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Posted By: Marty Flavors Of Belize: First Class Cookbook - 07/04/12 12:26 PM
Right about now at the Belize Biltmore Best Western - McNab Designs Publishing is launching the Flavors of Belize Cookbook. But, don't get it wrong, this is more than a book - and the launch is more than another bookish event.

It is a gala, complete with the best of Belize's chefs arrayed across the Biltmore's Courtyard. And the grand scale is in line with the ambition of the impressive hardcover book. Its design is opulent and completely, unapologetically on a first world level.

Tanya McNab who has been putting it together for a year told us why she set such uncompromisingly high standards:..

Tanya McNab, publisher/designer
"Our book not only has recipes, it has history, it has culture, it has just about everything about Belize all in one hard cover book. The book is something for all Belizeans to be proud of as well as travellers and people - anybody who loves food can really enjoy the book."

"Recipes are in there from chefs, recipes are in there from family, friends and it's really a collaboration of recipes. All that can be cooked in your regular home kitchen; you don't have to be a trained chef - its design for the average home cook."

Jules Vasquez
"At $80 Belize, people might say that is kind of expensive for a book."

Tanya McNab, publisher/designer
"We don't really feel that it is expensive. First of all it's a hard cover book; it's about 8 inches wide by 11.75 inches in height; like I said it's not just a recipe book. We have gone a step further to make sure that we have pictured at least 50% of the recipes in there."

"It will last you very long in your kitchen. I like to say it belongs on your coffee table and at your stove. So you can use it - depending who the user is, is where the book will be. Some people will use it as a coffee table book but a lot of people will be able to use it to cook with."

"The book is design to sold not only in Belize, its design to be sold in the US so it has to compete with all the other books that are on the shelves of Barnes and Nobles or a Williams-Sonoma or any book store whether it's a small book store or a big chain." "In order for us to be able to get out there we had to be able to meet the standards of all the other publishers. When we first started it's like 'we will do a li cook book right' and now it's become such a big project and we are so proud of it and I think if everybody did a little bit of that we would all be constantly raising the bar."

The book will be available tomorrow for eighty dollars at the Image Factory, Brodies, Mirab and various high end resorts. It is also available online at flavorsofbelize.com.

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