Cookbook Photo Shoot

"I'm too happy to sing the blues!" JuJu claimed today as we bustled around her home. The succulent aromas of her many dishes battled for our attention while photographer extraordinaire Molly Peterson snapped shot after shot of the beautiful food. Those present got to view (and sample) a number of the recipes that will be included in JuJu's forthcoming cookbook. The focus of the cookbook will be on healthy, nutritious eating using WIC staples as well as produce that can be found seasonally in the D.C. area (often on our Mobile Market).

JuJu shows off her homemade vanilla and her winning smile

All hands were on deck this afternoon, as our 8 person team arranged dishes, manipulated lighting, and snuck tastes from the serving bowls. We were lucky enough to shoot in the beautiful natural aura of JuJu's living room, giving the work a very colorful home-grown feeling.

Food arranging pro Kristen preps the next dish

The cookbook, which is going through a rigorous naming process, will be an important step in JuJu's work with nutrition outreach. As a complement to her Mobile Market cooking demos and her incredible person-to-person advice, the book will be a take home guide to whipping up delicious dishes. Speaking from experience, it will be hard to top the flavorful expertise that JuJu put on display this afternoon, but rest assured the cookbook will have every step for success.

Pam and Molly review the shots

While we can't reveal too much information about the dishes included or the inspired work that Molly did today, we look forward to sharing the finished product with the community in the near future. If today was any indication of the joy and fun that these recipes will bring, there are many tasty and enjoyable times to be had by those who welcome JuJu's ideas into their kitchen.