Can you see it in this picture? This was me, a budding writer, on Easter Sunday, back in 1960. I was wearing my Sunday best and holding the little white bible my father had given me,as I stood outside of my Grandparent's home in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. I think I was a somewhat peculiar child in a lot of ways. I loved books, and reading. I loved food and recipes, and I could be found most days creating mud pies or grass and weed salads sat on the laundry stoop in our back yard.
As a child I dreamt of visiting faraway places, cooking for the Queen, marrying one of the Beatles and becoming a writer and writing a book. I even remember borrowing a friend's typewriter, much like this one, and penning a few stories on it before tiring of the laborious, one letter at a time, procedure.
As an adult I have traveled to faraway places, married an Englishman, worked as a personal Chef in a Manor house, gotten to stand in the Cavern in Liverpool where the Beatles got their start, and I have been penning my writings to my loyal readers on not one, but two, daily blogs . . . in one form or another over the past 13 years or so.
I have written many self published cookbooklets and even a full self-published book (Recipes From the Big Blue Binder) over the years but the opportunity to write an officially published book eluded me until last year when the publishing company Passageway Press contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in writing a Cookery Book for them. They did not have to ask me twice . . . another of my childhood dreams coming true.
A year later and many hours of work on both my part andthe part of my Editor and his team, this is the result!
I proudly present!
Writing this book has been a real labor of love for me. It is the culmination of all of my years experience as a capable home cook, and as a professional chef, and is based around my love for the UK and all that it has to offer you in the way of good food and tradition. I have a deep love for my adopted home, its people and its cuisine. There are over 500 recipes in the book, taking you from breakfast to spur of the moment midnight snacks!
There are bakes and cakes, and soups and grills and a few surprises as well. I have celebrated some of our more popular holidays with some tasty offerings, and honored the great British takeaway as well as firm favourites gleaned from a childhood of drooling over feastworthy Enid Blytonesque treats!
I also share a compendium of my years of knowledge and experience in both my home kitchen and and as a working Chef, and I embroidered all of it with a huge chunk of my anglo-loving heart. I like to think that it reads like a good friend sitting down with you, and sharing a nice hot cuppa across te table along with a good recipe, or two or three!
It is available now via Amazon world wide in both the hard copy and kindle versions. For links please see my upper side bar.
Here are the links to some of the reviews on the book if you care to take a look at them:
The Crafty Gardiner
La Table De Nana
A Glug of Oil"I received my book yesterday and I am so impressed!! There are pages upon pages of beautifully illustrated recipes with easy to find ingredients and easy to follow instructions. I know Marie's recipes and they are always a winner. It is clear she has put her heart and her multiple talents into this book. I look forward to purchasing more of these beautiful books to give as Christmas gifts this year! Well Done, Marie!!" ~Bev Also, if you buy the book and would like a signed book plate, I am happy to send you one. Just message me your mailing address! Many thanks for reading! I promise not to talk about it again! Many thanks to Glyn and the people at Passageway Press for affording me this wonderful opportunity!
