Why I’m Printing My Cookbook Again (And How You Can Help)
The story behind the second drop, the cost of doing it right, and how you can get your hardcover copy
I still remember signing every single copy of the first 500-book run of Just Desserts in 2023. Half paperbacks. Half hardcovers. But the moment I held the hardcover in my hands, I knew: this was the version the community deserved. It felt like something built to last. A cookbook you could use, gift, spill on, mark up. A companion in the kitchen. Something joyful. Something worthy of your stories.
Then it sold out—every last copy—in under two weeks.
That experience taught me so much. I figured out how to pack and ship orders myself. I fielded customer questions. I cried a little. And I leaned heavily on my friends Pamela and Henry at Hipocampo Bookstore, who helped me carry the weight literally and emotionally. They were the quiet force behind the scenes. I was ready to print again in 2024. I had the timeline. I had the community. I had the vision.
Then life happened.
What I thought was a bad flu turned out to be COVID. Then long COVID. My body slowed down, and so did every plan. My focus narrowed to healing, recalibrating, and learning how to live inside a body that suddenly needed different things. But if chronic illness teaches you anything, it’s how to prioritize. And when I was ready to dream again, Just Desserts was still sitting on my kitchen counter.
I spent months researching ways to make this second run more sustainable. The cost of printing 200 high-quality hardcover books is no small thing, nearly $9,000. I thought print-on-demand might be the answer.
But every time I ran the numbers, every time I tested the paper and reviewed the formats, I came back to the same truth: nothing matched the quality I had with Gorham Printing, my original printing press. The weight. The binding. The way the pages felt in your hands. If I were going to do this again, I would do it right.
So I’m doing it the way I know best: crowdfunded, small-batch, and curated with care.
This project was never about self-promotion. It’s about celebration, community, and what gluten-free food can be. It’s about joy. And legacy. And proving that gluten-free food can be beautiful, celebratory, and worth sharing.
Here’s what’s inside:
200+ pages of celiac-safe, easy-to-bake recipes
Comfort bakes. Brownies. Frostings. Cakes that don’t disappoint
An instant eBook download while you wait
Shipping starting September 2025
And just 200 copies total.
This isn’t just another cookbook drop. It’s a declaration: that gluten-free food is worthy of joy, of beauty, of legacy. If you missed the first run or have been waiting to hold your copy, this is your chance.
Preorders are now open: tinyurl.com/JustDessertstwo
Let’s bake something gluten-free—again.
With so much gratitude
—Calvin
Try my digital network free for 7 days: bit.ly/TGFCdigitalnetwork
Read the full press release here
Have questions or press inquiries? Contact me: asktheglutenfreechef@gmail.com
