Reflections on Releasing My Second Cookbook

Each week, cookbook author and recipe developer Alexis deBoschnek offers a peek into life on her Catskills farm—whether it’s tending the land, raising chickens, or cooking with the seasons. This week, she’s sharing how she's unwinding after a book tour.

I’ve just returned home from a whirlwind book tour that’s taken up most of my time over the last month. My second cookbook Nights and Weekends came out on August 12th and I’ve made stops in New York City, the Hudson Valley, Chicago, and Los Angeles to celebrate it. I won’t lie—coming out with a cookbook is a complicated emotional experience. On the one hand, I’ve felt so excited and proud to finally share this mammoth of a project that has taken up the last two and a half years of my time. On the other, there are all the fears about how it’ll be received. Will people actually cook from it? Will they resonate with the theme? Will it act as a service to really help people in their day-to-day cooking? It seems like the answer is yes to all of these questions, but the tornado of emotions that has come with it hasn’t been easy.

Almost three years ago, my mom had a really scary accident (luckily, she’s completely fine now) which landed her in the hospital along with a long recovery at home. During that time my cooking completely changed. Up until this point I had spent leisurely time thinking about what I’d make for dinner, but thrust into this temporary caretaking role, I had limited time to think about dinner—let alone get it on the table. While I was going through this shift I noticed how my peers were in a similar boat. Post-Covid-19 pandemic, everyone was trying to get back into the swing of juggling busy lives outside the home. There were kids to take care of, promotions at work, and just generally less time across the board.

I wanted to write a cookbook that mimicked how I was really cooking in this new phase of my life. Two-thirds of the recipes in Nights and Weekends focus on weeknight dinners with short ingredient lists that come together quickly, while of course still being delicious. The remaining third of the book is reserved for recipes you might make on the weekend, or whenever you have more time on your hands, like snacks, larger-format dinners, and desserts. I’ve tested these recipes multiple times and really stand by them. Getting to meet people on the road, hear their stories, and see how this cookbook is making a difference in their weeks has been the greatest joy.

But, now that I’m home, it’s time to recharge. People keep asking me what’s next and my answer is “vacation!”. While that’s still a few weeks away, this is how I’m trying to get back to myself and feel grounded:

Meals at home

I ate out literally every single meal on the road, and while I got to eat so many delicious things (including many of the recipes from my book prepared by others), I’ve been so ready for some simplicity. The first thing I did when I got home was make a big batch of granola. I eat it daily for breakfast topped with whatever fruit is in season (right now I’m still clinging on to the last of the peaches).

Garden walks

It’s amazing how much can change in the garden in a few short days and weeks. I’ve been making sure to do laps around the vegetable garden and our perennial beds to see what’s growing and how it’s changing. Somehow we’re having a late-season flush of golden raspberries.

Daily movement

After not moving my body in any significant way this summer, I’m trying to implement daily walks on our hill, and wow, it feels good.

Rest

And of course, I’m trying to rest as much as I can. That means a lot of naps; going to bed early; sleeping late; and just generally trying to be quiet.

Until next time!

Alexis