Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The Beach House Cookbook


I’m always delighted to read that New York Times mega-bestselling novelist and "Beach Read Queen" (CNN), Mary Kay Andrews has a new book out ….. even if it is a cookbook.

The author released her first ever cookbook, THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK: Easy, Breezy Recipes with a Southern Accent, yesterday (May 2) from St. Martin's Press.

Publishers Weekly has called this gorgeous book, "a true primer on Southern cuisine." You don't need to own a beach house to enjoy the author's recipes. All you need is a year-round appetite for delicious, casual dishes cooked with the best fresh, local ingredients. The book's 16 carefree, crowd-pleasing menu plans are designed around holidays and occasions ("Low Country Boil," "After a Day at the Beach," "Game Day Dinner," "Lazy Weekend Brunch"), but the 90+ delectable recipes can be mixed and matched to highlight your favorite apps, sides, mains, desserts, and beverages.

The author joins us today to answer some questions for me. Be sure to keep your eyes open as in a few days or so I’ll have a review of this tantalizing cookbook and a giveaway for you (thanks to Meg @ Tandem Literary).

Now join me in welcoming the author. Mary Kay welcome to Thoughts in Progress.

I have to ask the age-old question, what compelled you to write a cookbook?

Mary Kay:
My husband and I love to cook and entertain, especially at our Tybee Island beach house, which is a restored 1932 cottage on the ocean just outside Savannah. I've always had foodie elements in the plots of my novels, and readers had been asking for a cookbook, so it seemed like a natural transition.

What was the most fun element of writing this cookbook? What was the worst part of the process?

Mary Kay:
It was lots of fun--and definitely a learning experience, choosing, refining and testing family favorites and new dishes. I hired a seasoned recipe tester/food writer to help with the book, and boy did I learn a lot! The worst part was the weight I gained testing all those desserts!

What was the first cookbook you ever owned?

Mary Kay:
As a child, somebody gave me a Betty Crocker Kids Cook book. And as an adult, I received two copies of Joy of Cooking when I got married in 1976. I still use Joy as a reference.

Any advice to someone who is thinking about writing a cookbook?

Mary Kay:
Really think through what kind of a book you want to publish and work towards achieving that vision. In my case, I wanted a cookbook that would reflect my philosophy of life--fun, fresh, fast family favorite recipes that anybody could tackle. Relatable recipes that feature ingredients easily sourced at a vacation type grocery store, and yes--convenience foods like pre-made pie crust, purchased ice cream sandwiches and cocktail sauce. Hire the best professionals to help. The best decision I made was to hire the dream team--a food photographer, recipe tester and food writer, and photo stylist/creative director, all of whom had worked together on half a dozen other cookbook projects.

What can readers look forward to next from you?

Mary Kay:
I'm hard at work on next summer's beach book, a novel featuring an intergenerational cast of characters and an old, unsolved mystery set on a remote barrier island off the coast of Georgia.

Mary Kay thanks for joining us today and sharing this insight into how your cookbook came about.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Mary Kay Andrews
MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels, including The Weekenders, Beach Town, Save the Date, Ladies' Night, Spring Fever, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues.

A former features writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, she finds an outlet for her passion for cooking, entertaining, and decorating with vintage finds at the homes she shares in Atlanta and Tybee Island, Georgia, with her husband, Tom, and their two grown children, Katie and Andy, as well as grandchildren Molly and Griffin. THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK is her first cookbook.

For more on Mary Kay and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by today during Mary Kay’s visit. Don’t forgot to keep an eye out for my review and the giveaway coming soon. What was the first cookbook you ever owned?

15 comments:

  1. To be fair, can you really trust a skinny cook? This sound like something my niece would enjoy. She like cooking; the rest of us sit with forks at ready.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dolorah, I agree about skinny cooks. You have to wonder if they ever really eat any of their cooking.

      Delete
  2. Congratulations Mary Kay. I am hugely in favour of recipes which don't require 'special equipment, ingredients or talents'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. E.C., I'm with you on recipes that don't call for special pans or ingredients that I can never find.

      Delete
  3. I've been to Tybee Island.
    I imagine one would gain weight testing all that food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, taste testing about have to weigh on you. Me, I look at food and gain weight. :)

      Delete
  4. Mary Kay, thanks for joining us today. It's always fun to learn about a book's beginning and it's no different when that book is a cookbook. I love the book's layout and all those yummy recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think this looks pretty good! Fun interview too. My first cookbook was a copy of the Betty Crocker Cooky Book that my grandma gave me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This one sounds like a great cookbook. I'm always happy to find recipes that are 'restaurant quality,' but don't require a whole lot of time and expert knowledge. Thanks for sharing, both.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That sounds like the perfect summer cookbook.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like a great cookbook. I'm always on the lookout for easy, fresh, and good recipes. My first cookbook was the one with the red and white squares on it. I think it was Better Homes and Gardens.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This makes me think I need to spend more time in kitchen. =) And goodness, I could definitely use a new group of recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great interview! Now I'm not only intrigued by the Beach House Cookbook (love that title) but want to look for more of Mary Kay's work. I had that Betty Crocker for Kids cookbook too, passed on to our children as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. LOVE the concept for this book, sounds right up my alley! catchatwithcarenandcody

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks like a great cookbook.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.