Win a signed copy of my new cookbook Cook from the Heart : Food for every mood
My second book has been out for a few weeks now and I am so overwhelmed by the response of the media, friends, family and readers. I am so incredibly happy because I love this book so much. The fact that others like it, really is like the cherry on top. I’m very proud of this book and feel like the photography and styling is the best I’ve ever done and the recipes are all ones I love. Through this post you’ll see a sneak peak of what you can find in the book.
 
With that (and Christmas right around the corner), I thought it only right that I share the love with you guys. I’m giving away 6 copies of my new book and for the first time ever, 2 of those copies are up for the take by International readers. As most of my readership is based in Northern America and Canada, I think that’s just fair. Locally (South Africa), I will be giving away 2 English and 2 Afrikaans copies. All signed. All with one of the custom-made spoons we had made for the launch of the book. These spoons are so drop-dead gorgeous and everyone who sees them falls in love instantly.
 
As Cook from the Heart is a book all about emotion, all you need to do to enter is to comment with what emotion inspires you most to cook/eat and what you like to cook/eat when you are experiencing that emotion. Also please add your location to your comment and if you are local, whether you’d like the English or Afrikaans version of the book. This giveaway will be open until Friday 6 December 2013 and winners will be notified by e-mail (so please make sure the e-mail you use is correct). {Sharing this post on your social media channels will give you an extra entry.}
 
I thought I’d also share some pics of my lovely media launch with you. I decided to give the table a big food influence and got some help from an amazing friend with a gorgeous vegetable garden. I’m so utterly in love with this rustic, casual yet chic style of table decor.
I bake for fun, and to relax. I would love to try your pound cake- I like “wholesome” cakes( is there such a thing:) ) in English please 😉
I would love to win the Afrikaans book, but English would be fine as well.
As for the emotion that makes me cook/eat. That’s a difficult one. When I’m happy I eat and when I’m sad I eat. There really is not a time that I do not enjoy eating.
I love to bake when I am stressed. Being able to make something when nothing else is working out is a precious thing. I like to make Danish Pastry Braids as they force me to be patient and aware of all I am putting into my food. I live in Minneapolis, MN.
would love to win as I am on a serious mission to teach myself to cook!
I recently moved to the Pacific Northwest from a very sunny Southern state, and I find that when I am depressed or sad (by all the gray weather and rain!), I tend to cook a lot of pasta or bake a lot of sweet desserts! I recently made my first batch of homemade butternut squash gnocchi and although it was a bit intimidating, it was delicious and was the highlight of my week. I cook with love and for me, nothing is better than having my husband and daughter enjoy my food over eating out in a restaurant. Your blog has inspired quite a few meals in my home, and I would love to have an English copy of your book in my kitchen!
Oh, happiness! I love to bake when I am happy, and sometimes when I bake it cheers me up… so I guess being unhappy inspires me too! I am in Idaho State, USA.
Congrats on your second book, here’s hoping for many more in the near future. My emotions….heck I don’t need emotions to cook and bake. For me as a little child growing up with many siblings food was something that you got little off and you never asked for more because times were tough and money was tight, but through all that my love for food grew stronger each and every day. I started cooking family dinners at the age of 12years. Although there wasn’t much room for practice makes perfect, I still got many compliments from my late dad who always said that my meals were the best he ever tasted. So for me Whenever I cook it’s always made with love, dedication and I aim for perfection. Nowadays my compliments come from lovely husband who after 16 years of marriage still uses words like simply divine, exquisite and lip smacking at each and every meal we have together. I am a local from Durban and I prefer the English version asseblief. You know what they say local is leaker. Keep smiling and continue cooking.
I love to cook for other people so I suppose the emotion that motivates me is love! Love baking, especially delectable cakes like the chocolate one in your photograph! I live in Pretoria and would like the English version of your book, should I be so lucky!
Hello there Alida! Once again congratulations on your achievement! Being in George in the Western Cape, I am unfortunately not near my mom whom I adore ( she lives in Nelspruit ). So therefore when the longing for my mom gets really bad, I’ll spritz on some of her perfume and pull out some of her tried and tested recipes for supper.. if I then close my eyes and take a deep breath its like im back home in the kitchen with her. If I had to be one of the lucky two winners of your book , I would please prefer an english one ( even though its going to be given to my mom to say thank you for everything she has done and sacrified for me over the years!).
Hi. Would love to win a copy in either English or Afrikaans. I love to cook and for me the most important emotion is satisfaction, especially when they keep coming back for more, then I know I did it right.
Hello there Alida! Once again congratulations on this beautiful achievement! Being in George in the Western Cape, I am unfortunately not near my mom whom I adore (she lives in Nelspruit). So therefore when the longing for my mom gets really bad, I’ll spritz on some of her perfume and pull out some of her tried and tested recipes for supper.. if I then close my eyes and take a deep breath its like im back home in the kitchen with her. If I am chosen as one of the lucky two to win your book, I would please prefer an english one (even though its going straight to my mom to say thank you for everything!).
Happiness. I enjoy cooking for my family and friends. Normally I bake sweets.
I’m from the US. I read about your cookbook the se7en family’s blog.
I cook for food, as I live in a place with few eating options for a vegetarian. But I also cook for grounding, and for the sheer joy of creating good food from good ingredients. Prepping ingredients can often be a challenge for me, as I have a strong tremor in my hands, so as I go, I often need to remind myself of the Shaker motto: hands to work, hearts to God. Then my impatience with my clumsiness and slowness retreats, leaving me with the present attention of peel, peel, cut, cut, scrape. There. Cooking as meditation!
I enjoy your blog, and read my cookbooks in English 🙂
Congrats on your second cookbook Alida! What an amazing and sense of accomplishment you must feel!
The kitchen brings a sense of calm and happiness to me. When I cook, I feel home. Knowing that I am creating the meals to nourish my family and friends while creating lifelong memories is overwhelmingly comforting to me.
Wishing you tons of happiness and prosperity with you new book!
Heather
Cleveland, Ohio USA
I have been sitting by my wooden kitchen table for quite some time, trying
to decide which of the multitude of emotions inspires me the most to cook/eat. Wearing
my plaid cooking apron for inspiration, my heart jumps from feelings of passion,
love and generosity to a sense of calm and happiness. But more than anything,
it is the element of adventure
involved in cooking that motivates me; how the simplest and humblest of
ingredients can be transformed into mouth-watering creations, how imagination
and discovery are an integral part of this process, and how everything hangs on
that defining moment – the first bite. And much like explorers embarking on their
journeys into the unknown, every time I try a new recipe (which is more often
than not), it is this sense of adventure that inspires and fascinates me as I
throw seemingly random ingredients into the mix. Adventure is not far from my
kitchen stove even when I am busy preparing a family favourite or a traditional
Greek meal, as I insist on adding my personal touch each time. Yet part and
package of being adventurous in cooking is also not being afraid of failure and
learning from our mistakes; something that has helped me improve my cooking
abilities as well as overcome occasional frustrations and disappointments. So
when this sense of adventure prevails, I am ready to cook and taste practically
anything. Practically… I draw the line at kokoretsi (lamb intestines wrapped in
seasoned offal) – I leave that to my grandmother.
I live in Athens, Greece and wish you the best of luck with your new book
launch!
Amalia
I’d have to say that joy inspires me to cook and bake the most. The happiness that encourages me to cook and the positive feedback I get from my nearest and dearest fills my heart with JOY. I have your first book and I absolutely love it because I’ve learned so much as I’m a new bride and still finding my feet in the experimental kitchen. I live in Durban and I’d love an English version of your book 🙂
I’m not sure what emotion exactly it is that inspires me to cook… Sometimes, it’s just the feeling that I’m missing something. But food is also my way of showing love. If you’re important to me, chances are I’ll show it by feeding you. This is when I’m most likely to try something new (when I’m entertaining or gathering all my favourite people together for a meal.) Food is also my “having” thing. When I’m depressed and need a pick-me-up, I buy or make food. The rich, decadent, chocolatey kind. When I’m flush and feel like spoiling the family, I buy food. The hearty, filling, healthy kind (salmon, cheeses, fresh herbs that I normally do without, or steaks, roasting veggies – Sunday lunch type stuff…)
I would LOVE to win one of these books of yours in English (but I’d be just as happy with an Afrikaans one) – I could totally see how it would tie in with my love language!
I’m a local (Jozi) food lover. Can’t wait to see who the lucky winners are! 🙂
Confession time: I’m a cooking addict. I love experimenting with recipes, trying new things and of course making family classics. Cooking both relaxes and inspires me (and luckily the hubby enjoys my experimenting)! Preparing food is most certainly a form of love and nothing warms the heart more than preparing and sharing a home cooked meal at the end of a long day. Being a local gal, I’m in love with the fact that we are lucky enough to have such a rich mix of cultures and cooking influences open to us. Suffice it to say that the same meal seldom gets served twice. 🙂
P.S: Love the photos on this post.
P.P.S: Either English or Afrikaans would be awesome. Thank you!
Being calm and content is what I feel when I start baking bread. The whole process of measuring, mixing and knead just sooths my soul. I live in the Western Cape and would love the book in Afrikaans.
When I feel melancholic, nostalgic or jumping with joy – one of the first things I like to do is share it with the people around me via food. I am a baker by heart and love baking cakes, biscuits, crème brulee, tarts, pies, quiches, and more!
Afrikaans and I live in Cape Town