Annabel Langbein tackles US market

As some of you may know Jane and I (the founders of EYB) grew up in England, though I was born in Australia and now live in New Zealand and Jane now lives in Boston, USA. Probably because of our international background, we have always wanted EYB to be a site for cookbooks the world over (at least English language books). We’ve noticed since we started EYB that an increasing number of cookbook authors get recognition in other countries than their own. Brit Jamie Oliver is huge in the US due mainly because of his provocative TV programs – but it was interesting to see the Ottolenghi phenomenon. Without a TV show his popularity grew, a testament to the power of social media and sites like EYB spreading the word.

So when the top cookbook author in my adopted country of New Zealand told me she was taking on the US, I got very excited. Annabel Langbein frequently tops the list of bestselling non-fiction books in New Zealand, which is quite an achievement. She is unique in the cookbook world as she has self-published since her first book and as a result has been able to be innovative in bringing together her print and digital worlds. Her company produces her cookbooks, TV shows, website and social media in an integrated manner that few (if any) other cookbook authors have been able to do.

Annabel’s TV series The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures is now launching on public broadcasting channels across the United States (schedule is listed in our Cookbook Events Calendar and on Annabel’s website). The program is as much a showcase of rural New Zealand as it is about cooking simple and delicious food using fresh seasonal ingredients. So if you are interested in the food of other countries (and I think most EYB members are), watch for it to premiere in your area or join Annabel’s mailing list so she can let you know when it starts. 

For those unfamiliar with Annabel’s work, imagine someone with the prowess of Martha Stewart, the spirit of the Pioneer Woman, the glamour of Nigella Lawson, the green thumb of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and the enthusiasm of Jamie Oliver. (That’s quite a combination!) Her home base is a rustic cabin on the edge of a beautiful lake in the South Island, but she often ventures out to visit vineyards and other locales, transforming the area’s bountiful produce into fabulous meals. 

Annabel focuses on making it easy to live healthily and resourcefully in today’s fast-paced world. If you tune in to her show and don’t manage to write down the recipes in time, a special US edition of the book that accompanies the series will be available in early October.