Cookbook Writing: Tell Stories Through Recipes
Why and How to Start a Cookbook
A course by Sumayya Usmani , Creative Writer and Food Educator
About the video: Why and How to Start a Cookbook
Overview
“I'll start by telling you why I think cookbooks should be written. Then, I'll tell you about the different types of cookbooks and what you need to think about when writing one.”
In this video lesson Sumayya Usmani addresses the topic: Why and How to Start a Cookbook, which is part of the Domestika online course: Cookbook Writing: Tell Stories Through Recipes. Take readers on a journey of culture and flavor by creating a cookbook that combines recipes with storytelling.
Partial transcription of the video
“Why and How to Start a Cookbook In this lesson, you'll learn how to understand what to write when you begin your cookbook. A cookbook has many ingredients and the first one is the title. The title is the first thing that connects the reader with the book. Sometimes the title comes to you before you've even written the book, and sometimes it comes after you've written it. It's a good idea to pick a working title before you begin your book. It's not set in stone and you can always change it later but it does help you to connect with your book and what you'll write. This is my first cookbook. ...”
This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.
Course summary for: Cookbook Writing: Tell Stories Through Recipes
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Category
Culinary, Writing -
Areas
Creative Writing, Non-Fiction Writing, Storytelling
Sumayya Usmani
A course by Sumayya Usmani
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, award-winning creative writer and food educator, Sumayya Usmani, spent her early childhood travelling the world with her parents. She explored various cultures, countries, ingredients, and cuisines and watched in wonder as her mother lovingly prepared meals. Later, when the family settled back in Karachi, Sumayya observed grandmothers and aunts cooking with ‘andaza’ - an Urdu word for using instinct and estimation. These experiences created Sumayya’s strong foundations and connections to cooking and in her adulthood she found she could cook by simply following her own intuition and senses.
Sumayya went on to practice law for 12 years in London and Pakistan. However, in 2012 she quit law in pursuit of her passion; food writing and teaching. Now based in Glasgow, her life-long love for writing, along with her natural flair, has led her to publish award-winning cookbooks. Her latest book is a food memoir, and ventures further into creative writing, which has won the Scottish Book Trust’s Next Chapter Award in 2021. Sumayya regularly appears at multiple book festivals such as the Edinburgh Book Festival, she has written for and appeared in numerous publications including in The New York Times, The Guardian, and on BBC Food, amongst others. She’s a guest speaker on many podcasts and a regular on BBC Radio. Sumayya also hosts cooking classes, and is a committee member of the Guild of Food Writers.
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