We are well on our way to publishing the first Austin Food Blogger Alliance community cookbook, and now that we’ve had a chance to go over the recipes we received during our first submission period, we’re ready to open the second. This will likely be your last chance to contribute content for the book, but we’re calling for things beyond recipes this time around, so hopefully this will give even more members a chance to participate. (Thank you so much to the dozens of bloggers who submitted recipes and photos the first go around!)
Here’s what we are in need of:
1) Recipes, specifically for breakfast items, side dishes, beverages and salsas/jellies. We have lots of entrees, but could use a few more recipes in the aforementioned categories. Each blogger can submit two recipes total, and we’ll be matching up bloggers later this summer for a one-for-one testing program. For each recipe you submit, we’ll be asking you to test another blogger’s recipe. Here are the guidelines, FAQ and a little bit of inspiration to get you going.
2) B-roll/filler photos. We don’t want this book to be just about the dishes. We want to showcase our fair city and our blogger group, so we’re asking our talented members to share photos like the ones included in this post of past AFBA events, like the above photo from Michael Chu’s recap of one of our first blogger potlucks, Austin landmarks or nice photos that show all the aspects of our food scene, from farmers and farmers markets to fancy wine glasses at a food festival or your favorite latte. These photos, which will of course be credited to the photographers, will help fill in the gaps between the chapters and illustrate the short essays that will appear throughout the book.
3) Vignettes. That’s what we’re officially calling said short essays about Austin and its food culture. These will be spread throughout the book, sometimes tucked in boxes next to a recipe, other times on a dedicated page, and will help tell the story of our group, while also providing useful content for readers. We’re looking for people to write on topics including, but feel free to submit ideas to afbacookbook@gmail.com if you have something you’d like to write:
How to host a potluck
How to take a better food picture
The AFBA City Guide
Our favorite food events throughout the year, such as the Hot Sauce festival, La Dolce Vita, Farm to Plate, supper clubs, Gypsy Picnic, etc.
Urban farms/farmers’ markets
Other favorite Austin cookbooks/food books/authors
A short history of food blogging and how it became so popular
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You have until the end of June to submit recipes via this submission form and email photos to afbacookbook@gmail.com. (Please write a caption to go with your photo, and only submit photos that you took and are willing to let us print.) If you’d like to write one of the vignettes, please send an email to afbacookbook@gmail.com with the subject you’d like to write about, and an editor will respond with details about length and to confirm that no one else has already committed to that topic.
We are in the editing process for the first round of recipes and photos, and will be doing the same with this round in July, with the goal to have all the content to the designer by September 1. Email us or leave a comment with questions!
Thanks to our cookbook sponsor, Cooking Planit!
Top and bottom photos by Addie Broyles, middle photo courtesy of CFE Enterprises, Inc.