Page 50 of Coral Memories

“I appreciate your taking the time to help,” Marina said, touching her sister’s hand.

“You’ve done most of it,” Kai said. “Who knew you’d be such a whiz at dictation?”

Looking up from the manuscript, Ginger added, “Your writing is wonderful, dear. You have a real talent for bringing the recipes to life. And your photos are lovely, Kai.” She held one up. “I can see this one of Marina at the family table on the cover.”

To Ginger, this cookbook was more than just a collection of recipes; it was a testament to their family’s creativity and resilience. She was happy to support Marina in this effort.

“Oh, look at this one,” Heather exclaimed, holding up a photo of a cupcake tower. “Remember when we made these for the birthday party?”

Marina smiled. “We were frosting them right up until the last minute. I’ll add those recipes, too.”

Ginger enjoyed listening to the happy chatter while they continued to sort through photos and make notes on recipes, punctuated by bursts of laughter as they remembered good times and delicious dishes.

Over the course of the afternoon, the scene around the table was soon transformed. The chaos of scattered papers and photos gave way to neat stacks of organized documents. Ginger was pleased with their accomplishment.

With her laptop open, Marina stared at the screen with satisfaction. “We’ve come so far. Most of the recipes are written up now.”

“Brooke has offered to manage a team of local recipe testers,” Ginger said. “She’s gathered neighbors and other gardeners to help. Maybe we can add some locals from the farmers market. I can reach out to Cookie.”

“That would be great,” Marina said. “Thank you for all you’re doing.”

Heather lowered a piece of paper. “The introduction sounds great, Ginger. I love the history of the Coral Cottage before the cafe. And how your friend Julia inspired some of the recipes.”

“It’s all true,” Ginger said. “Although we’ve edited them over the years, adding and subtracting ingredients, especially using our local produce.” She tapped a notepad filled with calculations. “The conversion from restaurant-sized portions to home kitchen amounts is complete, as is the imperial-to-metric measurements conversion.”

Marina nodded, looking pleased. “I couldn’t have done that without your precision. With all of us testing in our kitchens, we can confirm measurements.”

“Everything is coming together,” Ginger said, ticking off a list she was keeping. “Your method of dictating recipes while you cooked brought the descriptions to life.”

Heather brightened. “Now that you’ve got the system down, Mom, you should keep going. A food truck cookbook would really sell. People love comfort food. And I have a great title.”

“So do I,” Kai said, laughing. “Food Truck and Theater Bites. We’ll sell it at the Seashell. Remember, that was the original venue for the food truck.”

“We’ll work on that,” Marina said, smiling.

Ginger was so proud of them. This project was a team effort, with each of them contributing.

“I have a meeting with a graphic designer next week,” Marina continued. “She’s excited to work on the layout with Kai’s photos.”

“I’m sure it will be beautiful.” Ginger could picture the finished product in her mind. “I can already imagine it on sale at the cafe and in kitchens everywhere. This book will likely beat Jack’s to print.”

“Your biography is more involved,” Marina said, frowning slightly. “Jack is conducting a great deal of research and wants to get the tone just right for you. How is it going with him?”

“He should be finished with my recollections,” Ginger said. “One can only talk about themselves for so long.”

Still, Ginger wanted to leave this legacy for her family and other young women interested in science, math, and technology. She trusted Jack to make it sound exciting, even if he had excavated a few unpleasant memories. She preferred to focus on the positive aspects of her life.

“I know it’s premature,” Heather began, “but I’ve been thinking about marketing strategies for the book debut. I can use this for my last semester’s capstone project. It should be a real-life application.”

Ginger nodded, impressed by her initiative. She was pleased Heather would stay on at the cafe and knew Marina was, too.

“What did you have in mind?” Marina asked.

Heather checked her notes. “I propose we use the cafe as our primary launch pad. We could set up a display, plan a book signing launch party, and offer a special cookbook menu featuring recipes from the book. You could do cooking demonstrations at the farmers market with those recipes and offer those items and the cookbook for sale. That’s just for starters.”

“I like the menu idea,” Marina said, making a note.

Ginger smiled, reminded of her culinary adventures with her friend in Cambridge. “That sounds wonderful. It’s amazing how far we’ve come from our early days in the kitchen.”

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