On the Road Again with Home Cooking with Kate McDermott

Like the Willie Nelson song, On the Road Again, it’s book tour time. There are so many aspects of writing a book before one gets to that point. Recipes, testing, writing, photography, re-writes, deadlines, sleepless nights…and then the day arrives that your baby goes out in to the world. I feel it’s inevitable for writers (which I still can’t believe I am viewed to be one) to have thoughts like: 

• It is good enough?
• Will people buy it?
• Will there be reviews?
• Will reviewers write favorably about it? 

These are just for starters. 

With Art of the Pie I had no idea what to expect after it hit the shelves and online stores. My publisher shared with me that things would “ramp up” in the weeks leading to the release; there would be a flurry of activity; then gradually calm down. All of that was true. There were interviews, appearances, reviews, “best of” lists, and nominations, including being a James Beard Finalist, which still amazes me. Most of it I was able to do from home, with the occasional journey to an out of town or state event. I’ve continued to lead Pie Camps during this time too, and am grateful that my son Duncan McDermott Graham joined the teaching roster leading some Pie Camps at Pie Cottage. 

On the Road Again

On the Road Again! As much as I would LOVE to have a truck rolling on the highways and byways of America with a photo of Home Cooking on the side, my dear friend Glenn Detwiller created this image on his computer. It’s perfect for the Truck Stop Café story I wrote in Home Cooking.

This time, with book two, Home Cooking with Kate McDermott, the PR folks of the wonderful team with which I am honored to work, suggested I clear off my calendar–until the end of the year–so a national book tour could be added in to the mix. With the exception of already scheduled and sold out Pie Camps, I did just that.

Where I’ve Been

Book tour quietly started with some local pre-release events in the Seattle area, and when release day arrived on October 16, I was pretty much out the door and on tour! Over the last three weeks, my journey has included: 

• A book release fundraising event with Port Book and News and Camaraderie Cellars for my local food bank
• A cooking class for 15 based on recipes out of Home Cooking, at The Pantry in Seattle
• A piece I wrote for the Powell’s Books Blog about finding my voice
• A TV appearance on NewDay NW King-5 TV in Seattle
• A book event at The Book Larder in Seattle
• A book event Politics and Prose in Washington DC
• Meeting Yotam Ottolenghi who ate and loved the scones from Home Cooking
• Hanging out at the Washington Post Food Section and getting to sign their cookbook author wall
• A book event at Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in NYC’s East Village
• Being interviewed at MOFAD in Brooklyn by Emily Weinstein, Deputy Food Dditor of the New York Times
• Signing books at Kitchen Arts and Letters in NYC
• A visit to The Countryman Press in NYC to check in with my amazing team 
• Being interviewed at the new and incredibly beautiful Austin Central Library by Addie Broyles, Food Editor of the Austin American-Statesman
• Three sold out Art of the Pie Day Camps in Austin
• PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW by James Beard Award Winner Wendell Brock in the Atlanta Journal Constitution which brought tears (good ones) to my eyes. 

There were so many unexpected things that happened and connections made while out on the road, the highlight of which was meeting two members of my birth family for the first time EVER. I’ll be writing about that after I’ve processed all that has happened. 

Home to Pie Cottage

The first thing I did when I got home to my sweet Gretapie and Mr Fez, was to start a fire in the wood stove, do a little gardening, make myself some dinner, and settle in for the night. There is NOTHING like sleeping in your own bed. Right? But after being home for five days, tomorrow I head out for a quick trip to California, my home state.

Hallmark Home and Family TV Show This Week and Santa Barbara, Too!

I’ll be flying to Burbank and then heading to the Universal Studios backlot to be filmed or is it taped these days…I guess I’m showing my age 😉 …on Hallmark Home and Family. I’ll be making Winter Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie. The show will be broadcast on Wednesday November  7th at 10AM on the Hallmark Channel.

Then I’ll take the train to beautiful Santa Barbara, my hometown, for a book event at Chaucer’s Books, Wednesday November 7th at 7PM. The next day will be a rest day so I can re-connect with lifelong friends and family in the town I grew up in and still love so much. What could be better! 

More Events

Once back in Washington, there are more scheduled events: 

• Nov 11: Island Books Cookbook Club, Mercer Island, WA 2-4pm (Details Here)
• Dec 1: Lamb Farm Kitchen Shoppe, 272 W Bell St, Sequim, WA 11AM (Details Here)
• Dec 8: Art of the Pie Day Camp on the Farm with special lunch at Carnation Farms, Carnation, WA 9AM-3PM (Register Now)

THEN, with the occasional day trip here or there, I will be slowing down until the end of the year.

Spoiler Alert!

If you believe that last sentence, you probably don’t know me well, as I’ve always got a project going. So here’s my big news which I’ve been hinting at for a while now. 

I can hardly believe my good fortune, but I’ve signed a contract for a third book! This will be a pie book with more techniques, new recipes, beautiful photos by Andrew Scrivani once again, and of course more stories. It will be released in the Fall of 2020. I’ll be ramping up recipe testing in my kitchen and writing as soon as I get home. If you are in my Pie Cottage neighborhood, there’s likely to be some test pies around for tasting, so come on by and pull up a chair. There’s always room for one more at my table. 🙂 

What about Pie Camps?

Absolutely there will be more. I’ll be teaching in 2019, but not leading quite as many myself. My son, Duncan, is hitting it out of the ballpark with his teaching, so he will take on more. We’ll hope to be adding some cooking workshops from Home Cooking with Kate McDermott, too. Interested? Hope so! 

So my friends, that is the news from my home to you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving (here are a few recipes for you), and many blessings to you ALL! 

Be Kind, Be Happy!
Kate