The publisher, Alan Merkin, who was the head of Clarks and Potter, Crown Books, he — I did a party for him. I catered a huge, huge party and he was so entranced that he asked me if I would do a book. So I did the book and I — somehow they realized that this was going to be an unusual book and that they at first wanted it to be in black and white. I said, “Oh, a food book like this cannot be in black and white. A lifestyle book has to be in color. You have to show people the beauty,” and I learned that from my husband’s publishing experience. You don’t show a painting necessarily, a Monet, in black and white. You kind of lose something if you do. You don’t show a landscape of vegetables and fruits in black and white.
It didn’t cost that much more and I knew that. I knew that again from the production of art books. I also knew that publishing — I mean, they were going to start publishing — printing 20,000 copies, which was a lot of copies in those days. I thought — I said, “Oh, my gosh. I know 20,000 people that will buy this book. I think you better print more.” They did. They printed 35,000 copies. It sold out immediately. They had to go back to press. It was a $35 book. It was expensive in those days, too. And yet it was such an instant hit, such an instant gratifying experience for me and I was — I became an expert overnight. And that’s what a book does. I mean when you hear all the authors outside, it’s that first book that makes you an expert even if it’s schlock.