My Big News! Plus Tempeh Steak!

Ready for the exciting news? I know you're all just holding on to the edge of your seats. I bet some of you were so anxious that you couldn't even sleep last night. Well, maybe not. I slept fine and I'm sure y'all did too. Honestly, I'm just writing silly stuff to build the anticipation. If I could go to an annoying commercial break right now, I would.

But alas, I'll delay no further. Guess what? I'm gettin' published!!! Yep, after almost three years of slowly working on my Southern vegan cookbook, I've landed a book deal. And you're never gonna guess the publishing company? Okay, well maybe you will. This is a company that I mention all the time on my blog. A popular publisher of important vegan tomes. A company located right down the highway from me in Summertown, Tennessee. Any guesses?

If you said the Book Publishing Company (yes, that's the formal name) at the Farm, then you'd be spot on. I've adored this company for years because a) they publish some of my favorite titles like The Uncheese Cookbook, Raw Food Made Easy, and Tofu Cookery and b) it's only a three hour drive from Memphis, and c) it's run by some of coolest hippies you'll ever meet. Many of the folks who work there have been with the company since the Farmies caravaned to Summertown from San Francisco in the early 1970s.

My manuscript is due in January so that's why you've seen more and more tester recipes on the blog. I'm in the final re-testing and editing stages right now. Though there's no set release date, it should be out within a year of the Book Pub Co receiving my manuscript.

If asked to pick a favorite recipe from my book, I'd be hard-pressed to choose just one. But if you really, really pushed me, I'd probably vote for my Country Fried Tempeh Steak with Soymilk Gravy:

To be fair, the above tempeh steak wasn't fried. Though my original recipe calls for pan-frying, I'm working on a baked variation for folks who fear the fat. We'll call this Country Baked Tempeh Steak. It's tasty, but my heart belongs with fried version. Both variations will be included in the book.

On the side, I'm also tweaking my recipe for Mama's Mac & Tomatoes:

I grew up eatin' macaroni and stewed tomatoes at least once every couple of weeks. It was always a favorite side dish. This version is made with quinoa pasta and fresh summer tomatoes from the Memphis Farmers Market.