Slow Burn (VIP)

We're spicing up our VIP library with a hot new book, Slow Burn! We savored every sneak peek from the team, and now, they’re here to share even more info with all of you... 

Hey, Team Slow Burn! What's cooking? 

Coco: I'm the Book Lead on Slow Burn. Previously, I was the Book Lead on The Unexpected Heiress and Perfect Match, as well as Co-Book Lead on Platinum.

Janey: I’m one of the producers for Slow Burn. This is my first book as a producer on Choices, and it has been really exciting to see all of the hard work from the team come to fruition!

Kelly: I’m the Art Lead. My past projects include The Royal Romance/Heir series (more to come!), Hot Couture, and The Elementalists series.

Jessie: Hello! I was one of the producers that worked on getting SB ready for release!

Amanda: Hey there! I am the Art Producer for Slow Burn. I’ve previously worked on the The Royal Heir series, Hot Couture, and Queen B. 

What can fans expect in this culinary drama?

Coco: You've always had big dreams to make it as a chef in the culinary industry... when you get the chance of a lifetime to work on a cooking show that travels the world. While trying to help makeover struggling restaurants, you find yourself drawn to the temperamental, passionate, and brilliant head chef of the show... as well as to a charming, savvy restaurateur. Will it heat up in the kitchen? Or will it all go up in flames?

Every great chef needs an equally great team! What new characters are you most excited about?

Amanda: To be honest, there are so many! But if I had to pick one from the group, I would probably say to look out for Everett/Yvette -- they have such passion for what they do.

Jessie: I love Everett/Yvette because they've got the bad boy/bad girl chef vibe with great tattoos. Julia/Julian is a great contrast to their rigid personality and just exudes a feeling of "I give great hugs but can also command this entire ship."

Coco: You'll also meet some eccentric and sweet restaurant owners along the way…

So we'll be learning fresh new skills in the kitchen... What new features will fans get to experience in Slow Burn? 

Coco: Throughout the story, you'll learn about delicious home cooking and traditional recipes from around the world... and draw inspiration from them to create new dishes of your own. 

You'll also have to bring your A-game when trying to makeover different restaurants. Each restaurant will receive a Star Rating, and doing well will payoff in the end. 

Jessie: There are so many mouth-watering food assets and fun cooking minigames to test  your cooking knowledge.

Amanda: Not only do you gain some cooking skills under your belt, but you’ll additionally gain some interior design skills while you travel -- kind of the best of both worlds honestly.

Oooh, sounds like it's time to brush off the ol' knife skills. There must be a favorite part while you were creating this book.

Kelly: Looking at wonderful food and creating our Dish Showcase art! It was fun to conceptualize how each dish should be presented, each displaying their own strengths.

Coco: I loved learning more about food and even ingredients I had never heard of before. We also had fun figuring out the cooking style of different characters and how to portray that. The art team did an amazing job -- although the downside is that I end up being super hungry at work!

Amanda: THE FOOD! It was great to collaborate with the writers/artists about what we can do with the food prompts we were given. We researched a lot of cultural foods from all over the world, learning about various delicacies and essential ingredients for each and every dish in this book. 

Last, but certainly not least, what's your go-to comfort food? 

Coco: Definitely pasta! I love a good, indulgent pasta carbonara. My uncle also makes the best Filipino spaghetti when I visit our family in Boston, and it's become a really comforting tradition.

Janey: Southern food! My family has roots from all over the south, and with that, some great cooking. My mom’s delicious gumbo with homemade bread hits the spot every time.

Amanda: I love homemade potstickers. My family and I have a very old recipe that came from my grandfather that we use to make them during Lunar New Year. To me, these dumplings are both delicious and sentimental as it brings my family together, and they also uphold a nice memory/legacy for my grandfather.

Kelly: For the holidays (and just for me, because I was spoiled!), my Italian grandmother would make pizelle: a thin, lacy cookie flavored with anise and baked in an iron press. I would watch her make the batter, and the recipe seemed to make limitless cookies -- she made so many in one batch! She would let me eat them hot, straight from the iron. She passed away years ago, but I still cherish making them and keeping that family tradition in her memory.

Jessie: Cornbread and grits. They make me think of home and remind me of my family and where I come from so it's great when I'm feeling homesick. Now if only I could find some good fried chicken!

Wow, y'all are making us hungry! Time to stop by the grocery store ;) We can't wait to play Slow Burn on VIP Friday, March 26th. 

That's a wrap for us here, but make sure to use #ChoicesCookbook to share your own recipes with the Choices Community... and show us your attempts at the Slow Burn recipes! Talk to you all soon!

- Aly & Shae