Chapter 17
17
A n idea struck Ginger, and she looked up from her work of meticulously converting recipe measurements. “How about this as a title, The Sunny Coast Table: Recipes from the Coral Cafe ?”
“I love it,” Marina said, her eyes brightening. “We’ve been through a hundred titles.”
Heather pumped her fist in the air. “At least. I like it, too. How about you, Aunt Kai?”
“That brings to mind a good visual; I can work with that.” Absently Kai smoothed a hand over her rounded belly.
Ginger stretched her arms above her head, surveying the chaos spread across her expansive dining table. Stacks of recipe cards, handwritten notes, printed text, and photographs covered the surface.
This cookbook was a welcome diversion from the work on her biography with Jack. He could be intense, but she knew that was only due to his adherence to professional excellence.
“I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished with everyone’s input,” Marina said, a note of pride in her voice.
Ginger smiled at their small team. “It’s coming together beautifully. I knew we could do it. You’ll have a book ready for the spring crowd.” Meeting that date was necessary, they’d decided.
Heather, hunched over a notepad, her pen flying across the page, chimed in without looking up. “Mom, remember when we thought the shrimp and pesto pizza was just a wild experiment? Now it’s practically our signature dish.”
Marina laughed, reaching for a photo of her bestselling pizza.
Ginger was pleased with the overall organization she and Marina had decided on. They had easily populated most sections. “Where would you like to put the quiche Lorraine?”
“It could be served any time of day.” Marina shuffled through printouts. “Be sure we include the quiche variations, especially Ethan’s favorite with Gruyère cheese. We’re light on breakfast recipes. Or we could add a section called Anytime Favorites.”
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows as they worked, although the air was growing slightly crisp. Ginger pulled a lightweight sweater over her cotton blouse. Fortunately, Summer Beach temperatures were mild year-round. Winter was when their grapefruit and lemons began to ripen.
“We should get some beautiful photos of the orchard to include in the book,” she suggested.
Kai looked up. “I can do that. I might have some from last year, too.”
“The food photos you took the other day are fantastic,” Marina said.
Ginger eyed her youngest granddaughter, wary of her condition. Brooke was likely to deliver her fourth child early, but Ginger was especially concerned about her sister. “How are you feeling these days, Kai?”
“Much better, but I wish this little one would hurry up and get here.”
Kai was energetic, but Ginger knew getting enough rest was important, especially in the last trimester. “You should pace yourself with the holiday performance.”
“Axe is mostly managing that,” Kai replied, waving off her concern. “Construction work slows during the winter holidays.”
“I appreciate your taking the time to help,” Marina said, touching her sister’s hand.
“You’ve done most of it,” Kai said. “Who knew you’d be such a whiz at dictation?”
Looking up from the manuscript, Ginger added, “Your writing is wonderful, dear. You have a real talent for bringing the recipes to life. And your photos are lovely, Kai.” She held one up. “I can see this one of Marina at the family table on the cover.”
To Ginger, this cookbook was more than just a collection of recipes; it was a testament to their family’s creativity and resilience. She was happy to support Marina in this effort.
“Oh, look at this one,” Heather exclaimed, holding up a photo of a cupcake tower. “Remember when we made these for the birthday party?”
Marina smiled. “We were frosting them right up until the last minute. I’ll add those recipes, too.”
Ginger enjoyed listening to the happy chatter while they continued to sort through photos and make notes on recipes, punctuated by bursts of laughter as they remembered good times and delicious dishes.
Over the course of the afternoon, the scene around the table was soon transformed. The chaos of scattered papers and photos gave way to neat stacks of organized documents. Ginger was pleased with their accomplishment.
With her laptop open, Marina stared at the screen with satisfaction. “We’ve come so far. Most of the recipes are written up now.”
“Brooke has offered to manage a team of local recipe testers,” Ginger said. “She’s gathered neighbors and other gardeners to help. Maybe we can add some locals from the farmers market. I can reach out to Cookie.”
“That would be great,” Marina said. “Thank you for all you’re doing.”
Heather lowered a piece of paper. “The introduction sounds great, Ginger. I love the history of the Coral Cottage before the cafe. And how your friend Julia inspired some of the recipes.”
“It’s all true,” Ginger said. “Although we’ve edited them over the years, adding and subtracting ingredients, especially using our local produce.” She tapped a notepad filled with calculations. “The conversion from restaurant-sized portions to home kitchen amounts is complete, as is the imperial-to-metric measurements conversion.”
Marina nodded, looking pleased. “I couldn’t have done that without your precision. With all of us testing in our kitchens, we can confirm measurements.”
“Everything is coming together,” Ginger said, ticking off a list she was keeping. “Your method of dictating recipes while you cooked brought the descriptions to life.”
Heather brightened. “Now that you’ve got the system down, Mom, you should keep going. A food truck cookbook would really sell. People love comfort food. And I have a great title.”
“So do I,” Kai said, laughing. “ Food Truck and Theater Bites . We’ll sell it at the Seashell. Remember, that was the original venue for the food truck.”
“We’ll work on that,” Marina said, smiling.
Ginger was so proud of them. This project was a team effort, with each of them contributing.
“I have a meeting with a graphic designer next week,” Marina continued. “She’s excited to work on the layout with Kai’s photos.”
“I’m sure it will be beautiful.” Ginger could picture the finished product in her mind. “I can already imagine it on sale at the cafe and in kitchens everywhere. This book will likely beat Jack’s to print.”
“Your biography is more involved,” Marina said, frowning slightly. “Jack is conducting a great deal of research and wants to get the tone just right for you. How is it going with him?”
“He should be finished with my recollections,” Ginger said. “One can only talk about themselves for so long.”
Still, Ginger wanted to leave this legacy for her family and other young women interested in science, math, and technology. She trusted Jack to make it sound exciting, even if he had excavated a few unpleasant memories. She preferred to focus on the positive aspects of her life.
“I know it’s premature,” Heather began, “but I’ve been thinking about marketing strategies for the book debut. I can use this for my last semester’s capstone project. It should be a real-life application.”
Ginger nodded, impressed by her initiative. She was pleased Heather would stay on at the cafe and knew Marina was, too.
“What did you have in mind?” Marina asked.
Heather checked her notes. “I propose we use the cafe as our primary launch pad. We could set up a display, plan a book signing launch party, and offer a special cookbook menu featuring recipes from the book. You could do cooking demonstrations at the farmers market with those recipes and offer those items and the cookbook for sale. That’s just for starters.”
“I like the menu idea,” Marina said, making a note.
Ginger smiled, reminded of her culinary adventures with her friend in Cambridge. “That sounds wonderful. It’s amazing how far we’ve come from our early days in the kitchen.”
Heather continued with her excitement building. “I’ve created a list of local and regional media outlets. We could invite food critics to the cafe for a tasting event and give them an early preview of the cookbook.”
Marina nodded approvingly but cautioned her. “All good ideas, but we need to be careful about managing our time. You have one last semester and a wedding to plan.”
“A beach wedding won’t be too hard,” Heather said, smiling. “I want it sort of like yours and Jack’s, Mom.”
Heather went on. “As for other marketing, I can focus on social media. It’s cost-effective and has a wide reach. We’ll use those videos Aunt Kai took of us cooking to create short, engaging content.”
“Be careful not to overextend yourself,” Marina said to her daughter. “With the second truck up and running now, I need to standardize menus and operations before going further.”
Ginger knew this was a particular passion of Heather’s.
“I’ve been researching franchise models for my class,” Heather said, citing some franchise cost ranges and statistics. “If we standardize the recipes for the cookbook, that can be the first step toward franchising the food trucks regionally.”
“She’s a smart one,” Ginger said with a nod of approval.
Kai made a face. “I’m glad you think so. Because all that makes my head hurt.”
Heather laughed. “Marketing involves more numbers than people realize. I also thought we could organize another food fair and competition this summer, like the one you did before, Mom. It would be perfect timing with the cookbook launch.”
Marina smiled. “These are all big steps. Let’s take one at a time, sweetheart. I don’t want to put any stress on your new marriage.”
Listening to Heather’s ideas, Ginger appreciated how far her family had come since Marina and Kai returned to Summer Beach. She was pleased to see Heather and her granddaughters enthusiastic about their work and lives.
Tapping her pencil, Marina said, “These are all intriguing, but let’s not forget what we’re here for today. We must make sure all the recipes are correct. And the layout needs to be gorgeous eye candy.”
Ginger nodded in agreement. “Your first cookbook must be as good as it can be. Don’t rush it.”
Heather bit her lip. “You’re right. There’s still so much to do. What if we miss something? Or people don’t like the recipes?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we don’t make any mistakes.” Marina reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Many of these are our family recipes I tweaked for the cafe. Our customers love these dishes; you’ve said so yourself.”
Heather shook out her hands. “I guess I am a little nervous about everything.”
“That’s normal stage fright,” Kai said, sitting up. “Now that’s something I know all about.”
Laughter rippled around the table, and Heather let out a long sigh. Ginger enjoyed seeing them work together and support each other. They all had different talents.
They continued to discuss details about the cookbook, balancing their excitement with the need for perfection. Ginger was sure they were on the brink of another success that would expand the cafe business. She was pleased to be involved.
She could hardly wait to review the final edited manuscript and see the cover and book layout. As for Jack’s book, as much as she had enjoyed working with him on it, she had shared all she cared to. He might not understand, but some things she preferred to keep private.