Meat Free Week Day 2 (and a very, VERY exciting announcement!)
Today is Meat Free Week, Day 2. As promised, I’m uploading a meat-free pasta dish which I tried out a few times last week; Rustic Mushroom, White Wine and Creamy Cheesy Spaghetti ~ Recipe here.
Ok, I’ll be frank ~ this recipes isn’t exactly going to do you huge favours in the bikini department but it’s not too bad calorie-wise … The flip-side for me too is it’s not the most attractive dish in the world either to shoot from a food photographers point-of-view as it all tends to look a tad ‘beige’ but it tastes great, is nice and ‘beefy’ yet you don’t feel it’s lacking the heartiness of meat. It’s basically a robust mushroom recipes using flavour-packed Swiss Brown and Shiitake mushrooms, creamy goat’s cheese and toasted pecans. Very easy to make too, throw the mushrooms into a food processor if you like along with the herbs ~ I find chopping mushrooms (and herbs) a bit of a nightmare on a flat board as they annoyingly tend to fly absolutely everywhere; worktop, floor, all over the shop (personally it drives me bananas).
It dawned on me today I will be unable to update the blog tomorrow with the pizza recipe I was planning, so I’m going to stick it up tonight too. A double veggo whammy. The pizza is my Roasted Pumpkin, Goat’s Cheese, Rosemary and Toasted Almond Pizza ~ Recipe here. It’s fab! You’d definitely not miss eating meat with this pizza as the roasted pumpkin give superb meaty-like texture, the goat’s cheese is a slightly-salty-ish creamy addition and the nuts offer lots of crunch and balance to the other ingredients.
Right, now down to the EXTRA exciting news and something which threw me a tad this morning… Today I found out I have been nominated for not one, but two James Beard 2013 finalist nominations! It’s all Wooohoooo here at the WKA household today and that’s been mixed with a good helping of complete shock/disbelief, but all-in-all I’ve had a rather large grin plastered on my face for most of the day 
Am thrilled and super excited, these occasions don’t come along that much in life, so when they do, you’ve got to grab them with both hands and go along for the ride.
The categories nominated are in the cookbook section:
Best Photography
and
Best General Cooking Cookbook
All the nominations can be found here: http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/additional/2013-jbf-nominees.pdf. Congrats too to all the people nominated in this year’s finalist list.
Hopefully, all going to plan, even thought it’s early days still, I’ll try and head over to NYC to attend the award ceremony on May 3rd, so I’ll keep you posted on any possibly book signings I can organise. On that note, I would be keen to find out from anyone stateside – esp. in NYC if that many of you would be keen for me to organise something where I can meet up with you all, maybe share a glass of wine and do a book signing? Let me know below if you can, that would be fab.
Cheers Kx
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Congratulations on the award nominations! Look forward to trying the spaghetti recipe
Thanks Ayra – let me know what you think of it if you do try it. Tks
I was not surprised. Just nodded my head YES. Congratulations. Walk on clouds.
I’m so happy for you! Congratulations! =]
Thanks Katy, am very chuffed as I always really only saw it as an ‘American’s Only’ award competition. So wonderful to be included in such a prestigious event
Hey Katie! Congratulations! I have been reading your blog since you started and you entirely deserve the honor!!! best of luck for winning!!
)
Also, I live in NYC
Let me know when you plan to be here and would love to catch up.
Thanks Asha for your words and support. I’ll let you know re. a signing.
Congratulations! That is a huge and well deserved honor. Best of luck to you.
- Nan
Cheers Nan!
Katie!
Congratulations! I’m very excited for you! You definitely deserve it. Your energy, blog and cookbook have all been a great source of inspiration for me. You are definitely invited to Chattanooga, Tennessee, anytime. However, our being a relatively small city, I would settle for meeting you in Atlanta, Georgia, instead. It would be more worth your while. It’s only an hour and a half from here, so I would certainly make the drive for one of your book signings.
Thanks Laura – I would love to come to Chattanooga! My mum was a mad jazz and swing jazz fan and whenever I see or hear that word Chattanooga i just think of Glenn Miller – now I’ll probably have that tune stuck in my head all day! LOL Thanks!!
I’d love to try and organise a book signing in NYC when/if I am there, I’ll keep everyone posted. Thanks x
Congrats Katie!! Well deserved. I love your web site and photos. You make me (and many others I’m sure) very happy
Best Regards!
Delighted to hear Dan and thanks!
Congratulations! That’s fantastic news. Well deserved.
Thanks so much Rosa, makes all the 3 past years of hard slog on my own on the blog and past 1.5 years on the book very worth it, am just thrilled to get the nomination, even if I don’t win, it’s a super thing to be part of
Congratulations on your wonderful new, you deserve it! My sister gave me your cookbook for Christmas and we love your photos! Best of luck!
Thanks Kate!
Amazing news, congratulations on the nomination! I just bought your book last week and I am completely inspired and in awe of your work.
Great to hear and thanks – hey can you call the James Beard award people and tell them what you just told me? Haha!
Congratulations! What an amazing honour–and well deserved. Your book is fantastic and the blog has been an amazing inspiration to me on my photographic journey. Very best of luck!
Hi Katie, that’s amazing, well deserved and well done you! Enjoy!
Wow!! A huge congratulations to you!
-Emily K.
congrats Kate!
Perfect timing on your recipes and work Katie. After all the horse-meat scandals in Europe, I’ve been more meat free of late so this Aus week with your recipes plops in my email box right on time. Only four days before I have your book in my hands – it’s waiting for me at my folks’ place in the UK; flying in for Easter from Malta. Can’t wait for those lazy mornings in bed with a coffee being inspired. No school run for two weeks and up at 0615! A late start with a Katie brunch methinks! A James Beard Award due in my book for that alone!
Hi Katie,
Big congrats on the well deserved nominations!
As a side note, I live in NYC and would be happy to help organize a book signing or whatever else you would like to do while in town.
Congratulations, Katie! Very much deserved.
Many thanks Foodess, I am still pinching myself and so chuffed
Wow! I have photographed many James Beard award winning chefs here in FL. Congrats on being nominated! Couldn’t be more fabulous! If only the ceremony was in FL! We would throw you a big Palm Beach Party!
Alissa
Hey Alissa! Wow I like the sound of that! We might have to start a petition to get them to move the event south and to sunnier weather
(although I guess May should be starting to warm up somewhat in NYC…)
Either way, the Palm Beaches would love to have you visit! So many chefs and restaurants, farms, etc. to visit here…
Alissa
Congrats Katie! I can say with great confidence that your book combines both good photography and good recipes; so glad to finally own the book..absolutely love it, and really hope that you will win! FIngers arms and legs crossed!
WOW!! Congratulations. It is very well deserved
Double congratulations! I’ve been enjoying your blog only this week because I didn’t discover it until this week. It’s so great…great photos and recipes.
Congrats Katie, I have enjoyed my copy of your book. The photography is what caught my eye last year I think on Pintrest but then reading your blog I was inspired by your recipes that are easy for me to replicate at home.
Congratulations on the award nominations! Though I can’t say I’m surprised your photography and recipes are to die for! I know I would love to meet up with you when you’re in town for wine and book signings- sounds wonderful!
congrats again and keep us posted if you plan a signing evening while you’re here in NYC!
Thanks very much Megan. I have booked my tickets to NYC so I’ll definitely be there, will try and organise something if I can. x
congrates…..we in u k would love to see you too…..the times newspaper, saturday colour magazine, created its food feature on extracts from your fab book
Yes Mazz I saw that – I was thrilled, actually I need to get that up on the blog. I am waiting to get a PDF from The Times in London and I’ll feature it on WKA. Cheers!
Congratulations Katie! Well deserved for both your photography and recipes. Enjoy!
Wow!!! That’s utterly amazing! you 100000% deserve it
Cheers Allison!
Hi Katie,
I am a regular reader of your blog, and I just got your book. It’s amazing!
Congratulations!!!
I recommend it on my instagram for all my followers and a bunch of them were just amazed as I was with it.
Congrats again!!!!
Luciana
From Brazil
@fogaovermelho
Excellent….. stay off the meat permanently