Cookbooks

Art direction and design for cookbooks and food-related publications

Client:
Fairwinds Press, Quarry Books, Quarto Publishing Group, Harvard Commons
Project Components:
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Designing for content we’re personally connected to always brings extra energy to our work—the topic of food and cooking is a perfect example. We love collaborating with content creators, photographers, and stylists to craft rich, beautiful imagery paired with clean, intuitive design with clear typography and strong content hierarchy. Sure, there’s no shortage of recipe websites and apps—Colleen Miller, for example, helped bring Food Network’s In The Kitchen and Cupcakes apps to life—but there’s something uniquely satisfying about creating a physical archive of recipes and food stories. Something you can hold, flip through, and proudly keep on the shelf.

Pitmaster
Authors: Andy Husbands & Chris Hart
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group, Faiwinds Press
Photography: Ken Goodman
Southern Smoke
Author: Matthew Register
Publisher: Harvard Common Press
Photography: Felicia Perry Trujillo
Wicked Good Burgers & Wicked Good BBQ
Authors: Andy Husbands & Chris Hart with Andrea Pyenson
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group, Fairwinds Press
Photography: Ken Goodman
Texas Q
Author: Cheryl Jamison
Publisher: Harvard Commons Press
Homemade Doughnuts
Author: Kamal Grant
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group, Quarry Books
Photography: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn
Texas Slow Cooker
Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
Publisher: Harvard Commons Press
Photography: Glen Scott Photography
Styling: Natasha St. Hailare Taylor
Chicken Fact or Chicken Poop
Authors: Andy Schnider & Brigid McCrea Ph.D. (Contributor)
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group, Quarry Books
We always present multiple design concepts for our book projects, especially when it comes to the cover. This book’s title made the project especially fun, and Andy Schnider’s witty tone and sharp, fact-based writing gave us a great foundation to work from. That balance of humor and credibility inspired a wide range of design possibilities—aiming to be delightful, distinctive, and trustworthy. The two covers shown above were among our favorite concepts from the initial batch of 10. One approach leaned into the idea of a chicken-themed almanac—packed with information—using dense, varied typography to reflect that richness. A more minimalist concept played with labeling statements as either “fact” or “poop” to highlight the authors’ expertise with a dose of humor. In both versions, bold yellow made a strong visual impact, helping the book stand out from others in its category.