Interview with
Jayne Barrata-DuBraski
Self-published Author
Jayne Barrata-DuBraski
Self-published Author
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Jayne Baratta-DuBraski has always been passionate about cooking, mostly because of the sheer enjoyment she derives from eating good food. Cooking fills her with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. A homemaker and entrepreneur, Jayne owes much of her culinary interest to the inspiration provided by her grandmother, mother and sister. She is grateful to pique the culinary curiosity of enthusiastic cooks and impart how to be the master of their meals. Jayne and her husband, John, have two daughters, Jennifer and Rachel.
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Nancy Burger, senior editor, spoke to Jayne about her love of cooking and the process of writing and publishing her cookbook.
I see that the book has received several very positive reviews on Amazon, so congratulations on that.
Yes, I'm hearing lots of good feedback on the book, and that's great. Besides the recipes themselves, I'm getting compliments on the format of the book. As we all know, there are many different kinds of cookbooks. Some of them are quite thick and have no illustrations, and I think people can get overwhelmed by that - they don't know where to look first. I tried to format my cookbook so that it wouldn't be daunting for an inexperienced cook.
What was your goal in writing this book?
I wanted to impart to people that they can cook. When I talk to women, I sense such a lack of interest in cooking. They don't want to generate another area of work for themselves. Anyone can learn how to do anything - it's a matter of effort. I feel like we're all here to share with others something that we're adept at - it's like a giving back thing. I was never a career woman, but cooking was my forte. It was always a positive experience for me because I always got positive feedback. So, I thought, in addition to doing something that makes me feel good about myself, I can share this collection of recipes with others and also create a legacy for my family.
Like me, you're from an Italian family, so I would imagine food was a central focus. How has this book been received in your family?
Yes, it was. The comments from my extended family have been the most fulfilling for me. For months after the book came out, I would get emails and messages from family about how much they appreciate the book and the memories associated with some of the recipes. But the recipes are not all from my family - so it represents a nice mix of keeping family recipes alive and adding my own touch with those I created and adapted over the years.
What are a few of your favorite recipes in the book?
There's a black bean soup recipe that I love as well as a Sicilian orange salad that goes back generations. One of my favorite vegetable recipes (which I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on) is the stuffed zucchini. I really like most of the entrees, but a couple of my favorites are fried pasta with garlic (see book excerpt) and chicken Francaise.
How long did the book take from start to finish, and what was the hardest part of the process?
Honestly, it probably took eight years. The hardest part, for me was the process of publishing it because, when I started trying, it was at the peak of popularity of all the celebrity chefs and food channel shows. Literary publishers wouldn't even look at a manuscript unless you were represented by an agent. So, then I tried to get an agent through networking, but it didn't happen. I realized this was either going to sit on my laptop, or I had to self-publish. And that's what I did. I have to say, it came out so much better than I ever thought. The compliments I've gotten on the photos have been very uplifting.
You took the photos yourself? That's amazing - photographing food is very tricky. Did you have experience? How did you do it?
Not at all. I selected about 24 recipes to be accompanied with a photo. While I was formatting the book for the do-it-yourself (DIY) process, I would cook those recipes for dinner and, right before eating, I would take at least seven pictures and pick the best one for the cookbook.
What DIY platform did you use? How would you advise someone else who is thinking about self-publishing?
I used CreateSpace, a division of Amazon, and I highly recommend it. It was easy to follow. There are a variety of templates available (such as Microsoft Publisher) but, back then, I was minimally computer literate. I was doing one page at a time (in Microsoft Word) but wasn't making use of any formatting templates. I learned all of that during the last few months before publication. If I were to do another one, I would tap into the formatting templates that are available. I just didn't know any of that at the time. The hardest part was going back in and inserting the photos.
Was there a big upfront cost for you on the printing?
No, not at all. My only investment was time. CreateSpace does print-on-demand and takes a significant portion of each sale.
This is an impressive accomplishment. You dove into something you were not at all familiar with and created a beautiful product, with no experience and virtually no computer knowledge. Your story is an inspiration for our readers who might be considering this but feeling overwhelmed by the process.
Thank you. This project was gnawing at me every day of my life - the fact that I wasn't finishing it. I hated that feeling. I'm proud of the finished product.
Do you consider cooking to be your sanctuary? (#WheresYourSanctuary)
I would say my sanctuary is everything to do with home: cooking, pot gardening and decorating. I'm a very domesticated person.
I see that the book has received several very positive reviews on Amazon, so congratulations on that.
Yes, I'm hearing lots of good feedback on the book, and that's great. Besides the recipes themselves, I'm getting compliments on the format of the book. As we all know, there are many different kinds of cookbooks. Some of them are quite thick and have no illustrations, and I think people can get overwhelmed by that - they don't know where to look first. I tried to format my cookbook so that it wouldn't be daunting for an inexperienced cook.
What was your goal in writing this book?
I wanted to impart to people that they can cook. When I talk to women, I sense such a lack of interest in cooking. They don't want to generate another area of work for themselves. Anyone can learn how to do anything - it's a matter of effort. I feel like we're all here to share with others something that we're adept at - it's like a giving back thing. I was never a career woman, but cooking was my forte. It was always a positive experience for me because I always got positive feedback. So, I thought, in addition to doing something that makes me feel good about myself, I can share this collection of recipes with others and also create a legacy for my family.
Like me, you're from an Italian family, so I would imagine food was a central focus. How has this book been received in your family?
Yes, it was. The comments from my extended family have been the most fulfilling for me. For months after the book came out, I would get emails and messages from family about how much they appreciate the book and the memories associated with some of the recipes. But the recipes are not all from my family - so it represents a nice mix of keeping family recipes alive and adding my own touch with those I created and adapted over the years.
What are a few of your favorite recipes in the book?
There's a black bean soup recipe that I love as well as a Sicilian orange salad that goes back generations. One of my favorite vegetable recipes (which I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on) is the stuffed zucchini. I really like most of the entrees, but a couple of my favorites are fried pasta with garlic (see book excerpt) and chicken Francaise.
How long did the book take from start to finish, and what was the hardest part of the process?
Honestly, it probably took eight years. The hardest part, for me was the process of publishing it because, when I started trying, it was at the peak of popularity of all the celebrity chefs and food channel shows. Literary publishers wouldn't even look at a manuscript unless you were represented by an agent. So, then I tried to get an agent through networking, but it didn't happen. I realized this was either going to sit on my laptop, or I had to self-publish. And that's what I did. I have to say, it came out so much better than I ever thought. The compliments I've gotten on the photos have been very uplifting.
You took the photos yourself? That's amazing - photographing food is very tricky. Did you have experience? How did you do it?
Not at all. I selected about 24 recipes to be accompanied with a photo. While I was formatting the book for the do-it-yourself (DIY) process, I would cook those recipes for dinner and, right before eating, I would take at least seven pictures and pick the best one for the cookbook.
What DIY platform did you use? How would you advise someone else who is thinking about self-publishing?
I used CreateSpace, a division of Amazon, and I highly recommend it. It was easy to follow. There are a variety of templates available (such as Microsoft Publisher) but, back then, I was minimally computer literate. I was doing one page at a time (in Microsoft Word) but wasn't making use of any formatting templates. I learned all of that during the last few months before publication. If I were to do another one, I would tap into the formatting templates that are available. I just didn't know any of that at the time. The hardest part was going back in and inserting the photos.
Was there a big upfront cost for you on the printing?
No, not at all. My only investment was time. CreateSpace does print-on-demand and takes a significant portion of each sale.
This is an impressive accomplishment. You dove into something you were not at all familiar with and created a beautiful product, with no experience and virtually no computer knowledge. Your story is an inspiration for our readers who might be considering this but feeling overwhelmed by the process.
Thank you. This project was gnawing at me every day of my life - the fact that I wasn't finishing it. I hated that feeling. I'm proud of the finished product.
Do you consider cooking to be your sanctuary? (#WheresYourSanctuary)
I would say my sanctuary is everything to do with home: cooking, pot gardening and decorating. I'm a very domesticated person.
Click book cover to purchase.
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