HEY THERE

cookbook author, chelsea cole

I help food bloggers turn their recipes into cookbooks!

I’m a self-published cookbook author, the food blogger behind A Duck’s Oven, first time mom, wife and former marketing director from Portland, Oregon.

I self-published my first cookbook, Everyday Sous Vide: it's all French to me in 2018 and my second cookbook, Sous Vide Meal Prep in 2021. 

After navigating the completely confusing process of figuring out how to self-publish a cookbook, I launched The Cookbook Lab to help other food bloggers turn their recipes into cookbooks too.  

my cooking story

I didn't grow up loving cooking.

My mom was a good cook, but it wasn’t something I ever showed interest in. When I got to college and was faced with cooking in my own apartment, I found cooking dinner to be a great way to unwind from a long day of school and my part time job.

I’m married to my high school sweetheart and we went to the same college, so he was along for this whooole journey (and got to reap the benefits!). I loved to cook for him and my roommate and use them as test subjects for new ideas.

I found that so many of my peers relied on takeout, which was expensive, or packaged food, which isn’t the most nutritious and frankly, just doesn’t taste that good.

I decided to start A Duck’s Oven in 2010, my junior year, to document my learning process and easily share recipes with fellow college students.

Since then, cooking is still one of my favorite ways to unpack my brain after work. I rely on planned, simple meals using “cheater ingredients” to get us through the week, and on the weekends I love a good cooking project, like sous vide pastrami.

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, where I document what I’m cooking on the daily!

@the.cookbook.lab

my cookbooks

my cookbooks

everyday sous vide: it's all french to me

 This book is full of recipes with short ingredient lists that you’d cook any given day, not just for special occasions. Way better overnight oats, smoky pickles, and garlicky mashed potatoes are among the many things you’ll learn how to cook in this book.

check it out

sous vide meal prep

Sous vide cooking isn’t just for experienced or professional chefs: it’s a game changer for home cooks, too. The dinner preparers of the world will learn how sous vide cooking can do the heavy lifting for them when it comes to getting something delicious on the table every night.

see more

recipe

the special ingredients of chelsea

Title:

 full-time food blogger, cookbook author

Serves:

my high school sweetheart (now husband)

Preps With:

a glass of  Willamette Valley red wine 

Loves to Cook:

sous viding salmon my husband caught

Ingredients for a happy Chelsea:

My favorite cooking technique is sous vide! Easy recipes to get comfortable in the kitchen, talking about self-publishing,  a cooking to unwind from a long day

Direction in life:

I didn't grow up loving cooking, until I was on my own and faced with cooking in my own apartment. I started to document my learning process and easily share recipes with fellow college students. Which is how A Duck's Oven started in 2010 during my junior year of college.

start with my favorite recipes

easy pumpkin waffles

make it

chicken and pineapple curry

enjoy it

sous vide tri-tip steak

you'll love this

have any questions?

DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email at chelsea@thecookbooklab.com. If you happen to make a recipe, it means the world if you rate and review it. I’m so happy to have you here!

- chelsea

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