It has been said that many great ideas come from discussions around the dinner table. Kati Hughes was at a small get-together, and the conversation drifted to the great cooks and delectable eating that had happened at Fairfield Harbour Yacht Club events. Kati commented that she could make a cookbook with all the great recipes, not realizing what was involved, and she later remarked, “Ha, ha, little did I know!”
Everyone loved the idea; a committee was formed, and the decision was made that the cookbook should be for the 40th anniversary of the Yacht Club. The committee members, who all brought a variety of talents, were Darlene Cleveland, Laurie Eakins, Lynn Stateham, Bev Myrseth, Olwen Jarvis, Sharon Nash, Paula Phipps, Erin Vergot, and Kati Hughes, chairman. It was determined that the idea was financially viable, and the board quickly endorsed the cookbook project. The cookbook was a fundraiser for the Yacht Club that totally exceeded the original financial projections.
Collecting recipes is a great idea, but the biggest challenge came from publishing the book. Kati’s daughter, Samantha Beerli, has a large publishing company in Hickory, NC, and does work for a number of large companies. Samantha agreed to the project and was there to provide advice from the beginning. She made sure the editing and photos were correct and provided expert graphic design. Work on the book started in September 2023.
When the committee asked club members for recipes, they were surprised to receive over a hundred, which was narrowed down to 85 for the final printing. Everyone who submitted recipes had at least one published. The cook who submitted the recipe “staged” and photographed a picture of the finished product and wrote a short story about why this was a favorite recipe. Before the book could be sent to the publisher, the recipes had to be formatted all the same, which was a big task. Each committee member was responsible for editing one category and working with the contributor. The mouthwatering categories are Breakfast and Brunch, Appetizers and Hors oeuvres, Salads, Soups and Breads, Entrees, Sauces and Condiments, Sweets and Desserts, and Cocktails.
Publishing a book takes money, and this cookbook is no exception. In addition to the purchase price, money was raised by a very successful BBQ dinner that was available for dine-in or take-out. Darlene Cleveland spent the whole day before cooking over 100 pounds of pork butt in 12 crockpots in her kitchen. The committee even had to rush out and buy a few more crockpots to meet the demand. Darlene’s incredibly popular pulled pork BBQ is included in the cookbook.
In addition to timeless hours, trying to figure out whether the recipe calling for 8 cups of baking powder was accurate, and coordinating recipes with contributors, the committee had a lot of fun working together on this project. Laurie Eakins said that when she got involved, she knew that it would be a lot of work but didn’t realize how much fun the committee would have, how much laughter there would be, and how many close friendships would be formed. Longtime Yacht Club member Lynn Stateham said, “I am so happy to have participated in the FHYC 40th Anniversary Cookbook project. The finished book is lovely, and I hope readers and cooks will enjoy the delicious and interesting recipes, photos, and stories on each page”.
Chairman Kati Hughes was quick to emphasize how much credit should go to the hardworking, fun-loving committee and all the club members who submitted recipes and provided support.
On the 40th anniversary of the Fairfield Harbour Yacht Club, committee members proudly handed out the long-awaited cookbooks for 140 prepaid orders. Members opened their hardback cookbooks to see recipes such as John Jackson’s chili, Quebec Shepard’s Pie from Bev Myrseth, Roast Beef and My Mum’s Yorkshire Pudding from Olwen Jarvis, Hong Shao Rou from Anny Chiu, and Kahlua Cake from Paula Phipps, to name just a few.
When you open the cookbook, you are immediately impressed by the professional look of the book and the pictures of mouth-watering recipes. But the absolute best is the stories from all of our neighbors and friends about their recipes that have been collected from years of family lore and from all over the world. It really is a collection of food, family and stories in a book that is hard to put down.
Over 140 cookbooks have been sold but cookbooks are still available by contacting Kati Hughes at katihughes@comcast.net or 321-231-8268. Paula Phipps and Lynn Stateham recently had a successful day selling more books and taking orders at the New Bern Farmers Market. They also had a great time catching up with old friends and enjoying the market, which is a great way to spend a Saturday morning in New Bern.
