Panadería cookbook zine: Preorder

At long last.

Today, at last, the first issue of At Heart cookbook zines, Panadería, goes up for preorder. Writing a cookbook zine has been a goal, a dream, on the to-do list in the back of my mind since 2017, and now the time is here.

A screenshot of an ancient Google doc on my laptop.

For nearly nine months, myself and my incomparable designer Elizabeth Goodspeed (also responsible for all the At Heart branding you see here for this newsletter; the fun zine illustrations were done by the fantastic Zoé Maghamès Peters) have been working in collaboration on Panadería, my response to modern digital frustrations as a micro bakery owner and writer. I certainly feel as though I’ve birthed something.

Cover reveal!

As I wrote back in April, zine-making can be a powerful way to resist the whims of the algorithms that make up our digital lives. Instagram reach continues to be more or less non-existent these days; I think the last time I checked my stats (I have a business page because of the bakery), my posts were being viewed by 8% of my total followers. Even more than just algorithm suppression though, the uptick in normalization of extractive, destructive AI use across social media is alarming. I wanted to return to cultural materiality and write something one can hold in their hands.

Five recipes I feel best represent my bakery make up Panadería. I went with five as a way to stay true to short format, as well as to help keep printing costs within my budget. Masa Harina Focaccia; Coconut Atole Cake; Masa Harina Shortbread; and a new version of one of the first recipes I ever shared indepenent of traditional food media: At Heart conchas. You won’t find color photography in this cookbook zine, but you will find an introduction essay, a Tools & Pantry page, and in the spirit of approaching the zine like a legitimate cookbook, an Acknowledgments page.

Concha ingredients page, illustrated by Zoé Maghamès Peters.

Until Monday, November 18, Panadería is available for preorder exclusively to my newsletter subscribers. The order page on my website is password protected until then. To order, simply reply to this email and I’ll respond shortly after with the password. If you are a paid subscriber and would like to claim your free copy, please reply to this email with your mailing address. I will do my best to respond to everyone in a timely manner, but please note that on Fridays I’m also baking for my weekend pop up and may be away from my laptop.

I realize this is a rather unsophisticated way to place an order, but I wanted to give my newsletter subs—who have been so generous with their support since I joined Substack last year—first dibs. Shipping will begin in December, just in time for Christmas.

The support interest in this cookbook zine has been very validating, very encouraging and whether you’ve been subscribed from the beginning, or are just now joining, thank you sincerely.