Photos from The Austin Food Bloggers Community Cookbook
I like to think that I've lived in a lot of different kinds of places. I've lived in tiny little towns, great big cities, and busy suburbs. Scott and I made ourselves at home in a three hundred fifty square foot studio in Beijing, a converted barn in Woodbury, Connecticut, and a borrowed bedroom in a family house. We've stayed for short stints and long hauls, sometimes passing through, sometimes digging in. Through our countless upheavals we knew that one day we'd find a place to settle. Austin has turned out to be that place.
Our decision to stay put had a lot to do with community. We were immediately welcomed here by a network of friends and family. Before we'd even unpacked we were getting to know people, going out, and meeting new acquaintances. Beyond our circle of friends and family there was a whole city of people who seemed unusually eager to socialize. There were clubs, teams, and meetups for every imaginable activity or interest. My sister, Heather, joined a skee-ball team while I checked out a karaoke league for a while. Sarah recently hooked up with a gang of prenatal yogis, and Scott has an entire double-life revolving around disc golf. There really is something for everyone here.
It didn't take long for me to find The Austin Food Blogger Alliance, a new group that was working to bring local food bloggers together. Two years later, the organization is a huge part of my social and professional life. We support one another, promote each other's work, and share our experience and expertise. I've never been a part of such a well-organized, friendly, and motivated group of people. It's really special, and such a great example of why I love Austin. This is a place that thrives on human connection.
The exceptional sense of community here in Austin makes it the perfect place for the first-ever food blogger community cookbook. The Austin Food Blogger Alliance has been working on this project for some time now, collecting amazing recipes, gorgeous photos, and touching food stories. This will be a serious, professionally published cook book containing more than ninety recipes from food bloggers in Austin.
The recipes have been tested, proofed, and edited, so you can be sure that the book will not only be beautiful and inspiring, but useful too. During development, the AFBA held a potluck dinner where we all cooked and tasted each other's cookbook recipes. What a treat! I know it shouldn't surprise me, but we can really cook! After that, I was looking forward to the book coming out more than ever.
A pre-sale is going on now, giving readers a chance to reserve their own copy (or bundle of copies). Pre-sale copies are available for just $25 each, or you can buy five copies $100. Books can be pre-ordered on the Austin Food Blogger Alliance website.
I have two recipes in the book, my Rainbow Soba, and my Creamy Chipotle Sweet Potato and Quinoa Casserole. This is my first time having a recipe printed in a book, so I'm very excited for it to come out. I hope you'll buy a copy (or five) and get to know some of my favorite people through its recipes.