Announcing Food Swap the Cookbook!

It is with great pride that I introduce my very first book and, naturally, it is all about the food swapping! A combination guide to joining the national (and international) food swap movement and cookbook with over 80 recipes for delicious, swappable foods, Food Swap is an invaluable resource for new and veteran food swappers alike.

Whether you want to start your own food swap, grow an existing swap or merely attend a swap, Food Swap will introduce you to this new barter economy and address common questions that range from first- timers’ concerns to more nuanced practical and legal issues of organizing an ongoing monthly swap. Food Swap details the many different kinds of contributions – from produce to pickles to pastries – that first-time swappers can bring or expect to find. Would-be swappers will find a crash course in swap etiquette, including the basics of swapping, such as how to barter and how to reject or handle rejection, and answers to common questions like how to portion and package your swap items to make them as appealing as possible

And the recipes! All of the book’s 80+ recipes are designed to be packaged, transported and swapped: baked goods are transformed into individual portions; jams and pickles are stowed in appropriately sized jars; even alcoholic drinks are rationed into barter-friendly shares, all designed to make the reader the belle (or beau!) of the swap. Recipes range from no-cook products that are a snap to prep and package to day-long projects intended to challenge and excite even seasoned home cooks like:

•   Quickly Consumed: Items to Make Fresh & Enjoy Soon, such as Chorizo, Kale and
  White Bean Soup and Lavender Shortbread and Cultured Butter
  
•   Sip and Savor: Foods with Longer Shelf Life, such as Pistachio-Honey Granola Bars and
  Indian Yogurt-Mint Dressing and Damson Plum Gin
    Future Pleasures: Seasonings, Preserves & Other Pantry Items, such as Rum-Vanilla Extract and Garam Masala spice blend and Apricot Butter. 

I am so proud of and excited about this book. It is my fervent hope that, with the publication of Food Swap, many more people around the country will learn about food swapping and join in this wonderful, community-building activity. Want your own copy? Find out where to buy one here.

We will be celebrating the publication of Food Swap at the May 15 Chicago Food Swap event. There will be food and fun, books to buy and have signed by me. Please join us there! If you plan to swap, please register. But if you just want to join in in the fun, no registration necessary.

See you there!