We cannot WAIT to get our hands on “Wholesome By Sarah” from the social media sensation and talented cook, Sarah Proud. It is the perfect time of the year to start creating flavoursome and hearty meals such as one-pot dinners and soups.
This title is a must-have addition to your weekly meal rotation and it will provide fascinating new recipes to sprinkle into your dinner plans.
We have an EPIC blog article for our QBD Books readers with two exclusive recipe cards and the author’s insight into writing her first book.
Let’s dive in!
As creator of Wholesome by Sarah, Sarah Pound has won a legion of fans online, who cook her fresh, wholesome and flavour-packed recipes every night of the week.
Sarah is all about making life easier for busy home cooks, and her much-anticipated debut cookbook is filled with the kind of food she has become known and loved for: simple, hearty and family-friendly dinners that use familiar everyday ingredients. As well as nourishing bowls of soup, one-pot gems and drool-worthy salads, there are chapters on new ways with budget-friendly staples, such as pasta, mince and the humble can of tuna.
There are no tricky techniques here – this is solid home cooking that is fresh, fast and full of flavour. As well as her delicious recipes, Sarah shares foolproof formulas for building perfect salads and stir-fries; killer marinade, spice rub and salad dressing ideas; plus loads of practical tips to streamline life in the kitchen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Pound is a nutritionist and mother of two who understands the importance of getting a delicious, healthy meal on the table with minimum fuss. Her online community Wholesome by Sarah has become a go-to source of easy, family-friendly recipes for home cooks all around Australia.
Sarah lives in Melbourne with her husband and two daughters.
This information was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia.
Writing My First Ever Cookbook from Sarah Proud
It has been a dream of mine to write a cookbook for a very long time.
Cooking has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. This love started as a child when I would request to get up on the bench and help Mum prepare food for family meals. I used to pretend I was on my own cooking show, along with baking goodies to sell out the front of our house. I worked part time as a cook in different cafes and restaurants through my teenage years, and my favourite subjects were food technology and health and human development.
I received a beautiful recipe journal from good friends for my 21st birthday and this became my recipe bible over the years to follow. Any delcious recipe creations were built into my collection, along with many snippets and cut outs of magazine recipes that I loved the look/taste of. This, in a sense, was the first version of my own cookbook.
Once I left high school, I studied food and nutrition at university, while also working at The Essential Ingredient in the Prahran Market. I loved this because it allowed me to learn so much about unusual ingredients and products while working alongside some of Melbourne’s best chefs when they conducted their cooking classes. I then started a catering company that lasted almost 10 years. The onset of Covid-19 and extended duration of lockdowns was what petty much killed my catering company over a 24-month period. This was a time of desperation and was also very financially stressful.
This desperation led me to pivot my approach, ultimately resulting in the creation of Wholesome By Sarah. As I reflect on my journey, I now see Covid-19 not as a setback but as a blessing in disguise in relation to my food journey and career.
I can understand how onlookers would believe that my new cookbook, Wholesome By Sarah, is a product of an overnight success story. After all, I did grow over 500,000 followers in less than two years. However, my new cookbook is a result of many years of experience, dedication and hard work in the food industry, often accompanied by tears, stress and sleepless nights.
In the beginning stages of the cookbook process, I found myself faced with a delightful dilemma – four outstanding offers from leading Australian publishers, each promising to bring my cookbook dream to life in their own unique way. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that top publishers in Australia saw the potential in my vision.
After much deliberation, I ultimately chose to partner with Plum, and it was a decision that I’ll forever be grateful for. From the moment we sat down together, I felt an instant connection with their team. Their track record of producing best-selling cookbooks combined with their genuine enthusiasm for my project made it an easy choice.
I started with the initial concept phase, a cookbook that would contain plenty of my favourite recipes from over the years, yummy salads, simple weeknight dinners for families, and comforting slow cooker meals. I spent about 3 months selecting & creating the recipes, plenty of late nights fuelled by numerous cups of coffee. It then moved to hours spent in the kitchen developing and fine-tuning recipes that provided the perfect balance of simplicity and flavour.
Rigorous recipe testing from myself, family and close friends ensured foolproof instructions and delcious final dishes, and then onto a two-week professional photoshoot that brought the dishes to life with the brilliant Plum team.
Meticulous editing polished every recipe and written component, leading to a cover shoot capturing the cookbook’s essence. With final edits completed, the drafts went off to printing. About 4 months later I was sent my first hard copy of my cookbook and boy, was that a surreal moment. I bawled my eyes out, a true realisation of a lifelong dream, filled with overwhelming joy and gratitude.
Working with Plum has been an absolute dream come true. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and unwavering support throughout the entire process have been nothing short of exceptional. I’ll never forget the overwhelming feeling of joy and gratitude that washed over me as the final photoshoot wrapped up.
It wasn’t just the culmination of months of hard work; it was a celebration of the incredible journey we had experienced together. This cookbook experience has been nothing short of magical, filled with countless unforgettable moments and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Recipe Cards from “Wholesome By Sarah”
To follow Sarah along on her cooking delicious meals journey, visit her on social media here:
FB: wholesomebysarah
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing the delicious recipe cards – we hope our QBD Books readers enjoy!
