“Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly.”
–Langston Hughes
Yesterday I sent my cookbook proposal off to two agents who specialize in cookbooks, one is a friend of a friend. This friend (Thank you, Carmel) also happens to be my main cheerleader for this book. Writing a cookbook is a dream, a goal, a wish I’ve had for years. Before I had my daughter 5 1/2 years ago, I’d written a few pages describing the concept, then I let it languish until this summer.
After a conversation with Carmel, I dove right into writing it. I thought, “if not now, when,” “now is the time,” and “why not?” (whynot cafe + wine also happens to be the name of my favorite cafe, and I worked on the proposal there.)
At whynot cafe + wine this is written on a mirror:
There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?—George Bernard Shaw
I can hardly believe I finished it, all 60 pages of it while being a busy mom, but it’s true that we make time for what we love. And it’s also true that baby steps lead to completed projects. I started writing it in the summer and worked on it during any moment I could, and I finished it about a week ago. Yes, time can stretch when you want it to, and now something that once seemed like a challenge has come to fruition.
If you want to follow a dream, my advice is this: Take whatever moments you can to work on it. They add up.
The cookbook is inspired by my treks around NYC visiting chocolate shops, Indian spice stores, Italian markets, Greek stores, farmer’s markets, a store specializing in salt, and so on. I hope to inspire others to be adventurous out and about and in the kitchen.
What can you do today towards one of your dreams?
Here is a recipe I am including in the cookbook (and sorry I don’t have a photo yet).
I bought tangy Greek yogurt at Titan Foods in Astoria and coriander at Kalustyans, both of which appear in my App: iFoodShop.
[gmc_recipe 4360]