Serendib Kitchen

I’m watching Restaurants on the Edge, a new Netflix show where they save failing restaurants around the world. Less yelling and actual chef/owner re-training than when Gordon Ramsey does it in Kitchen Nightmares, more travelogue and cultural history. Just a little ways in, and I mostly like it, though the Derridean in me is slightly cranky about the title.

They’re making a play on words with ‘edge’ — the restaurants are on the edge of failing, but also exist on the edge of the world. And okay, having come up with the concept, I can see how hard it would be to resist! And so far, the show itself seems reasonably respectful of the people and the culture they’re visiting (Malta, first episode).

Lots of focus on local food, the skills of local artisans. I appreciate that (though @Joel Keller’s review for Decider did think it had the visitors dominating, and a feel of North Americans ‘strip-mining’ the local culture).

But it’s mostly the title that’s bugging me right now. How are you defining ‘the edge’? Who gets to be the center? I mean, any good post-colonialist would have to throw up her hands and say ARGH, right?

I want them to do an exotic travelogue style episode to some place in America early on, some place mostly populated by white people, just to counter the baseline assumptions you’ll be reinforcing otherwise. Somehow I don’t think they’re going to do that.

[goes to check episode list]

Malta
Hong Kong
Tobermory (in Canada — huh, okay, that’s something)
Costa Rica
Austria
St. Lucia

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Looked it up a bit more — the hosts are all Canadian, so I guess that explains Tobermory.

Also a little weirded out now by sometimes it’s a city, sometimes a country… Which places get to be defined by something smaller and local, rather than their entire nation?

I wish at least one of core experts was visibly POC. You can’t always tell ethnicity by looking, of course, and Liberato might be POC? A quick googling didn’t make that clear. But they definitely lean white, and I would hope that if you’re putting together an ensemble travel show in this day and age, you’d at least think about that.

#serendibkitchen

Quick note that today is the last day to subscribe at the $10 / month level to my Patreon, if you’d like a treat package sent out to you in March. (US-only, sorry!) Will definitely be including Dragonfruit Nebulae chocolate bars (dragonfruit, citrus, white pepper, and white chocolate) in this batch. 

Gah! I woke up at 3:15 a.m., mind racing with time-sensitive things I had to do:

SLF:

• tell Akbar to go ahead and book his plane ticket for the SLF (counting on the community to donate the remainder of the funds to reimburse us for it, which is a little nerve-wracking, but time is tight enough that I think it’s the best option. And we’re not so far off — $800 raised out of an estimated $1500 for the flight, and I just checked, and it looks like he should be able to find a flight for closer to $1300, so just another $500 to go). — DONE

• confirm Akbar’s hotel (CONFIRMED NOW) and book it (HANDED OFF TO KAREN TO BOOK NOW)

• confirm registration with ICFA (SENT E-MAIL)

• post again about the international initiative fundraiser (DONE)

• talk to Matt about the Portolan Project videos (DONE)

• I think I may want to actually find an animator who can do the opening to the videos; he threw something together for us, but it’s not working for me; it’s another expense I’d have to raise money for, though, so it may have to wait, unless I can find someone to donate the time / skill — should do a separate post about that at some point, but not urgent — (POST DONE)

FEAST:

• remind people about the 15-book Feast giveaway running now (worldwide, please do enter, link in comments!) — we are officially one week from launch, AIGH. (DONE)

• wash the guest room bedding and make the bed, since Heather will be arriving today from Ann Arbor (probably while I’m still on campus, since I get home @ 2:30), to work the weekend on Serendib Press stuff (IN WASH)

• remind folks that they have two more days to sign up for the subscription package of edible treats going out in April (US-only)

• finish decorating and wrap the four Dragonfruit Nebulae bars (dragonfruit, citrus, and a hint of white pepper)

• pour two more in the mold (I can only do two at a time, so it’s low effort, but takes a few days to get through several done)

• post the recipe for the Dragonfruit Nebulae chocolates AND the one for the jackfruit & chickpea curry from a month ago that is still waiting for posting!

ACADEMIC:

• read and grade student reading journals; I’d like to get those back before teaching today (next in queue)

WRITING:

• do Sustainable Arts Foundation grant due today @ 5 (I leave for teaching at 10:30, and do have to shower and dress, so can I squeeze that in before then? we’ll see; if not, this afternoon, down to the wire, sigh.)

• finish prepping materials for RPG I’m running tomorrow for my Jump Space universe — I was tempted to cancel, but I cancelled the first one, and I think I could probably use a little downshifting in my brain — I was a little frantic yesterday morning too, and Kevin and I lay down for an hour midday for date lunch and watched Picard, and then spent an hour talking about the project idea (for the Creative Capital grant), and the latter was very helpful and the former got me breathing a little easier. So hanging out with friends for a few hours tomorrow and playing a SF RPG will, I hope, be fun and not stressful.

• do Creative Capital grant application due tomorrow (probably will have to work on that Sat morning, after giving Heather some things to work on)

HOME:

• call to set up annual vet appointments for cats, they’re due for rabies vaccines

• call to get car repair from last week’s accident scheduled

COMMUNITY:

• write a long post (or several) about the economics of being a writer, relevant both to the indie publishing thing I’m doing with Feast, and the SLF’s grant efforts

• write a long post (or several) about running for office and governing — something like “Ten Things I’ve Learned While…” Maybe host AMA’s on them, if I have the energy.

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Whew. I’m sure there’s more too, but that was all bubbling at the top of my brain. I was seriously tempted to get up at 3:15 and just work on it all, but the bed was cozy, so I tried to sleep instead. Finally fell asleep around 5-ish, I think, got up at normal 7 a.m. Still not sure if that was the right decision — I could be 4 hours ahead on all this right now. But also probably much more tired…

Mary Anne, do not get so distracted by new student employees that you forget to eat meals. Confectionery experiment sampling + coffee ≠ decent breakfast.

LEAP YEAR GIVEAWAY CONTEST! A Feast of Serendib is my new Sri Lankan American cookbook, and the ebooks are perfect for referring to while cooking, using a tablet stand in the kitchen, or just browsing curled up on the couch. ($24.99 value!)

Just 8 days to launch, eep, and I’m trying something different for this particular Feast giveaway — we’re going to run this one for three days, because sometimes it takes a little while for people to see it. So Thurs / Fri / Sat., Feb 27-29, ending at midnight CST.

Enter on Facebook HERE!

ALSO, we’re going to give you more chances to enter — you get entered once for each of the following:

– if you LIKE the post
– if you post a COMMENT
– if you SHARE it
– if you TAG in a friend!

So you can enter just once, or enter up to four times if you like! (It’s all about building visibility for the cookbook; people can’t buy it if they don’t know it exists…)

We’re also giving away MORE books — 15 lucky winners (!) will be randomly drawn from the entries on this post.

AND we’re resetting the clock, so if you already won an e-book earlier this week, it doesn’t matter — you can enter again between Feb 27-29; a fabulous gift for a friend or family member. Sounds great, right? Here we go!

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TODAY’S QUESTION: You’ve had a hard day, and you come home exhausted, wanting something delicious to eat. What would you love to have waiting for you when you get home? What’s your ideal comfort food meal?

Mine is a tie between two Sri Lankan meals — mackerel curry with egg, served over uppuma, or beef and potato curry with bread. Kevin once made me beef and potato curry to greet me when I came back home after a long plane flight — I walked in the door, caught the scent of the food, and almost burst in tears, I was so happy.

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Stephanie will be tracking, and will randomly pick and announce the 15 winners on March 1st.

Enter on Facebook HERE!

–endofgiveawaydetails–

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COOKBOOK DETAILS:

1) ORDERING: You can order early copies of A Feast of Serendib (signed / personalized, if you like) directly from me right now, at www.serendibkitchen.com, or from my publisher, Mascot Books: https://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/cookbooks/regional/a-feast-of-serendib/. The limited release paperback can only be ordered directly from my website. If you’re in the U.S., you can also add on my hand-roasted Sri Lankan curry powder.

A Feast of Serendib will be launching officially March 6, 2020, and we hope it’ll be widely available in bookstores and libraries. You can request it now from your local bookstore or library! Please do! It’ll also be available on Amazon US, UK, and Canada; you can pre-order it now online. If you’re planning to order from Amazon, pre-ordering or ordering on launch day (March 6!) would be super helpful for boosting its visibility on Amazon. Thanks!

ORDERING INFO:
978-1-64543-275-3 Hardcover (distributed by Ingram)
978-1-64543-377-4 ebook (on Amazon, etc.)
2370000696366 (trade paperback; only available directly from me, at Serendib Kitchen site; you can also buy the hardcover or ebook there)

2) REVIEW OR BUY IT HERE (reviews are hugely helpful in boosting visibility!):
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Feast-Serendib-Mary-Anne-Mohanraj/dp/1645432750/

Books-a-Million
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Feast-Serendib/Mary-Anne-Mohanraj/9781645432753

Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-feast-of-serendib-mary-anne-mohanraj/1135510523

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51332647-a-feast-of-serendib

3) JOIN THE COOKBOOK CLUB: If you’d like to support the development of more mostly Sri Lankan recipes, I’d love to have you join the cookbook club — for $2 / month, you’ll get recipes delivered to your inbox (fairly) regularly: https://www.patreon.com/mohanraj. For $10 / month, you can subscribe for fabulous treats mailed to you! (US-only).

4) FOODIE SOCIAL MEDIA:
My personal FB page: https://www.facebook.com/mary.a.mohanraj
My Twitter: https://twitter.com/mamohanraj
Serendib Kitchen blog: http://serendibkitchen.com
Serendib Kitchen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serendib_kitchen/
Serendib FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/132029834135500/
Serendib FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/mohanrajserendib/

5) PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY starred review: “Mohanraj (Bodies in Motion), a literature professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, introduces readers to the comforting cuisine of Sri Lanka in this illuminating collection of more than 100 recipes. Waves of immigration from China, England, the Netherlands, and Portugal influenced the unique cuisine of Sri Lanka, Mohanraj writes, as evidenced by such dishes as Chinese rolls (a take on classic egg rolls in the form of stuffed crepes that are breaded and fried); fish cutlets (a culinary cousin of Dutch bitterballen fried croquettes); and English tea sandwiches (filled here with beets, spinach, and carrots). With Sri Lanka’s proximity to India, curry figures heavily, with options for chicken, lamb, cuttlefish, or mackerel. A number of poriyal dishes, consisting of sautéed vegetables with a featured ingredient, such as asparagus or brussels sprouts, showcase a Tamil influence. Throughout, Mohanraj does a superb job of combining easily sourced ingredients with clear, instructive guidance and menu recommendations for all manner of events, including a Royal Feast for over 200 people. This is a terrific survey of an overlooked cuisine.”

*****

Thanks so much for your support! Indie publishing is absolutely reliant on word of mouth and the support of friends, family, and friendly internet acquaintances. 🙂

— Mary Anne

#serendibkitchen
#serendibpress

Wandering through Whole Foods a few nights ago, I couldn’t resist pausing and taking some photos of the curry sauces on offer. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have some Serendib Kitchen sauces on offer? A girl can dream…

Maybe it’ll be Kavi who does it — Maya Kaimal’s website says, “Raised in Boston by a South Indian father and a mother from New England, she grew up in a multi-cultural home filled with delicious and diverse foods.”

Kavi’s Kitchen?

GIVEAWAY! 9 DAYS TO LAUNCH, and we’re launching daily giveaways for these two weeks! Congratulations to the winners, Chris Waterous, Rob Gates, and Katy Kelsey Morgan!

Yesterday’s question told us that many people first learned how to cook a) cookies or b) eggies. 🙂

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Today’s question for the comments: Rank your three absolute favorite cuisines, favorite first. Go!

Mine are Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, and Japanese. They are the best, and I will fight you.

(Interestingly, even though I quite appreciate pizza, French sauces, a full English breakfast, etc., you really do have to go quite a ways down the list before anything European shows up, since first I’d be listing Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Indian…)

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Every day, I’ll be giving away three (3!) gorgeous eBooks of Feast, perfect for referring to while cooking, using a tablet stand in the kitchen, or just browsing curled up on the couch. ($24.99 value!)

So that’s 42 chances to win! 42, the perfect number, the answer to life, the universe, and everything. How could you not enter? And if you already have a copy, think what a lovely and unique gift it would make…

(You can only win once in this two-week period, but we encourage you to keep answering questions and joining in the fun regardless. 🙂 )

I’ll post by 8 a.m., and you just have to comment on the post by midnight CST to be entered to win. I will try to make it slightly fun, if I can, by coming up with a prompt, although if you really can’t think of anything relevant, you can just comment something random, and you’ll still be entered.🙂
(If you feel motivated to share, I’ll be grateful. Right now, it’s all about building visibility for the cookbook; people can’t buy it if they don’t know it exists…)

Stephanie will be tracking, and will randomly pick and announce the 3 winners the following day.

Hey, folks — it’s the LAST DAY for the GoodReads giveaway! Eep. Please like / comments / share — and of course, if you’re in the U.S., enter! We’re giving away 5 gorgeous hardcovers, $40 value each!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/303738-a-feast-of-serendib

I woke up utterly panicked that I couldn’t possibly make it to a launch event in D.C. that I’d scheduled for 5 p.m., given that it was already 5:15 p.m., and nobody would come anyway, because I’d somehow scheduled it right against the main awards event for the SF convention I was attending in D.C. that day, and I felt SO BAD for the venue that had scheduled it, but it just didn’t seem worth trying to hustle across town to get there to read very late to an empty room, so I was nerving myself to call the venue and apologize and ask them to cancel the event.

Sigh. I am not in D.C. today, in case that isn’t clear. There is no actual event scheduled for 5 p.m. today, THANK GOD.

This is where my head is at these days, people. I am reading various guides to publicity, and there is a slew of publicity stuff in the works, because there is no point working hard for years on making something good for the world, if you then fail to *tell* the world about it. (I learned that lesson with Survivor and Perennial, the two books I published in 2018, which no one knows about. Sigh.)

I’m feeling perpetually intensely behind on all of it, mostly because at a big publishing house, they’d schedule book tour months and months in advance, not in this ad hoc scrambling manner. I’m going to the Bay Area next week, but I can’t possibly schedule a reading at Kepler’s, the big bookstore that hosts tons of readings and has a developed audience, because they book many months in advance.

I’m trying to keep reminding myself that I’m in a different situation indie-publishing; I have more leeway and time. At a big house, you really do only have a month, maybe a week, to convince them that your book has legs, before they give up and start spending time and money and energy on the next book in the queue. I *have* no next book in the queue to publicize (plenty to write, but that’s a different story) — all of 2020 will be dedicated to supporting Feast. I don’t have to ‘crush my launch,’ as one marketing book said I had to do. I mean, it would be nice to crush my launch, but it’s not a requirement.

I’m hiring two part-time college student workers for Serendib Press this week (hooray! Kirsten, I’ll get you their info to get them on payroll); they’re coming in Thursday morning to work with Stephanie.

I talked to a very nice book publicist last week, and when I couldn’t possibly afford her actual rates for a real campaign ($9000), she was super-generous and agreed to pull together a targeted list for me from her databases for much, much less. So that’s what Stephanie and the students (both aspiring writers) will be working on, taking the press release we’ve put together, and doing a big mailing to print, media, etc.

Again, all this should have happened six months ago, in some ideal sense, but I’m trying to let that go. The past is a river; that water is long gone. I felt a little better about all this when we booked the Omnivore event (San Francisco), and again booking the Cards board game cafe event (Chicago), and I think we’ve finalized a Sugar Beet Coop event (Oak Park), and a friend and a sister are hosting parties for me in May (New York), and a friend is ALSO hosting a party for me in March (Los Gatos). It really is just a matter of calling and e-mailing and scheduling more of this stuff. It’ll be okay, brain. Stop with the anxiety dreams, okay? They’re not helping.

My therapist asked last week what I’d say to my kids, or to a friend, who was behind on a task and beating themselves up about it. I had to admit that I’d be much nicer to them than I am to myself. I’d talk to them about making a plan, writing a to-do list, checking things off. She asked me to think about why I don’t extend myself the same compassion and understanding that I’d extend to them. I don’t really have an answer for that yet, but trying to at least think about it when the recriminations start going in my brain.

(Benjamin, you may need to start telling me to chill out, if we’re going to survive a book tour road trip together…)

((If you missed it the first time I posted it, THIS is exactly what writing feels like in the current publishing climate — if you pay too much attention to this kind of thing, the stress will strangle any desire to write. It’s awful, but it’s also utterly pervasive in the field: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160394752204616&id=746234615))

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(side note re: meds and anxiety — one thing the psych person is doing with ADD meds is seeing whether I might also need anxiety meds, but we agree that launching a new business, which is essentially what this is, is the kind of intense situational circumstance that might cause anxiety in the calmest individuals, and we should re-evaluate after launch — my next meeting with her is a week after launch, so hopefully I’ll be in a different state by then!)