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I have big, happy news today: I'm writing a cookbook! After I wrote My Berlin Kitchen and tested 42 recipes, I sort of swore, like almost blood oath, that I'd never write a cookbook, but then I birthed that sweet baby of mine and then a couple years passed and Ten Speed Press came a-calling and I found myself writing a proposal for them – because hello, of course – even though there was that almost-blood oath and then I started getting sort of excited about the proposal and then found I actually really wanted to write the cookbook and, phew, what a relief because Ten Speed up and bought the proposal and now it's official:

I'm writing a cookbook and I'm so excited about it, a book on German baking in all its glory, from yeasted cakes, whole-grain breads, fruit strudels, and dumplings to nut tortes, cakes, and savory pies, plus a whole chapter on Christmas baking that will be sure to send me straight into the nuthouse. There will be around 100 recipes and lots of photos and little stories and I hope (and pray) it will be both classic and comprehensive enough to find room on your shelves for years to come.

(The gorgeous braided Easter loaf that you see up there comes from a wonderful family-run bakery around the corner from my house that still makes many traditional German pastries, cakes and breads, sadly rare for Berlin.)

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85 responses to “My Next Book!”

  1. Jennifer Jo Avatar

    Wonderful news!

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  2. Liana Avatar

    Excellent! Congratulations! Happy to recipe-test here too, if you need it.

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  3. ileana Avatar

    Yay! Congrats to you and lucky us!

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  4. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    I assume you’ve read David Lebovitz account of how he wrote his newest book (the book is totally awesome btw!), http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/04/the-making-of-my-paris-kitchen-cookbook/.
    The story of how he wrote the book really deserved a chapter in the actual book but that would be a catch 22.
    Best of luck 🙂

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  5. Agnes Avatar
    Agnes

    Sounds wonderful! I’d love to learn more about German baking. I have been living in Freiburg im Breisgau for 1½ years and definitely miss so many things. Looking forward to the christmas chapter!!

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  6. Daringtoknow.wordpress.com Avatar

    Oh hooray! I am so excited for this. As an American who has been bouncing back and forth between Germany and the States for the last few years, I absoultely loved My Berlin Kitchen and felt like it really captured the essence of having German and US ties. And I always miss the baked goods so much! So excited for this 🙂

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  7. alexandria Avatar

    Wow, I am so happy for you and really excited to have a 2nd book on my shelf by you in the future. Yay! Wishing you the very best.

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  8. Lyn Avatar
    Lyn

    It’s a great idea! I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of a book like that.

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  9. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    Oo…that sounds fabulous. Will be excited to read it. Good luck to you with the writing!!

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  10. Kylee Avatar
    Kylee

    Brilliant idea! I’d definitely buy that 🙂

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  11. Rivka Avatar

    YAY! So glad this is official. I’ll be crossing my fingers that your new book teaches me how to make Balzer’s Käsekuchen and perfect quark fritters. SO excited.

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  12. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    Wonderful, wonderful news! Congratulations!

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  13. Nikki Avatar
    Nikki

    Yay, so exciting! I am crossing my fingers you’ll have a recipe for brotchen, because those and schnitzel are the foods I miss most. (Army brat, lived in Stuttgart then Zweibrucken as a kid)

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  14. Abby Avatar

    Congratulations! Can’t wait to see it!

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  15. Helena Avatar
    Helena

    That’s an excellent subject. Very exciting!

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  16. amanda rose Avatar

    Someone gifted me Berlin Kitchen thinking I would love it and it literally sounds like the most perfect book for me. I want to write a story/cook book all combined into one and can’t wait for school to end so i can start reading it. Congratulations on your new cookbook! Can’t wait to read that, too!

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  17. Honeybee Avatar
    Honeybee

    Hooray! I love Berlin Kitchen so much that it’s been on my nightstand ever since I first read it so I can read a random chapter once in while.

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  18. Stacy Avatar

    Oh, how exciting! For you and for all of us. I’m half German but know little German baking, and—baked-good lover than I am—I would love to learn. Who better to learn from than you. I hope there will be lots of your lovely writing in there as well. Congratulations, and hurrah!

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  19. Tara Avatar
    Tara

    So exciting! I loved your recipes in My Berlin Kitchen. Having grown up in Germany and been spoiled by their bakeries I’m always telling everyone that the Germans–not the French–are the best bakers 🙂 Viel Glück!

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  20. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Great news! There is a real lack of books and recipes in English for all the many wonderful and varied German baked goods. I have to translate recipes from my German language cookbooks which can be fussy and some ingredients are hard to find — Vanillezucker for example and is American baking powder formulated the same as the little packets found in Germany?

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  21. Kim A Avatar
    Kim A

    Can’t wait for it to come out. It will certainly join my cookbook collection. Congratulations!

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  22. Margaret B. Avatar

    thank you for sharing this wonderful news. sounds delicious!
    mb

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  23. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    How fabulously exciting! I will wait with bated breath for the release. 🙂

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  24. Christina @ but i'm hungry Avatar

    How wonderful and exciting! Congratulations!

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  25. anne Avatar

    congrats, luisa! i loved your first book!

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  26. Bea Avatar
    Bea

    Super,
    I can’t wait to get your new book. Let us know when it’s available.
    Bea

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  27. Elizabeth Mars Avatar

    Sounds great a book on German baking, I love your German yeasted plum cake from your last book so looking forward to it.

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  28. Kaja Avatar
    Kaja

    Oh, that’s wonderful news! I enjoyed “My Berlin Kitchen” very much and I’m looking forward to reading (and trying) new recipes!
    All the best from Slovenia,
    Kaja

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  29. Patty Avatar

    Wonderful news. Please include a recipe for lebkuchen, I love Leckerlee’s and would would like to make a similar cookie at home.

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  30. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    Very much looking forward to your next cookbook. Your first one was superb!! There are not enough German cookbooks out there, in my opinion. Plus German cooking is so very good.

    Like

  31. Victoria Avatar

    Great news. Congratulations.

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  32. Amanda Avatar

    Fantastic! I loved your first book, and I’ll be right there in line to snatch up the second! Christmas baking, you say? 🙂

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  33. deb Avatar

    Congratulations! Can’t wait to read it.

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  34. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Congrats! Very exciting news! My SIL’s parents came to Texas before WW2 and both became attorneys in Houston — after work they loved to bake and always made a Stollen at Christmas. My SIL makes a Christmas Stollen too and uses the recipe from Joy of Cooking. I’m sure she will love your cookbook. My Great Grandfather was German also and my Grandmother used to make a cake-like dessert called Cherry Roll — it was my favorite of all her recipes — she was a fabulous cook! I’ve always assumed it was a German recipe but never knew for sure — I wished I had asked her.

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  35. ella_bella_g@yahoo.com Avatar
    ella_bella_g@yahoo.com

    Fantastic news, Luisa! My husband spend his early childhood in Berlin and still remembers the wonderful cakes and Kaffeestückchen he ate. We now live in Seattle and during our latest trip to Berlin we made it a mission to find the best Spritzkuchen – still handmade. We walked across the whole city because these little bakeries which still bake from scratch have become quite rare – but we found it, Luisa. If you don’t already know it please visit Bäckerei Balzer:
    Below is a review I found online which sums up what you are about to find. Absolutely one of a kind.
    “Betritt der Kunde die Schwelle der Bäckerei Balzer in der Sophienstraße, macht er im wahrsten Sinne eine Zeitreise – zurück in die Zeit der DDR, in der Brötchen noch 5 Pfennige kosteten und man für sein Geld noch ein Kilo Brot statt einem Kilo Luft bekam. Auch Mobiliar und Einrichtung versprühen originalen Ost-Charme: Die braunen Fliesen stammen noch aus den 60er Jahren. Berühmt ist die Bäckerei im Scheunenviertel für ihre Streuselschnecken. Bis zum Vormittag hat Inhaberin Waltraud Balzer alle verkauft. Die rüstige 80-Jährige und ihre Mitarbeiter zelebrieren noch echtes Backhandwerk. Keine Spur von Fertiggebäck.”
    Looking forward to your book, Luisa. I’m sure you have loads of fun researching and writing it.
    Cheers from sunny Seattle,
    Heike

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  36. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    Just the type of cookbook I’d LOVE to own, not having gathered enough of my grandmother’s German recipes before she passed.
    Keep us updated — when can we expect to see it on shelves?

    Like

  37. Pam Glinsky Avatar
    Pam Glinsky

    Can’t wait to try every single recipe!! It’s challenging to find a hearty dark dense German bread in Atlanta, GA. Eager to share your recipes with my family!! Such awesome news!

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  38. Heidi Avatar
    Heidi

    I grew up in southern Germany. Anything included from that region would be great!

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  39. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic Avatar

    Congrats, Luisa! I loved your first book and looking forward to your second 🙂

    Like

  40. Stephanie Avatar

    Oh, this is just the most wonderful news! I can’t think of a cookbook I’d like better! Like your other readers, I’ve also struggled to translate German recipes and ingredients into English Canadian . . . and I know you would set them out so clearly and deliciously.
    May I put in my request for including weight measurements? It makes it so much easier for us gluten-free bakers to convert your (what are sure to be) amazing recipes. (:

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  41. Luisa Avatar

    Thank you, Stephanie! And yes, the book will include weight measurements. xo

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  42. Rika Avatar
    Rika

    Awesome!
    Do you plan to discuss the differences in baking ingredients between the US and DE/AT at all? I live in Austria, where it is hard to find some ingredients (like baking powder…why are there so many types of Backpulver? why are none of them what I need?) and would love to learn more about the differences.

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  43. rachael Avatar
    rachael

    Yay! This is lovely and exciting news and I cannot wait.

    Like

  44. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Wonderful news Luisa! I very much enjoyed your first book and am already looking forward to the next one. Wishing you best of luck for the completion!

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  45. Carmen Avatar
    Carmen

    I’m buying a copy!!!!

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  46. Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) Avatar

    Fantastic news! Congratulations! I hope the task of writing your new book doesn’t prove too arduous, I’m positive the result will be well worth the effort. It sounds like it will be packed with amazing recipes. 🙂

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  47. Amanda Avatar

    Wee! This is exactly what I needed to wake to this morning. The prospect of baking your German recipes in the (too far) near future delights me. Congratulations!

    Like

  48. dervla Avatar

    ahhh yayyyyy just read this, SUPER CONGRATS!!!!! so happy for you.

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  49. Stephanie Avatar

    Yay! Now I’m even more excited!

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  50. Rosa Avatar
    Rosa

    such a great news.
    I am a Venezuelan, with a Spanish father, living in Canada, that also lived in Germany for a while…so my food preferences seem odd for some people. During Christmas all I want are German baked goods. Would you have a recipe for Domino Steinen, Zimsternen and Pfeffernussen? and Stollen? and for non-crhistmas things, my favorites are Rhabarberkuchen and Pflaumenkuchen. Cant wait!
    Congrats!

    Like

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