It's here!

(Click the cover to enlarge.)

It's done. It's done. It's totally done. It's really, fully done. The combing and the fawning and the spell-checking and the Cheezie-eating and the cross-eyed-going dragged on for an extra day or so, but we managed to upload it at approximately 4:53 pm (which, it eerily turns out, was the exact time of the earthquake on January 12th) and finally LET IT GO. At which point it came back, with file issues... we went across the street for spaghetti and meatballs and then came back to hack away at the pdf and replace some images that weren't cutting the mustard. What was supposed to be a brief touching up this morning followed by a triumphant upload by noon stretched out to a 14 hour marathon (can't believe it? neither can we), at which point we REALLY AND TRULY FINALLY got it gone, and then the ordering system set up. Before midnight, even. Barely.

And now commences the press release-sending, hand-wringing and order-status-checking.

What now? I'm going to Disneyland! Not really. Maybe Swiss Chalet.

There's still a glitch in the system - my overtired self can't quite determine how to get both the hardcover and softcover version onto one ordering page - right now they are on two pages - but I couldn't wait any longer and it leaked out on Twitter soon after midnight, so here I am, offering up the goods. You can order the book, and preview it - the hardcover version ($50) is here, and the softcover version ($25) is here. They are both the same book, save for the cover - 7"x7" and 110 full-colour pages, with photos of each and every recipe. I'm hoping that with the light of day, when my mental capacities return somewhat, I can figure out (or have someone tell me) if/how to put both versions on one ordering page.

But yes - we squeaked in under three weeks - from concept to completion - and there were so many on board helping make that possible. Cathryn Ironside. Beth Snyder. George Brookman and the fine folks at West Canadian Graphics. Jim and the guys at Blurb.com (some of whom are apparently from Lonely Planet). And everyone who cheered us on, sent rah-rah emails, brought lasagna.

I'm so proud of all who contributed to this pot of stone soup, so eagerly, generously, selflessly - even while tending to wee ones with a stomach bug or while pregnant and teaching band to dozens of young teenagers. One is at athlete's village, cooking like crazy in what he calls the biggest kitchen he's ever seen (and I imagine he's seen a lot), another is celebrating the launch of her first book, yet another is in high school. I love that this project has brought together such a diverse group of people with a common love of food.

Hell, I'm going to bring them out again. Let's hear it for Chef Michael Smith, Dana McCauley, Emily Richards, Catharine from Weelicious, Cheryl from Backseat Gourmet, Jeannette of Everybody Likes Sandwiches, Nishta from Blue Jean Gourmet, Lauren of Celiac Teen, Charmian from Christie's Corner, Shaina from Food for my Family, Marisa of Food in Jars, Shauna and Danny from Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, Lauren from Healthy Delicious, Alice from Savory Sweet Life, Tara from Seven Spoons, Jess of Sweet Amandine, Helen from Tartelette, Gail from The Pink Peppercorn, Pierre of Kitchen Scraps, Tim from Lottie and Doof, Tea from Tea & Cookies, Jamie from My Baking Addiction, Lori from Recipe Girl, Melissa from The Traveler's Lunchbox, Brooke of Tongue-n-Cheeky and Aimee of Under the High Chair. Yay team!