Behind-The-Scenes: Creating "You Can Cook Any THING"
I am so excited to share the behind-the-scenes journey of creating my new cookbook, "You Can Cook Any THING"! People ask me all the time: "How do you come up with your recipes?" Truth be told, all my recipes are variations of my tried-and-true favorites, adapted by whatever ingredients I have in the fridge at the time. And that, my friends, is the secret to success!
My new book is devoted to teaching you how to trust yourself and believe in your ability to cook for friends and family. My rule of thumb? Don’t name the dish until after you bring it to the table. Your Steak Dianne may end up being Beef Stroganoff... and no one has to know!
Tried and True!
Easy for Beginners
To best coach you, I used every tool to inspire confidence. My recipes contain two measures for ingredients: for example, one large chopped bell pepper is roughly one cup. If your pepper is smaller, you might need one and a half; if it’s extra-large, you might only need three-fourths. Just chop enough to fill the cup.
The amount of food each recipe yields differs based on your portion size. One 8-ounce steak can feed a couple for supper, or it can be a snack for a hungry teenage boy! It’s all good. My recipes make allowances for all your variables.
The Art of AI in the Kitchen
Rather than hire a food photographer, I worked with a graphic artist. Often, gorgeous photographs of finished dishes create pressure because we feel we can't replicate them. To remove that pressure, we entered recipe ingredients into a computer and asked AI to show us the end result.
The AI Tester!
These are representations meant to inspire. As an added benefit, I found that if an AI depiction didn't resemble the dish, it was usually a fault in the recipe’s clarity. So, I re-wrote it. In a way, AI became an additional recipe tester!
Behind the Lens
Next, we added 125 instructional videos. If you see the word “dice,” you can capture a QR code to see a video teaching you exactly how. Each shoot took days of prep; one Sunday alone, I logged over 13,500 steps without ever leaving my kitchen!
Mastering the Dice
I think you will find that this additional instruction in the book was well worth the effort. To ensure you can cook anything, I added a free app with further instructions, extra recipes, and substitutions. You can chat with me at any time—I’m (virtually) in the kitchen with you!
Putting It All Together
All of this has taken over a year to come together. The first volume will be available in January 2024, followed by four more volumes throughout the year. I am excited to present this to you, and I hope that you will be excited to own it.
From the Memoir to the Kitchen
In this memoir, I shared the secret that every recipe is just a variation of a tried-and-true favorite. To practice this philosophy of fun and confidence in the kitchen, explore our Master Blueprint for Sprinkle Pancakes with Maple Cream Glaze—a whimsical twist on a classic favorite.