My Abuela's Table with Daniella Germain - A Nice Case of Serendipity
13th June, 2011
Today we welcome this weeks Guest Blogger, Daniella Germain! Daniella's first recipe book, My Abuela's Table, has just been published and today she is sharing how that all came about. During the rest of the week Daniella will be featuring recipes for Mexican celebrations - YUM! We also have 3 copies of Daniella's book to give away - leave a comment on any of Daniella's posts before 10.00pm Thursday to be in the draw to win! - Jenny x
Late last year, I was in my final semester of my Communication Design degree at RMIT. My career was heading toward illustration as I couldn't think of a better way to spend my working days. However, I chose to do a publication elective as my final major, as I thought I could somehow merge illustration work within a publication subject. Boy, am I glad I took that elective!
On the left is the original book submitted for my course; On the right is the published version!
The brief was to create a 64 page book. Five years prior, my Mum had passed down my Abuela's (Mexican grandmother) recipes which my Mum had written down as a young girl. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to collate her recipes, and as an illustrator, I decided to illustrate the whole book, food and all.
It was a stroke of luck that my book fell into the hands of Hardie Grant’s MD Julie Pinkham, after she had been asked to judge our final student folios at the end of the year. Julie noticed my book and asked me to come in for a chat with her and one of HG’s food editors. I really didn’t think much of it when they asked to hang on to My Abuela’s Table (my book). I was just over the moon to have been offered some freelance illustration work at the time. However, six weeks later I was offered a book deal for My Abuela’s Table.
It’s been a crazy ride, but here is my book. I hope you enjoy my week of guest blogging where I will be sharing recipes from my book and lessons on Mexican traditions and celebrations – all to do with food of course!
- Daniella x
The mole reminds me of fabulous times in Mexico City and many moles.
gracias!!!
Her style of illustration is immediately appealing. It has a sense of optimism as well as nostalgia. And I reckon that this is one of those cookbooks that would inspire one to actually cook, not just gaze.
Such a beautiful book!… and I love Mexican food!
yummy – all those illustrations are making me feel hungry.
btw love the nail polish colour!
When we say hot tamales it means something else…! So I’d love a recipe book that could teach me all about the real Hot Tamale!
Congratulations Daniella! Such a beautiful book.
simply gorgeous… love this book.. pick pick pick me please!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love reading/hearing stories like this. A series of events over time and in this case generations that leads to the creation of not only something beautiful but something that shares knowledge and tradition with others. Congratulations Daniella! Just love your water colour style.
This is such a beautiful book! Congratulations! I’ve had my eye on it since I read about somewhere, maybe on here! I can’t remember! I’d absolutely love a copy!
I am a third year communication design student and this makes me really excited for my future! If you can do it, just maybe i can do to!
Er, gotta have it.
I would not dare ignore the advice of a chicken .. bring on the bean enchiladas!!
such a gorgeous book … it caught my in Byron last week…
what a great story! looks like a very cute book
Wow – I wish we had electives like that at my university. This sounds like the ultimate of dream projects for any illustrator – especially give that the subject matter is so personal and special to you. Congratulations.
I can’t wait to check this out, I adore Mexican food but I have problems with hot peppers, so a book of recipes like this that I can try out seems like a great solution!
Felicidades Daniella! Lovely book. I am so excited to see such a beautiful book about Mexican food. I can’t wait to have a copy in my hands, now that is my turn to pass on the recipes to my little daughter. Maybe we will be lucky this time? Well done.
Oh that’s amazing! Your book looks absolutely beautiful, and so tempting – I also love Mexican food. Yum!!
Love the watercolour illustrations + the handed down recipes from your grandma!, congratulations and enjoy the ride, you deserve every bit of success x
What a beautiful cook book- love the illustrations!
oh what beautiful illustrations, love the watercolour
What a fantastic story. The illustrations are simply divine, I can’t wait to get my paws on one of these.
Oh awesome! Will have to check it out. I’ve been all about the Southern cooking for a while, and I was starting to think it was time to cross over the border even further South… I love the chicken suggesting the bean enchiladas. He cracks me up.
This is so lovely – I am also writing a book about my grandmother’s traditions. I might have to ask your advice when it’s ready for publishing!
Your book is so lovely, your illustrations are just so beautiful! Such a nice story! x
God bless Mexico!
We are having a culinary love affair with beans and rice at our place. So this beautiful book will be the perfect companion to spice up the relationship!
wow – what a stunning cookbook and I love the story behind it!
Congratulations on such a stunning book and thanks for sharing your grandmother’s recipes with the world. So lovely. Thank goodness Julie Pickham broke the mould of commissioning yet another celebrity chef cookbook…!
A cookbook without photos, how beautiful and fresh. Congratulations to Hardi Grant for recognising emerging talent. This book is definitely on my wish list.
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I was at the bookstore the other day and was just flipping through it.. amazing stuff!
yum yum yum!!
beautiful book daniella…just lost an hour of study time on your blog too!
Congratulations Daniella! Your book is just gorgeous, and your story is one of those heartwarming ones that gives us ‘undiscovered’ creatives a little thrill. I am very much looking forward to your guest posts this week.
Yay for random electives! What an exciting story! Your book looks absolutely gorgeous, Daniella – congratulations.
I collect cook books and read them like novels. I get bored when my new cookbook doesn’t tell a storey of inspiration and loves.
We love Mexico, it’s people and street food so much we are heading back to Mexico City at the end of the year to graze the streets for the first few days of our honeymoon…!
Beautiful book. Congratulations!
This looks like a really beautiful book. Congratulations!
Would love to win such a lovely book.
laura61092@hotmail.com
What a great story of finding the work you love by accident!
I love the illustrations – witty and artistic, and the recipes look quite amazing. Just the thing to cheer up a long, cold winter…
Muchos gracios! To add this gorgeous book to my kitchen would be fantabulous…. :-)
We adore Mexican food in our house and I have a 3 yr old boy who would just love reading this
Just stunning and a nice change from the majority of photography based cookbooks! Well done.
What a unique and gorgeous book. A real testament to illustration!
Wow!! what a great story and a gorgeous looking Mexican cook book. We love cooking and eating Mexican food and will definately be checking this one out.
What a delightful story! How luck you are Daniella to have such a treasure! I absolutely LOVE your illustrations. It gives the book a very personal and comforting vibe. You wont need luck with such a desirable creation – enjoy the sucess!
Hooray! Congratulations!
Beautiful book.
Congratulations!
Your book is so lovely, your illustrations are so beautiful! Just gorgeous!
What a divine book! And such a great story about how it came to be. Congratulations! I adore Mexican food so would love a copy of the book.
Quiero escribir en espanol porque la comida de Mexico es muy rica y se habla en este lingua. Las recetas y las ilustraciones son muy magnificos. Felicidades Daniella.
This is a huge achievement Daniella, and please excuse my attempt at Spanish.
Congratulations! Your book looks so beautiful and like other readers have said, it makes me actually want to cook!
can’t wait to try the recipes!
The book looks absolutely beautiful – congratulations. Will add grace and style to everyone’s bookshelf!
I adore this beautiful book and would love to win a copy! Thank you so much for the giveaway :)
Your book is beautiful! Fingers crossed I’m lucky enough to win a copy :)
How beautiful! Congratulations on your first publication!
What a nice idea to combine your illustration with your mother’s and grandmother’s recipes. That will be a family heirloom!
wow – what a beautiful idea and what fantastic illustrations. big congratulations on getting published!
Beautiful illustrations and yummy cuisine
This is a beautiful book that will appeal to new and more experienced cooks. It is wonderful to see something that is truly a family effort published and looking fabulous. Congratulations!
holy mole i would love this book
Oh my, what a fabulous story. The whole presentation is very beautiful and I bet the recipes are great too. What a wonderful achievement for you and what a great history for your family.
Looks very lovely, would be fab to own a copy. Love the nails too!x
My fave things all wrapped up in one package – good food and good design.
I think the food tastes better when its presented along side those gorgeous illustrations. Well done. WOuld love a copy of this book!
I’m HUNGRY…! This book looks fabulous..!
Love Mexican food…yum!
The book looks beautiful too. Congratulations!
Beautiful I love the illustrations
Even the illustrated art is making me hungry. Nice book!
Your book if beautiful, your illustrations are just amazing and I just love reading your blog, very inspiring thankyou xxx
Mmm – what a tasty offering. Gorgeous illustrations. Well done you!
delicious
this is going to be great fun to cook from – ole!
This is so inspiring! Daniella’s enthusiasm is contagious and I can’t wait to pass this article on to my daughter who graduated from college 3 weeks ago to show her what all of her hard work can lead to. It would be fun for my daughter and me to cook together from Daniella’s beautiful book.
Congratulations on the lovely cookbook! And thanks for the chance to win it :)
What a fantastic concept. Gorgeous illustrations, delicious recipes and a beautiful story. Congratulations! Looking forward to more on the guest blog this week. x
Hhhhmmmm mole!
Daniella, I love your illustrations. Your abuela would be rapt!
My search is over! I have been looking for a gorgeous mexican cookbook and here it is!
I’m not surprised they offered you a publishing deal,your beautiful illustrations combined with precious family recipes,seems like a great book idea to me.congratulations-your book looks superb.
Adorable!
super cute illustrations combined with super tasty recipes – what a combo!! well done.
what an adoreable book – yes please!!
Beautiful artwork and lovely idea to record the recipies handed down by a family member. I have all my grandmothers and am in the process of doing something similar.
Oh my! Daniella, I have to say I’m super inspired and jealous at the same time. I mean this is super great, I love it. And I’m super jealous because I would love to do this one day. I love cooking and drawing, so to be able to combine both into something so beautiful, I’m just blown away :)
Any advice on how to make a beautiful illustrated cook book?
badra.
Beautiful illustrations, very inspirational :) Well done!
I Think I need this book!! Will definitely get myself a copy, one way or another…
wow, love your illustrations! they’re so unique!
What an inspiration you are – you has inspired me to Lean towards illustration in art instead of just photography – I’m even thinking of combining the two! Thank goodness you did take that boon publishing elective – genius!
I just bought this book for a friend. I’d love to own one myself: especially as i haven’t given it yet and i keep looking at it all the time!!!!
illustrations are amazing!
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Love those chooks! Please peck me!! : ) xxxxx
This book looks beautiful not only the amazing recipes but the pictures are so cute. I have just started my leap into traditional Mexican cooking and this book looks like a great addition to my collection
Mexican food is my favorite. Mexico is my favorite place. And I have a weakness for illustrated food. lovely lovely
Lovely book and such delicious sounding recipes
what a gorgeous book. makes me wish my grandmother was mexican and not of scottish descent ( there is hardly a market for books featuring porridge and pea soup recipes?)
A great acheivement and a stunning book. The whole concept and the illustrations are truely heart warming. Well done Daniella.
Daniella, hablas Espanol o no?