Janeva’s Low Carb Homestyle Classics – A Light-hearted Feast for the Eyes and Palette
The process of creating a cookbook is not for the faint of heart. Just when you think you have overcome the last obstacle and squeezed the last moment of daylight out of a food photography session, there is always more to accomplish. After the successful launch and activation of Janeva’s website and social environments, the cookbook project went into full production.
Throughout the summer months of 2019, we spent ten full days (full to the brim) photographing over 130 individual recipes, the cover, and additional lifestyle photography to activate the cookbook. The preparation of each recipe took place both in Janeva’s hotel room (yes, Janeva is a trooper) and in our little studio kitchen, and was then styled and captured in the sunny south-east corner of the studio space. We worked closely with Janeva throughout the structuring and design phase, meticulously editing and adding to – resulting in a product that far surpassed the original scope of the cookbook.
Photos by Pauline Boldt.
Art Direction and Design
The cookbook’s navigation and layout had to be portrayed with restraint, using simple graphic tactics such as colour-coded sections to guide the user through the content with ease. Custom illustrated graphics and infographics were integrated into the information-rich sections for instructional support and to emphasize the light-hearted nature of text and recipe style. The approach to the visual composition of the photography instinctively put focus on the dishes, further animated by props both old and new, with the use of heirloom silverware from Janeva’s great grandparents. Natural, soft light and a tight focus in on each of the dishes inspires the palette, and naturally hold most of the book’s real estate.
The book was launched just before Christmas 2019 via digital marketing communication strategies using social and e-mail campaigns as the primary platforms, alongside the integration of e-commerce on her website for ease of purchasing the new cookbook as well as Janeva’s existing cookbook. Sales within the first week upon launching exceeded our expectations and continue to grow to date.
About the Book's Content
Janeva’s Low Carb Homestyle Classics is a collection of low carb recipes for everyone, with a focus on healthy ingredients that go beyond what we usually suspect a low-carb eater would indulge in (bacon, butter, processed meats, and cheeses, etc.). Tailored to her existing audience, yet updated for the modern low-carb eater, Janeva’s recipes are ingenious, no-fuss adaptations to familiar and beloved homestyle dishes that encourage the hungry reader to make over and over again.
What has made this cookbook project so special is Janeva’s dedication to her audience, her love for the work, her willingness to educate us and feed us along the way. The production of Janeva’s Low Carb Homestyle Classics was a lengthy labor of love with a truly rewarding result.
