For many of us who love to cook, being in a published cookbook would be a dream come true.  When I wander through my local bookstore it's hard not to think about it.  If I really want to torture myself I think about that moment when the UPS truck pulls up and the driver hands me a package containing my first printed copy.  Some day....

This last year I had an opportunity to contribute to a book for Good Bite that will be coming out next year.  It was so much fun!  And I must say contributing to a book is just a little bit easier then writing the entire book!  I was ended up writing about 10 recipes for one of the chapters.  Developing and structuring recipes for a printed book can be intense.  You must be exact in your quantities and in your descriptions.  It was a very good experience for me.

If you've had that dream of being in a cookbook, but were a little intimidated then I'd recommend starting out by entering a recipe contest.  A perfect opportunity is Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia contest!  Aside from winning $500 for the best recipe using Philadelphia cream cheese that week, you have a chance at having your recipe included in their upcoming cookbook!  It's a great opportunity for aspiring home cooks who really want to see their name in print.  It's also a great learning experience to put your "editor's hat" on and write the recipes in format fitting to a published cookbook.  It makes you step up your efforts a little bit and really think about how to create the best possible recipe.

In the RWOP contest there are fun themes and recipe categories each week. It's been fun to see all the creative entries from around the country.  However, the contest is ending soon.  If you are interested in submitting your favorite creation... don't delay.  You may end up $500 richer and fulfill that dream of having your culinary creation in print for the world to see!