We’ve had two Zoom online book launches of Robin Ellis’ Mediterranean Vegetarian Cooking recently. The first with family and friends, was altogether a wonder of chaotic joyfulness. The second no less joyful, but a little less chaotic (practice makes almost perfect)-turned out to be more family and friends and alumni from my healthy cooking workshops.
Their faces started popping up in little rectangles on the screen from around the world: From a bear preserve on an Alaskan island; a vegetarian restaurant in Belgrade, Serbia; from a kitchen in Kent; a brownstone back garden in Manhattan; an indoor terrace garden in beautiful San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and dining tables around the UK, the USA and France.
We were forced to hold the celebration online due to the coronavirus–plans for the book tour were scuppered–but as it turned out it afforded an opportunity to bring together a larger group than we could ever otherwise have assembled.
We popped the champagne– and waved at friends and family near and far.
It was a BYO (Bring your own) dinner party (or brunch or lunch for those in North America). Some guests were invited to make a dish from the new cookbook and do a kind of “show and tell”.
Cooking workshop alumni in Minnesota actually made a video of their efforts:
Special thanks to Shelly and Lisa!
Meredith’s sister Holly was at the controls in Silicon Valley–valiantly marshaling the throng, politely asking people to use their MUTE button. (It seems actors, journalists and writers do not like to be muted!) But it all contributed to the “chaotic joyfulness”.
If you speak on Zoom, you automatically become the face in the centre of peoples’ screens.
“If you want to make a comment pop it in the chat box,” Holly pleads…
“I never quite found the chat box,” says a friend plaintively in Rhode Island.
“Where’s that extraneous music coming from?” says a grumpy voice in London.
After a bit of investigation, Holly confirms: “From your own computer actually…!”
“Oh sorry!”
It didn’t matter.
Everyone was charmed by Meredith’s opening montage of food photos from the book, backed by Lionel Bart’s incomparable Food, Glorious Food number from Oliver! followed by a short tour of the church which gives our rectory its name.
Our dear friend, John Willis, “interviewed” me about the new book–and NO, we are not fully vegetarian ourselves, though we lean that way.
Getting to know the cattle who calmly graze in pasture behind our house–beautiful Blonde d’Aquitaine, raised for beef, put us off meat.
My dish for this special booklaunch supper was a colourful early summer recipe dubbed My Ratatouille (p. 90 in the new book) which omits aubergines and courgettes.
I chose it for both its colours and its deliciousness (but then all the recipes are delicious–that is the sine qua non to get into the book!)
This new cookbook–my fourth–is available now in the UK.
The official publication date in the USA is Aug 18th–but if you order from The Book Depository, they will deliver it free around the world.
Thanks to my editor at Little, Brown, Tom Asker, Copy editor Amanda Keats, Duncan Proudfoot who has seen all my books into print and Andrew Baron, the designer of the last two. And finally, thanks to my wife, Meredith, who has taken all the photographs while the food got cold….
Robin Ellis 
Much success with your new cookbook
Thanks, Karen.
I have just ordered from Western Australia as my birthday present – look forward to receiving it. Thank you Robin and Meredith
Barbara Taylor
Thanks, Barbara==hope you don’t have to wait too long!
I made Broccoli Pasta from your new book (p.202) yestetday eveningand tossted your success.
I was supposed to be on the Zoom session last night but didn’t receive the link. Never mind! Pleased it went well. Congratulations again 🥂🎉
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Sorry about that, Helen. Thanks for the toast!
It was great to see you and Meredith, and to all the rest of the assembled folks. Well done for the book to you and to your official photographer, Meredith. All the very best and we hope we can maybe see you for real at some point, at least to get the book signed for Wendy! Grahame and Wendy x
Good to see you both, Grahame and thanks–yes–one of theses days!
Have your new cookbook already Robin (thanks Amazon) and look forward to trying lots of the recipes. I am not diabetic but love vegetables and try to eat healthily. As I live in my own I particularly appreciate recipes for two and not ” serves 6″, we don’t all live in a large family! Really lovely book Robin.
Thank you, Liz. Enjoy!
It was a really lovely event Robin…a cheery and happy thing to attend in he midst of quite a bit of current gloom! We are loving the book and beautiful recipes and photos that transport us back to the warmth of the Tarn and the many friends we made there…congratulations on your newest ‘baby’! x
Lovely to see you both, Rachel and thank you.
Hi Robin. last night’s ‘dinner party’ was wonderful! Izzy and I both enjoyed it – Izzy was waiting for the duck confit we had during our wonderful visit with you and Meredith a few years ago. I had to remind him that this was a VEGETARIAN cookbook. Still, all looked delicious. Great job by you, Mere, and Holly! xors
Thanks, Randi–poor Izzy!
Felicitations! And well done. A big achievement to write your fourth cook book. Glad that you found a way to celebrate the event. Looking forward to trying out your new recipes
Shucks, how did we miss this?? Hope we can join another session later!
Dianne & Gene
We are doing another one before the booklaunch in the USA–so sometime in mid-August–as the book comes out Aug 18 in America. There will be another opportunity!
Hello. I really enjoy receiving the emails from Robin. I have to switch to a new email address as my current one is shutting down. My new address is : healykathleen7@gmail.com I look forward to receiving and reading your messages in the future. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Kathy Fox
I think you will have to resubscribe, Kathy and enter your new email address. Good luck.
I can’t for our copy to arrive in the U.S. in August! Until then we still haven’t exhausted the delicious recipes in Robin’s Healthy Eating and Delicious Dishes. I see the new book as beautiful photos, but I want to say how much I love Hope James’ illustrations in these earlier books. Congratulations again! Sarah and Robert (currently on another one of his deadlines!)
Hi Sarah and Robert!
Thanks.
I’ll tell Hope and I still love looking at them.
She has designed three kitchens for me too!
Stay well…
Rxx