Well, this was unexpected… Almost too good to believe, to be honest. A feast in time of pandemic. A project to create something positive using flour in a manner of magic dust. The long-term and well-nurtured “what if” became an instant “why not” and my happy project named “Beyond the Doughnut“, the cookbook of dog treats.

Writing it felt very different to Perfect cocker spaniel. The puppy guide was conceived and written in memory of Oscar, a tribute to him. Back then this loss felt like a deep wound, still open and painful. By the time I finished the book, the wound healed somewhat… It has been sore for a long time… The book helped to face it. Right now it’s more like a scar, very visible scar that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Needless to say, everything about Perfect cocker spaniel was deeply emotional. Every positive review and comment brightened up my day, any dose of negativity felt as if somebody insulted the memory of my boy (often without even reading the book or knew the subject well enough, but because they felt like it…)

Beyond the Doughnut had to be different. It needed to be sweet, beautiful and full of goodness.

I rolled up my sleeves and got cooking, pups in tow.

The initial plan was to create the recipes, write them up and then hire a professional photographer to do the imagery.

Half-way through the book I realised that styling and shooting 30 completely different recipes in a day would either kill or bankrupt me. Plus, the virus was having a ball and I refused to be invited.

Two sleepless nights later I decided to DIY everything. From cover to cover and in between.

I spent hours on eBay looking for vintage props, styled and photographed the results, designed the cover, edited every page, letter and image and made it into a book.

I even created two editions…

Beyond the Doughnut, the big book of dog treats is almost as big as Perfect cocker spaniel. It comes with 30 recipe ideas for meals and treats plus scientifically-backed evidence-based information about nutrition and every ingredients I used throughout the tome.

Beyond the Doughnut: Best Bites is an adorable  book of 10 recipes taken from the main title, and comes without nutrition articles. It’s like a tester for those unsure about the big edition, or a collection of the most simple, gorgeous and very do-able treats that need very little effort. Also these 10 treats are what my pups love the most, so I know it could be used all year and please every pooch under the sun.

And it is most definitely a happy book… For the happy dogs and families who love to hug and dance in the kitchen.

Give it a go. I hope it will add a little sunshine to your day.

 

Photo credit: Beyond the Doughnut book cover designed by me, photo of the Bunny biscuits is style and photographed by me, taken from the Beyond the Doughnut: Best Bites little cookbook of dog treats