• Comfort Food & Cozy Books: Perfect Fall Pairings

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    With the fall season in full swing, one thing usually stands out above all others: food. The food we think about reminds us not only of the incredible Thanksgiving feast we look forward to all year long but also of warm comfort foods that just taste just right during this beautiful season. This year, how about pairing some delicious fall recipes with cozy books? Check out our five fall favorite food and beverage picks and settle into a fall reading routine with the cozy genres we feel accompany each one best. Chai Tea (Cozy Mystery) Typically, when thinking of tea,…

  • Curry Chicken

    A Mother’s Love: Legendary Family Recipes

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    They say that it’s a challenge to master an heirloom recipe and make it the way mom does. However it’s difficult to deny that there is sacredness to family recipes and accomplishment in mastering them the way mom or grandma did. In imagining Mother’s Day gatherings full of love, laughter, flowers and food, we are reminded that each dish tells a unique story. In reflecting, what foods have fed your heart and spirit? What story does each spice, scent or bite trigger? What ingredients are you most connected to? Recalling each recipe grandma or mom has passed down, what memories…

  • Making your cookbook picture perfect

    Ask the Editor: Making Your Cookbook “Picture Perfect”

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    This month, Xulon Press is all about self-publishing your recipes—we’ve gone cookbook crazy! One of the most important components of a cookbook is, of course, the pictures! To get the skinny on how to capture your picture-perfect casseroles, sauces and sides, we’ve tapped into the brains of our resident food & photography experts. Meet our panel: Krystina Murray, Xulon Editor, blogger and passionate foodie; Nick Lopez, Author Support Rep and photographer extraordinaire; and Sabine Khouri, our super-trendy, tech-savvy Product Coordinator. Me: Thanks for getting together! Our authors have been pretty excited about this month’s topic. We all know that pictures are…

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

    The Cookie Recipe That Bonds My Family Together

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    Every now and again, I run across character traits that leave me wondering if I’m the black sheep of my family. Usually, it’s an action I’ve never seen anyone else do and I wonder, is it me? For instance, I love chocolate chip cookie dough, but I hate the chocolate chips in the dough. Something about the crunchiness turns me off and when the chips aren’t cooked the chocolate messes with the flavor of the dough. I took to standing over a garbage can as I ate the dough, so I could easily spit the chips into the trash; much…