At long last, the cookbook is here!Blogging about making such a book began on September 9, 2008. This is my 150th post, nearly 2 years after the last one. A lot of time and words fell away in that long hiatus. For a while, it looked like the demands of day-to-day life would prevent anything from ever materializing.
As some of you may know, the need for the book arose from the tragic and untimely passing of a childhood friend. I felt compelled to do something meaningful in memoriam. Cooking was the only thing I could offer and raising funds for charity while doing it seemed like a reasonable idea.
For better or worse, a fire was lit under my arse this year. This July will mark the 7th anniversary memorial -- 6 full years after death -- which is a time of great significance among Buddhists. It became absolutely essential and symbolic for me to have the book ready in time for the event, which has gone from being a modest service to an epic occasion involving over a hundred invited family and friends.
My late friend's family still doesn't know what I've been up to and I'm starting to feel some anxiety and trepidation about how the book will be received. The first printed copies (sent to two different cities just to make sure that at least one order would arrive on time) have one typo that I'm aware of and some photos look better on my laptop than in print. My only hope is for the book to find one happy owner.
The publisher, Blurb, did a great job printing and binding the amateur content I laid out with some help from friends. As of July 2, you will be able to order a printed copy (hard cover or soft) or an e-book for your iPad or iPhone through Blurb; as I understand it, the e-book will also be available through the Apple iBookstore. Check back here for links. I'm also searching for other e-book publishers that will allow me to sell and distribute it electronically for a wider variety of mobile devices.
You might find the printed copies to be a bit pricey, but I have tried my very best to give you the most bang for your buck at the lowest possible production cost while also raising a few dollars per book for two very important hunger relief organizations: Action Against Hunger and World Food Programme. Not one penny will be going to me. This was a labor of love.
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