERY different from imperial as I’m sure you know – and a few grams either way can make a big difference to the outcome of a recipe. The ingredients can differ, too. For example “all purpose flour” (US) isn’t really interchangeable with “plain flour” (UK); I always add a bit of extra strong bread flour to my plain flour to make it perform like all-purpose. Anyway, I’m here across the pond and will gladly help out.

i am very excited to hear about the progress.
and if you are interested in a European tester (metric or cups, i can do both!), let me know!
i have enjoyed many of your online recipes, as well as the ones in SNC. bought it in the States 2 years ago 😀

Thanks for sharing your creative process with us. I make photographs and paint and build art pieces from the two processes. Your way of creating make me feel right at home with the book even before it’s complete.
I also cook as natural as I can afford, avoiding dairy and wheat as often as possible…so anticipating your brilliant and beautiful work of art anytime the birthing process is complete.
Yvonne Charneskey

I have your 1st cookbook and rely on it and your blog for ideas! I would love to be a tester!

Would love to test, can’t wait for the book!

Thank you for sharing this Heidi. My children have asked me to record my recipes and I have set up a Tumblr blog where I am slowly adding recipes. I like the idea of putting it into a book format for them and have had ideas floating around in my head. Your post is useful as I can now see where my next step should be.

I’ll put in that I’m also a guy, so there are at least two men reading your blog, and using your cookbook. And thanks for giving me a look at your creative process. It’s easy to get lost, and paper has been better than digital to get back on track. I’ll be waiting for your book.

Wonderful insight Heidi as a novice baker I always enjoyed the creative part of how people are inspired to share wonderful recipes with others. So many people have asked me to do a cook book and I often wish there was a talking cookbook about the process people go through (for-thought) as it would be real interesting and inspirational to see the real story behind the lines of what goes into making a cookbook. I always though the best way to teach someone about anything except building a bomb or brain surgery was to give them the directions and observe the results. I learn more from the feedback as it provides a creative process for new recipes. Best to your endeavors and if you need a tester give me a shout!

Your blog is so well written and honest. It is easy to believe that it is a nearly effortless endeavor for you. Thank you for the “peek behind the curtain” that reveals the heart and hard work beyond your comfort zone.
Best wishes for SNE.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing your approach with us.
I would LOVE to be a recipe tester!

Go for it, girl! We are all behind you! Put me on your “list” for help…

I loved reading “The Manuscript”– it so reminds me of myself. I too am a collector of small treasures strewn all around me that both inspire and catch me smiling. I have sacred smatterings of grandkid’s art, my beloved Mom’s poems, photos of today and precious yesteryear, beginnings of a melody that my guitar is patiently waiting to play after spotting Dad’s lyrics scribbled on a piece of yellowed paper, a colorful collection of inside blank books waiting for little treasures filled with words of wisdom, or perhaps silly nothings. All of these will someday come together as one or many lovely chapters in my life.
I can’t wait for your new cookbook and would love to test!

You said in your first sentence, that you were going to “write about Super Natural Every Day”.
In the title for this blog, I am curious why you didn’t use SNED instead of SNE, since you’re using the two-word version of “every day”, and not the “eveyday” contraction (without the space).
A couple of examples:
1. SNE = Super Natural Everyday
2. SNED = Super Natural Every Day
It appears that you’re using the 1st part of #1 with the last part of #2, which might confuse some of us who are confoundedly literal minded. Personally, I like “everyday” (the blended form of “every day” without the space) the best, in which case your use of SNE would fit better.
Your sharing your creative journey with us is marvelous!

So, so exciting Heidi. I appreciate so much your dedication to recipes that work. I know first hand it is rather trying to achieve consistent results. And the writing process! So good to hear of your experience, even in summary. It is, as others have already said, inspiring.

I doubt if I could ever be focused long and hard enough to write a book, but I could definitely focus long enough to test a recipe: prepare, photograph, eat, comment. Of course your recipes would always be a pleasure to test. I have Super Natural Cooking and it is beautiful.

Thank you for sharing the details of your creative and organizational process. I appreciate how much thought and care you put into your writing as well as your cooking!

Heidi-
Thank you for sharing your project and the process. It helps motivate me to get organized and dovetail all the snippets of poetry, journaling, recipes and life experience into my coming book, also.

I will ALWAYS test something if you want vegan or to list EASY vegan substitution options. I’m all about the easy vegan due to my son’s anaphylactic reactions to milk/egg eats.

Your first book was pre-ordered from Amazon, and a delight to receive. Congratulations your upcoming book! I can’t wait to add it to my collection! If you still need testers, let me know. i think it would be fun to be a small part of your project.

I am totally in for testing!!

Can’t wait to see that book! Good work Heidi. Keep it up! 🙂

Heidi,
I stumbled upon your blog several months ago by accident when looking for a recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds(which I found here!). Since then, your recipes and tips have changed the way I eat, shop, and live. You have had a huge impact on my life and in turn, on my family since I preach to them now about using natural foods! I’ve lost weight, feel great, and have a rejuvinated love for cooking again. So, I owe you a big thank you! I have your Super Natural Cooking book and look forward to this one. All the best,
Chelsea

heck yes! i’ll help test!

Heidi,
Appreciate the glimpse into your cookbook writing process. Always learn something new or intriguing folowing your blog. Enjoy your culinary style & recipes. Let me know if you need anymore testers.

I love reading your blog and occasionally testing the recipes (if they look easy!). Your photos and text make the process come alive. (and if you’re looking for NON-experts to test recipes, I’ll volunteer :))
I’m commenting to say thank-you for sharing your writing process. I could never write a cookbook, but your description of the process helps me understand how I could approach writing a different kind of book. thanks!

IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE NO MALES IN YOUR READERSHIP- WHAT GIVES AND HOW CAN YOU APPEAL TO “THE OTHER SEX” WHO ALSO LOVE TO COOK?

I love reading your blog!! I am a foodie and I love to cook. I own your book as well!! I would love to help out and be a tester. It looks like you have quite a few volunteers. FYI, I am not working so I am free. I live close to SF as well.
Good luck and you have us to give you support. I can’t wait to see the final outcome.

I like your site, recipes and the sharing of the publication process. I would enjoy testing if and when you need it.

I’ve made many of your recipes from both the book and this site with invariably good results. I have cooked for many years including a summer job cooking for the late Baroness de Rothschild and her frequent guests at her summer home in East Barnard, Vermont. I also cooked for a year in a private school in the Chianti hills outside of Florence, Italy. When living in Japan, I was a guest on 3 TV shows in Tokyo, all of them focusing on natural health issues. For one of them I prepared a five-course meal entirely based on tofu! Would love to be one of your testers! I’m also a very good editor — M.A. from Harvard in English & Education.

I’ve love to be a tester. Cooking is one of my favorite activities and I really enjoy your blog.

Thanks for sharing a glimpse of how you bring it all together. It is so interesting to see and hear your creative proccess. Really look forward to hearing more and to seeing the final outcome!
Wishing you good luck with it all!
Amy.

ooo. i am definitely interested in testing! i have been following your blog for about a year now, and i am just so very excited for your upcoming book. i wish you all the luck and a gigantic dose of clarity and calm for the home stretch!

ok…the “talking myself out of the trees” is great. Getting a glimpse into your creative realm is a special treat. Your spark is igniting other sparks in the world!

Hi Heidi–
I would LOVE to test your recipes. I bake a lot (see blog note above), but have made many of your savory recipes, so I could do both. It is also my dream to publish a cookbook, so my ears always prick up when you write about your process. The second-to-last paragraph in your entry today is priceless! It made me laugh out loud because I can SO relate to the painful process of writing when you have such high expectations. Looking forward to the book! Best to you…

sooooo in for testing, and super pumper for the finished product !!!

Heidi –
This post is the best example I’ve ever read (or seen!) that perfectly describes the balance between work flow and creative process. Bravo to you for all the incredible talent you pour onto each page. I wish you much success with the new book and am happy to be a tester whenever you need one!

I would love to be involved in the testing process. My cooking style is very similar to yours, down to the paper folder filled with scraps of paper. Best of luck with the new book!

While I absolutely love your site, the recipes, the beautiful photos, one thing I really enjoy is reading through the comments & linking to the blogs of your other readers. Two hours can get away from me in no time!

What an amazing labor of love!!!
I love your blog, recipes and writing and look forward to owning your new cookbook! Each time I read a new blog of yours, it is comforting both in words and images. You obviously have enormous talent — so thank you for sharing that with us.

Love learning about the writing process! Thank you for sharing. Your recipes are always a treat and I can’t wait for your new book.
You’ve even made my husband excited about eating vegetarian.

Very excited for the new book, and would definitely love to test any recipes. Thanks for sharing your cookbook process!

I’m pretty pumped for your new book and all of the natural recipes I’ll have the opportunity to try and pass along in my new recipe section. Best wishes to you in this journey, what a thrill ride!

Definitely love to test any of your recipes.. bring it on!

Thanks for giving us a glimpse of “the process.” Know that all your hard work is not in vain…I love your recipes, writing, and cookbook!
Oh, and count me in for recipe testing!

I think you can easily see how so many of your goals for this new cookbook are already being met through your loyal followers here! I admire your approach to your cookbook; it’s all heart, all ‘natural’ and nothing superficial…in other words, it’s all you!
I battle with a family who is not as ‘adventurous’ an eater as I am, but I know when I want to slip in something extraordinarily healthy and tasty, I come here..and it works! So I would not make a very good test cook. However, my expertise would be in the area of light copy editing and proofreading. I’m but an email away!
Thank you for taking us along for the ride~!

I love your last book and can’t wait for this out to come out! I would love to be a tester as well… 🙂

Can I tell you, Heidi, how much I enjoyed this peek into what is surely such a private process? Thank you for taking the time to put this out there. I’m honored.

Heidi, I love that your world involves print, and paper, and lists, and all those little black notebooks filled with words and images and ideas, not so unlike my own (nice to have a friend in this) madness at work. It puts it all into perspective, for sure-as books don’t just appear and producing them purely in a computer, is often far from what actually happens. What I admire about your first book is that it is so tactile, so inspired by what you do and not what you “should” do in publisher speak. it’s not an easy world to navigate, and you are doing it so well. Thanks for sharing–Brava!

I have been so excited since you first told us that you are making another cookbook! I have your first, and I feel so connected to it when I make a recipe from it because of all of the heart and advice you put in it in your words. Thanks! I can’t wait to start bending the spine and bookmarking pages in the next one! Is there any way you might be adding an everyday, whole wheat bread recipe??
Good luck! You are such a wonderful inspiration!

Just found your first cookbook in Boulder while traveling and was delighted. Have had it on my list ever since I discovered your blog…worked behind the scenes on COOKING WITH SHELBURNE FARMS. Would love to test recipes for your new book!!–Hilary

Thanks for the insight into your process. What an enormous amount of work a book is – and so gratifying as you tick off the steps.

I think we would all love to test for you!!!
I am very interested in hearing about your cookbook process… but at the same time I am also sad to wait the 5 days for a new post and see that it is not a recipe 🙁 So maybe there is a way you could incorporate the two?
Or just post more often!!! Please!!!

What I love best about your process is that it’s so paper based. I’ve tried to convert the whole recipe/testing/tracking method to 100% digital and it just doesn’t convert. I love having the messy paper right there on the counter!
As a long time vegan, your site has been such a lifesaver. When I host dinner parties, I always end up directing people to 101cookbooks!
Should you need a tester throughout this process, just email. I’m ready to go!

I really enjoyed a peek into your creative and organizational process, Heidi! Thank you for sharing it with us. All the best as you continue to work on this-I know how daunting huge projects can seem.
I would be very honored to help you test recipes, and I know my fiance would be as thrilled as I am. Your recipes are in constant rotation in this little house and we would love to provide feedback for you!

Thanks for this glimpse into process. So many cookbooks hit the shelves without due testing and revision, so I heave a strange sigh of relief when I see so much thought and care.
Though I’m sure you have a group of reliable stand-bys lined up for testing, there’s a little Canadian kitchen that would treat your recipes well and provide honest, thorough feedback.

Very insightful into the process. Thanks!

I’d love to test a recipe too. Especially since I’ll be moving to Europe in a few months, and I am particularly interested in how things here turn out there.

I too would like to thank you for sharing this process. One day I hope to be a cookbook author, I just enrolled in culinary school so it will be awhile, but it is inspirational to see all of the thought and hard work you are putting into this project. My kitchen is anticipating this book, and I would definitely love to help with recipe testing!

Thank you so much for sharing about your process! It sounds so simple, logical, and creative — but I am sure there is so much more behind that happens to make it work and bring it all together. It is so interesting to learn about the process that you follow! And of course I would love to help test recipes! I hope everything continues to go well with the process!

🙂 congrats on the hard work and good luck in the finishing. I have started several books and…well…somewhere they don’t get done, between the effort that it takes and the other bits of life and the fear of putting myself out there.
That being said, someday they will. I get closer all the time. Hearing your organizational pattern is inspiring and helpful to that!
And, if you need something tested…I’ve been reading your site for about two years now, using it as inspiration for my own increasingly adventurous cooking, for information on ingredients, and (Occasionally) for a recipe which I never actually have followed straight through, and yet there has never been one that came out wrong…so let me know if I can take an opportunity to do something the *right* way to help you out.

Thanks for sharing your process with us! Sounds fascinating! I can’t wait to see your new book– your other one is such a gem.

Absolutely can’t wait for the book, Heidi! So happy to hear that it’s going so well and is so far along.
We are always here, if you need help being talked down from the trees, or help testing, or anything else!
Look forward to hearing more!

Definitely up for testing!

I would certainly be willing to test for you. This is going to be one amazing cookbook.

I’m always game Heidi. I love your recipes, your photographs and your stories. Bring them on! I can’t wait for the next book…
Michaela

So intriguing to read about your writing process Heidi. There’s a lot to be said for your approach of keeping up the momentum by building in tasks ‘ticked off’ and having something that gives you a sense of what the finished book will be.
Still loving that the cookbook will be for *every day*. These recipes are the gems, so much more than the ones that are trooped out for guests twice a year. No added pressure intended 🙂

What a treat to hear about your bookmaking process. I’d love to be a tester. Your recipes are a constant (weekly!) inspiration in my kitchen and so many have become instant favorites!

WOW, what a big project – I’m inspired and excited to see the results!

I can’t wait for your second book. I’m sure it is going to be amazing.
I would also love to do some recipe testing.

Thank you for sharing this amazing adventure. Writing a cookbook is everything that I imagined, and you seem to have every ingredient for it! Your collections of ideas is truly amazing, and inspiring.
I would love to do some recipe testing. I’m on my 3rd year of food blogging and I never get tired of new recipes, new ideas, or new flavors. Food is art. Art is life. 🙂
Jenn

As someone who LOVES your recipes, they are staples in our house, I’d love to also join in and test recipes for your book.

Thank you for letting us share in your creative process – from thought to inspiration to the practicalities of outlines and checklists. It’s amazing that you find time to post so frequently on this blog.
I’d love to be a recipe tester.

I’ve been lurking this site for about two years now, but this is my first comment. I really adore the recipes you share, how they are ideas that can be taken many different directions. SNC is the golden child of my cook book collection, and this site along with your book has really transformed my diet. I have often thought, while making your recipes, how much I would love to share the outcome with you (but alas, I never made it to the comments). Recipe testing is right up my alley! I absolutely cannot wait.

Thanks for sharing your writing process. Can’t wait to see your next cookbook. Would love to help test recipes.

I’ve always wondered how someone would go about writing a cookbook. Thanks for giving us a peek! I can’t wait til it’s in stores!

I can’t wait to see your new book, Heidi. I picked up a copy of SNC when I was in the states a couple of months ago and it is already one of the most well used, dog-eared, sauce-splashed books in my collection.
Thanks for sharing your passion with us. Very inspiring 🙂

I’ve just pushed a button on a blog post about how I want to improve my photography and here I am reading a few minutes later how someone is pushing themselves to achieve another goal. It’s fired me up to get more organised, more deliberate and more determined to push myself out of my comfort zone.
I wish you well with your cookbook – I love reading your blog and have been inspired so many times by your recipes. Look forward to helping you to test and experiment.

I love hearing and seeing the process. I’m so excited about the release of this new book; I bet it’ll be grand!
Need recipe testers? Yes please!

Recipe testing? You bet!

I enjoyed this post very much, and find it satisfying if not inspirational (even though I am not working on any type of book). Seeing the organization required and processes mapped out show why your cookbook(s) is/are so well-done. Thank you!

Thanks for this post. I appreciate the insight into your process. Your other book, and ones like it, are a beautiful part of my collection. I am mostly a photography book collector, but also cookbooks, and your book has a beautiful hand feel and look, between paper, texture, heft, recipes and pictures. It is a keeper in so many ways. Interestingly, I have two copies: one for recipes and one as a photography book.
The book is not forgotten. The best books are those that act like, feel like books, that in themselves are works of art, but works of art at telling their story, not taking center stage.
Can’t wait for the new one!

I’m so in for testing

Best wishes on developing SNE. If I could put it on my Amazon wish list right now, I would.
The dummy binder is just how we were taught to work through producing our dissertations in graduate school. It is an instant view of your progress. And it is hard to see progress and organization in the middle of a giant project.
If you haven’t read Ann Lamott’s book Bird by Bird on writing, that may be helpful, too…or at least entertaining.
Thanks for sharing your process with us, and thanks for all the great recipes each week.

As someone who has hopes of being a published cookbook author one day, this was very interesting and inspiring to read. Getting a glimpse at the process of an author is always a great way to learn and I really appreciate that you’ve taken the time to do this.
As for looking for testers in the future, I would love to offer a hand. I know my blog is new to the world, but my cooking has been around almost as long as I have.

long-time foodie; first-time poster… if you still need particular testing, i’m in!