This cookbook is quite a gem
Sara Jewell’s book includes 15 stories and 40 recipes
OXFORD — Writing is a compulsion for Sara Jewell.
During the summer, while waiting for a response on a series book and essays she had submitted to publishers, Jewell was inspired to embrace a project she has thought about through the years.
Self-published, A Jewell of a Cookbook, is a collection of 15 stories about food as well as 40 of her favourite recipes.
“I wanted to get these stories out into the world because life is short and anything can happen in a moment,” Jewell said. “It gave me a new appreciation.”
Dealing with the impacts of the pandemic and not knowing where life would take her, Jewell felt she had to do something — especially after three people she knew died suddenly in the space of a month.
It forced her to take a closer look at her own life.
“It was such a shock. It made me realize things could change in a moment,” she said. “It made me think about how I am living my life and what I want to do with my life. Life is too short, and it made me think that I didn’t want to die with stories tucked away on my computer.”
Jewell has books she has submitted to publishers for consideration as well as a collection of essays. She had also pitched a sequel to her popular Field Notes, published in 2016. However, being unsuccessful, she decided enough was enough and moved ahead with her own cookbook.
“It’s not really a cookbook, but a series of stories and recipes,” Jewell said. “It’s stories I’ve written about food and my favourite recipes. You’re not going to find things you’d find in hundreds of cookbooks; you’re going to find the recipes I like and the little stories behind them. It was my way of taking control and doing something at a time when you feel you have no control.”
Jewell said it took three months to complete the project and she loved the experience. She had to be writer, the editor and proof-reader — along with her mother. And since she is self-publishing the book, she is also the marketer and promoter.
“It was my sanity saver during the summer months,” Jewell said. “It kept me sane and gave me something positive to work on, something to look forward to every day. I could sit down and transcribe the recipes and work on the essays. When I sat down to format the book it was fun.”
She started thinking of putting together a cookbook 20 years when a massive binder of recipes came from her mother. It was called a Jewell of a Cookbook and it contained 200 or more pages of recipes all hand-written and photocopied.
“It was massive. In order to use it you had to break it up into smaller binders,” she said. “It was huge.”
Jewell expects the book will be popular with those who liked Field Notes and her columns. Field Notes: A City Girl’s Search for Heart and Home in Rural Nova Scotia was a collection of essays inspired by her popular Field Notes columns or musings from Saltscapes articles. It was a humorous observation of life in rural Nova Scotia and part self-reflection of her life amid the salty air and dirt roads of rural Cumberland County.
The book is not available in stores. It can be purchased by cash or e-transfer by contacting Jewell at her website sarajewell.ca . The cost of the softcover book is $20.
She also expects to be at the Pugwash Christmas Farmers Market on Nov. 14.
Q&A
Q. What is your full name? Sara Jewell
Q. Where and when were you born?
Southern Ontario in 1970 Q. Where do you live today? Outside of Oxford
Q. What’s your favourite place in the world?
Italy, even though I’ve never been.
Q. Who do you follow on social media?
Artists — painters especially. Q. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a really good swimmer. Q. Can you describe one experience that changed your life?
Being with my father as he died and after he died.
Q. What’s your greatest indulgence?
Buying gifts for friends. Q. What is your favourite movie or book?
“You’ve Got Mail.”
Q. How do you like to relax? Going for a long walk.
Q. What are you reading or watching right now?
I’m reading the manuscript of a friend’s first novel.
Q. What is your greatest fear? Not fulfilling my potential (and not figuring out what that is!)
Q. What physical or personality trait are you most grateful to a parent for?
Pragmatism. “Don’t worry until there’s something to worry about.”
Q. What three people would join you for your dream dinner party?
Jann Arden, Ryan Reynolds, Jagmeet Singh
Q. What is your best quality, and what is your worst quality?
Persistence; self-consciousness.
Q. What’s your biggest regret? Listening to the teacher who told me not to take any more art classes.
Meet your Neighbour is a regular feature that profiles area residents. Want to suggest someone who should be featured? Email your idea to scott.doherty@saltwire.com.