Happy & Healthy

Jet’s places

Last year in May, I signed a book contract. This year in January was the deadline and last Monday was the book presentation. Finally. Sweaty armpits, trembling knees because I was so curious about what everyone would think. The reactions were good, but yes, what do you expect: there were mainly family and friends. Now the book is in the store and I am waiting for the reactions from people who do not know me.

‘Making ’The Book of Jet’ was an incredibly big and fun process and it went like this:

• I had months to write, but I was very hesitant to start. What on earth is the first sentence you put on paper? Eventually, I started writing some loose bits and pieces, and that gradually became a chapter. So I started quite late with writing the book and at some point felt the deadline breathing down my neck, so I locked myself in my parents' house in the east. That is in the middle of nowhere with a large kitchen and that is where I was able to write most of the book.

• I only wrote the foreword last, after I had already submitted the entire book. I also took a long time with that, letting others read it and rewriting it.

• My texts, the story, and the recipes have (of course) been reviewed by an editor. That was very necessary because I am an incredibly sloppy writer. Judith Postema, that's her name, actually made it a real whole because I tend to jump from one thing to another.

• Together with my mother, I tested most of the recipes. She is, along with my grandmother (my mother's mother), an amazing cook. She also taught me to cook healthily without it being boring. Not too difficult, but always fresh and with attention. There were days when the countertop was a mess with an incredible amount of ingredients. Often I cooked or baked something a few times a day to make sure I mentioned the right proportions.

• I tried to make a lemon flavor four times. It kept failing.

• All the photos with the food were shot in three days in my own house and that was very hard work. A huge amount of grocery shopping, everything had to be made, and there had to be a relentless pace. Mirjam, the food stylist, literally brought hundreds of bowls, plates, cutlery, and napkins to serve the food.

• All my recipes have been reviewed by the publisher. There is someone who can see with the naked eye whether a recipe is correct. So whether there are indeed enough eggs or if perhaps too much flour is being advised. If he has doubts, he naturally makes the recipe for verification.

• After I submitted the text, and all the photos were taken, the design team got to work. Jolien Dorgelo and Josselin Bijl (yes, indeed, Josselin) created different design samples that they thought perfectly reflected the feeling and color of the book. This is then discussed with the publisher and me, and together we come to one style. Then J & J get to work and every few weeks they send parts of the book for review.

• The text has been reviewed by Judith Postema, but in addition, many other people have also “gone over” it to avoid discovering any mistakes. Even at the last moment, some texts were shortened a bit because it worked better regarding the design.

• When your book goes to the printer (my book was sent digitally to a printing house in Slovakia), it takes at least four weeks before the actual book is in the Central Book House. From there, all books are delivered to the (online) bookstores.

Below you can see what the book presentation looked like. And, who knows, happy reading?