The Portuguese Travel Cookbook wins second Gourmand Award!
2017 couldn’t be up to a better start. The 2017 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards have awarded The Portuguese Travel Cookbook as the national winner in its category: Self-Published Book. This second award adds to the international recognition of my book, as in the 2016 edition of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the Portuguese version – Viagens pelas Receitas de Portugal, was the national winner for the best Digital e-book.
Back in 2014, when I was challenged by José Borralho from APTECE to write a book about what it is like to travel through Portugal through food, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just knew that I wanted to tell the stories of the people, the ingredients, the places, the recipes and everything that makes a culinary journey across Portugal so special. A big part of the way I wanted to tell the stories was through “spur the moment” photography, and this I owe to the talented Emanuele Siracusa, my companion during the 32 days journey across Portugal. I believe that it is this candid, unprocessed and raw approach to the way the stories are told in the book, where the recipes are the main story drivers, the reason for the success of both books.
In case you were wondering what an award email looks like, bellow is a copy the message I received from Gourmand International:
“Congratulations!
The Gourmand Awards jury is delighted to announce that Portuguese Travel Cookbook is the national winner in its category: SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK.
This is a great book for culinary tourism, written and published with talent and much work by the passionate author.
Edouard Cointreau, President of the Jury – Gourmand World Cookbook Awards”
Although it is very special to read such great feedback from Mr. Edouard Cointreau himself, I also take great joy in reading the wonderful feedback messages from all those who purchased the book and ultimately used it as a guide for their journey across Portugal. This makes me feel wholesome, as I know that my objective – to inspire readers to use the book as their guide to discovering Portugal through food is being fulfilled.
As I wrote in the introduction of the book:
“The main objective of this book is to give hunger and desire to travel through Portugal to all those who read it. To make the reader dream of Portugal, imagine how the different dishes must taste, what is its texture, what are the ingredients and who are the people who cook them”…”The real credits are not mine, nor Emanuele’s, nor APTECE’s. The real credits of this book are the people who work daily to make journeys like this possible, and that each of you can now replicate at any time”.
Here are a few examples:
Zojuist op mijn deurmat, yeah! Love through food! Thanks @nelsoncarvalheiro #lovethroughfood #lisboameuamor #nelsoncarvalheiro #forfoodies #casaloesy
A photo posted by loesy (@loesy) on Dec 9, 2016 at 4:41am PST
Eu já tenho a minha cópia #ViagensPelasReceitasDePortugal #nelsoncarvalheiro #Lisboa #PortoBay
A photo posted by Hugo Ferreira (@ferreirexx) on Sep 30, 2015 at 9:24am PDT
Boa comida ✔️ Trabalho de casa ✔️
A photo posted by @18ck on Oct 21, 2016 at 6:28am PDT
Trocando o Lonely Planet pelo guia local Já falei no blog sobre o livro dos meus amigos @nelsoncarvalheiro e @esiracusaimages mas experimentar as receitas como pudim do abade de Priscos ou arroz de sarrabulho depois da leitura é outra história.
A photo posted by Gaía Passarelli (@gaiapassarelli) on Aug 9, 2016 at 10:38am PDT
Good read by the pool! Portuguese Travel Cookbook. I'll be giving out a free signed copy on my blog soon! #tiamariasblog #portuguesetravelcookbook #portugal #nelsoncarvalheiro #portuguesefood #portuguesecookbooks #portugaltravel
A photo posted by Maria Dias (@tiamariasblog) on Jul 13, 2016 at 2:17pm PDT
The Portuguese Travel Cookbook Amazon.com Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of stories and food. ByRachelleon August 13, 2016 Format: Paperback Great stories. It’s not just recipes, but the kind of cookbook you sit down with to read and savor the stories. The recipes are great too! Just tried the red beans and chorizo recipe and it’s now a household favorite. We’ll definitely be making that for dinner on a regular basis. 5.0 out of 5 stars Real sense of connection w Portugal ByLinda Kazarreson June 18, 2016 Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase Awesome book. It’s earthy, great travel insights and recipes I can’t wait to try. There’s a real sense of connection with every review, commentary, and suggestion. I’m ordering another book right now for a friend. 5.0 out of 5 starsGreat book lots of love and care went into this … ByJahraon August 27, 2016 Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase Great book lots of love and care went into this travel book. Interesting narrative, great photos, and awesome recipes.I hope the author dedicates the next book to the Azores and Madeira A wonderful book for your cookbook collection.