"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Well Hmm


  Who is included in this cookbook with more than 350 fellow cooks/gardeners from all fifty states?

Well, take a guess.  Alice Waters perhaps?  You'd be right. Maybe Thomas Keller too.  And moi?  My fifteen seconds of fame (I wish it had been a little more exciting than this, but then I'd be greedy, so never mind.) I did see it in the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble so that was a little kick.

A percentage of the sales of this cookbook went to benefit Second Harvest, the largest charitable organization against hunger in the U.S.

They selected my dill pickles.  I've written the recipe in a post before and these are the best you've ever tasted.  Funny thing was, when I got my copy of the book, the recipe was unrecognizable (is that literary license?).  And, they used my business name, Wild Child Designs, from my business card which had nothing to do with my pickles, for the title of the pickles.  A catchier recipe name perhaps?  Would they have been selected for inclusion if I called them Dull Pickles?  I guess they can do whatever they want in publishing.  Hmmm....


The amounts of ingredients were altered and instead of alum, they substituted grape leaves.  I've never done that.  I do grow the peppers, cukes, dill and garlic, but I have no idea how these pickles would turn out since the recipe is so different. Anyway.

My husband brought gallons of pickling cucumbers up to the city house on the fourth.  Problem is, all my jars, spices and canning equipment are at the farm plus I've been babysitting an 18 month old angel for the last couple of days.  Guess I'll be giving this bunch away.

So, come on now.  Tell me about your 15 seconds/minutes or days of fame.




27 comments:

Sandra Cox said...

Woo Hoo, Donna! That is really exciting.

Frances said...

Congratulations to you, Donna, for having "your" pickle recipe included in this book. I wonder how many other cooks' recipes got that same editorial tweak?

Well, any old how, congratulations to you.

I've got one fresh cuke in my fridge, fresh from the farmers market. My plan is to try to remember an idea I got from Vicki Lane's blog last summer. it involves washing and slicing that cuke, and a bit of rice vinegar and some back sesame seeds. If I like the way it turns out, I will take a photo.

i will also have a look for the Gardeners Community cookbook at my local Barnes & Noble.

xo

donna baker said...

It was several years ago dear Frances. I just decided to post about it since I have all these cukes. Your pickles will turn out with a pinch of sugar and salt. It does take a while for them so you will have to be patient. They may still have the book on the shelf since the cookbook section goes on forever. I'll bet they didn't tweak Alice Water's or Thomas Keller's recipes.

donna baker said...

Long ago and far away Sandra. Come on - tell me your achievements, at least one.

angryparsnip said...

CONGRATULATIONS !
I love pickles. I make Japanese quick pickles all the time.
My haiku have been published in Scotland, some with my photos.

cheers, parsnip

angryparsnip said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
elaine said...

I love the name Wild Child Dill Pickles but changing the recipe, that's not on! It would be like if you had written a novel and the publisher changed all your character's names! Well done for it being included anyway. My fifteen minutes of fame was about twenty years ago when I entered a painting into an exhibition and it was the first picture sold - no one knew I could paint and they all cam up and congratulated me. I was ecstatic and practically skipped all the way home grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

donna baker said...

That must have been a fun time Elaine. Especially since it was a surprise too. I looked at that recipe and thought, who's recipe is this?

donna baker said...

That is an honor Parsnip. These are "quick" pickles too and turn out crunchy and last for years.

Amanda Summer said...

Donna that is SO cool that your recipe is included in with such a prestigious group of cooks - but so uncool that the publisher went ahead and made all those changes without consulting you - I don't get that. I love dill pickles and the name Wild Child is certainly eye-catching! Congrats on such a wonderful accomplishment!

The Dutchess said...

Wild Child pickles...I knew it..named after me..:))

Never heard of it before...love the name !

have a wonderful time my friend xoxo

donna baker said...

I thought it strange they didn't even mention it, but who am I... See the post about if I had called them Dull Pickles. Guess they would have tossed that one.

donna baker said...

Ha Dutchess. And I thought I was the original Wild Child. Guess some of us made it to adulthood. I have a precious grandchild, Bella, and she has taken after me, at least that is who they blame it on. I call it a learning process and a sign of great powers of observation and experiences (I choose not to see what it is called in the DSMV) ;)

The Weaver of Grass said...

Fame eh? Depends what you mean by it Donna. As an ex teacher I like to think that at least some of my old pupils remember me with affection and are grateful for the help I gave them. Not sure you would think of that as fame though.

Deborah Nolan said...

First congratulations friend. I am just sorry they didn't use your recipe with the exact ingredient list. I do know people who use grape leaves but I would use alum too. Oh well laying everything aside hooray! Great cause to support as well. Hope you are having a delightful day. Hugs!

La Table De Nana said...

Wild Child♥I love it..in fact Caroline almost bought a pillow w/ that on it for her Oli..he's not wild..he's just so cool:) You must know what I mean..
You are in great company w/ the other authors of recipes..and what a great cause.
15 minutes of fame..
1. when I was 160r 17 I enetered my mom in a Mother Of the Year Contest..I wrote something..sent it in to the radio station and she won a weekend away for 2..in a glitzy hotel..downtown,..she was happy to bring her sister:)
I was so happy they said her name on the radio that whole day:)

I have had a few little 15 minute moments:)

At 10 I was on the Magic Tom show..LOL

the rest..more in adult life..I guess it was my mom..sending them to me from up above:)

donna baker said...

Famous to your students Pat. My sister taught and was a principal and we used to meet her former students all the time. They were young and/or grown up and always smiling and somewhat awed. That is being famous.

donna baker said...

You too Deb. I was just using that Andy Warhol analogy. I had quite a following and even sold these pickles; sometimes people would pre-order. I've really slowed down making them now though and only make enough for the family.

donna baker said...

Oh how sweet Monique. I bet your mother was just thrilled. I do believe I saw some pictures and a recipe of your shortbread that were beautiful in a magazine. I tore the page out and keep it in my recipe box. Iggy Pop sings a version about a real wild child. I didn't do bad things, just had no supervision and roamed the countryside, something I would have never let my children do.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Well how exciting Donna !
Congratulations.
The closest I have come to claiming fame is winning a writing contest sponsored by the Cadbury Company, I was twelve years old.
The prize was a selection of Cadbury's chocolates enough to feed my school class of fifteen, and delivered every month for an entire year.
I was voted most popular that year :)
~Jo

donna baker said...

I think I remember you posting about that Jo. We do go way back in blogland. And, that was quite an achievement. Hope you are healing well this summer, maybe a little kick in your step...

La Table De Nana said...

You must have loads of stories:)

La Table De Nana said...

You must have loads of stories:)

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO, DONNA! Awesome selection! Goodness, you must be thrilled! Wow, I tell ya, when any one of use has a few words or photos selected to be shared on a broader basis, it is a true delight. Happy summer to you! And thank you for visiting my post!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Oh Donna, I just read your entry about Gracie. So much emotion there; the end of farm life is seen in the dilapidated barns, the weed infested pastures, and in vintage photos of a farm life past. But the most heart-wrenching story for me is the animals. What happens to them? You wonderfully told story below tells one page of a volume of stories that don't all end happy. It hurts since I love these beasts so much. Thank God you found a safe haven for them. Gracie is a beauty. I loved your ending....simple, powerful. The last thing you did was call out to her...that is a lovely device in poetry to let the story keep going, no didactic tone, no moral, just your action of calling out, so normal.

Enjoy your life dearest Donna.

donna baker said...

It is always a pleasure Anita.

donna baker said...

Thank you Anita. I have always been such an animal lover and was not going to let them go to a stranger not knowing whether or not they'd be cared for. I'll never forget them.