BOOK DETAILS

Because the nature of Washoku involves multiple dishes presented as one meal, we have opted to group Bento Picnic’s 80+ recipes into 16 menus. By gathering the recipes for each menu together across one centerfold, our aim is to present readers with the most streamlined, stress-free cooking experience. For additional organization, we have further subdivided the menus by their associated staple: rice, noodles, and grain-free bentos (including squashes, quinoa, and potatoes). 

Our goal is that the cooks who interact with Bento Picnic feel well-resourced to expand their repertoire with the tried-and-tested Washoku meals that this book inspires. Bento Picnic will be an interactive body of work that invites contemporary readers to bring Japanese culinary practices into their day-to-day life with easy-to-follow recipes, alluring infographics, and digital companion materials. As of now, we envision the following:

  • 200 to 250 pages

  • 80 to 100 recipes

  • 16 bento menus with 16 sake pairings (including multiple pairing options for each menu)

  • The book will contain a foreword written by Elizabeth Andoh, plus an introduction, a sake tasting guide, essays to introduce each of the five chapters, and headnotes for each recipe and bento menu.

  • Large color photos of each complete menu as well as accompanying sake bottle shots. Our contributor Monica Samuels of Kome Collective will make sake-related photos from their extensive archive available for use by the publisher.

  • Digital illustrations of Washoku concepts including the components of the five tastes, colors, and elements. 

We will illuminate the little-understood concept of Washoku for English-speaking audiences through the inclusion of informative essays, educational infographics, and photo illustrations. Though we hope to stay true to the established aesthetic of Bento Picnic’s brand, we are open to input on design elements from the publisher. We would like to include sidebars with meal planning tips and boxes with explanations of the Washoku concepts embodied in each menu throughout the book. Each menu will also contain 3-4 sake recommendations that include tasting notes and serving suggestions.

Timeline
The final draft will be completed within 12 months of receipt of the advance.