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boston, boston brunchers, boston events, boston food, Breakfast, brunch, cookbooks, events, food, harvard common press, publishing
Last Sunday, the Harvard Common Press (HCP) invited 40 Boston Brunchers to brunch at their office. This event sign up was first come, first serve. So when I saw Renee tweet about this, I immediately grabbed a spot.
What food blogger doesn’t want to go chat with some cookbook publishers? (especially the brunching kind…do I smell a Boston Brunchers cookbook in the future…?…?)
I have been in contact with HCP before. A few months ago I introduced myself to them and my blog, and Emily from HCP sent me some cookbooks! (That’s where these deviled eggs came from—) 
I was happy I got a seat, and was eager to learn more about them.
First, it sometimes amazes me that hard copies of cookbooks sell so well in the age of food blogs, iPads, AllRecipes.com, Pinterest, The Pioneer Woman, StumbleUpon—the works. With so many other outlets for recipes, who needs a cookbook?
We discussed just that, though, at the brunch. Adam and Bruce at HCP explained that we the food bloggers are a big chunk of their audience now. And it’s true. I love cookbooks. If I see one, I want it. I want to flip the pages and look at the pictures. I like to take them out of the library and turn to the wrinkled pages—which indicates that those are the good recipes. It makes me smile when I see my mom take out my Great Aunt’s cookbook for her famous baked beans recipe—spine worn and torn, language old and classic. And most bloggers will agree with me. Yes, we find great recipes online, but we’ll always drool over those cookbooks.
So naturally our mouths began to water when HCP announced we could take a few books from their stock room. Like hungry puppies, we swarmed around their shelves and flipped through their vast array of great cookbooks. Eyes sparkling as if it were Christmas morning, I happily walked away with three: Not Your Mother’s Weeknight Cooking, Not Your Mother’s Casseroles, and New England Home Cooking. And I made the Hungarian Paprika Chicken that same night.
As for the brunch, the staff made an array of dishes from the books they publish, including pear ginger bread, spinach and cheese strata, raspberry cream cheese coffee cake, fruit and nut muffins, fresh fruit, and more.
Lots and lots of pictures were taken. (That’s Amanda from Tales from a Kitchen Misfit.)
All in all, a happy happy day for these folk!
Thanks, Harvard Common Press!
I have had the same thought about cookbooks…but I think your insight is true! And I have to admit that I rarely get out my cookbooks, but I love them to death and could never part with them…
Oh you should take them out more often—so many wonderful recipes in cookbooks!
Wow, getting to choose a few cookbooks from their stockroom sounds like Christmas morning to me, how cool! It was great meeting you at the Boston Blogger Holiday Fiesta on Wednesday!
Thanks for stopping by the blog—great meeting you on Wednesday as well! I was SO excited to look through so many books (and take home three!) from HCP. Keep an eye out for some of the recipes I intend to try from them!
whoa! crazy awesome. I could never give up cookbooks for an iPad or a Kindle or a Nook or any of those other devices. I love being able to hold them and look at the pictures!
me too!
so glad you feel the same!
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Megan, nice to meet you as well! I have yet to decide which recipes to make from the books, but I am excited to try some over the holidays. I’m sure I’ll definitely see you in the New Year and will be checking out your blog. Happy holidays!
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This sounds like it was such a great brunch… so informative. I have more cookbooks than I can keep track of. And I’ll continue to buy them as long as someone keeps printing them!