A dodo, a dancer in a swirling red skirt, a lobster and a giant tortoise share the cover of Lilette’s Kitchen, scattered across a hand drawn map of Mauritius on a soft grey blue ground. Inside, Lilette Ebrahimkhan collects the dishes she cooks at home, from pumpkin with dried red chillies, shredded coconut and mustard seeds, a fixture of Hindu festival tables, to a quick cucumber and carrot salad to serve beside a biryani.
Lilette first asked us about a recipe book through her designer, Clémence. When the two of them came back, they had a hardback in mind, and nearly every decision that followed started as a question. Here are those questions, with the answers that shaped the book.
Why won’t some hardback cookbooks stay open on the worktop?
Before committing, Clémence asked to see our work, so we posted two sample books: one hardback and one paperback. Her verdict on the hardback was honest. She found it “a bit difficult to leave open and to follow the recipe”, and asked whether the paper weight made the binding so stiff.
The paper was not the issue. That sample had a glued text block, which grips the pages tightly at the spine. Lilette’s quote was already for section sewing, where the pages are folded into sections and stitched together through the fold before the case goes on. Mike explained that sewn pages open far more easily and stay resilient, because “the pages are literally sewn in.” Head and tail bands finish the spine top and bottom. Our article on how a case bound hardback is put together walks through each stage.
If your cookbook will live by the hob, request a sewn sample and try opening it flat with one hand. That test tells you more than any spec sheet.
What paper copes with a messy kitchen?
Clémence wanted the cover and pages to be “as waterproof as possible” so the book would not mark too much from spills. After a video call, the materials settled. The cover is 170gsm silk, printed in four colour, matt laminated and wrapped over greyboard. The lamination seals the printed map, so a splash on the board wipes away.
For the 104 inside pages, Mike offered 150gsm silk or 150gsm uncoated, framing it as a choice between a slight sheen and a fully matt page. They chose uncoated. The cream white sheet gives the overhead food photographs a soft, low glare finish under kitchen lights, and its weight gives every recipe page some body as it turns. Order our pack of paper and board samples and compare silk against uncoated before you commit.
How do you centre artwork on a hardback cover?
A case bound cover hides part of its front board in the hinge, so the visible panel is wider than the page inside. Mike worked it through with Clémence: 177mm of board shows on the front (12mm plus 165mm), so the design should be centred on that full width, at 88.5mm. Centring on 165mm alone would leave 12mm spare on the left, which Mike said “always makes it look unbalanced.” When the first cover file sat a little small on our template, Clémence resized the layout inside the template itself, and the next proof went through with her reply: “All good the cover.”
The same logic applies inside. A sewn book draws a little of every page into the gutter, so the 14mm outer margins became 16mm on the spine side. The type block now looks centred once the book is open. Our hardback cover and spine set up guide has the templates and measurements to do this on your own book.
Why print 104 pages instead of 102?
Late in the design, two pages were added, taking the count to 102. Mike explained that a hardback like this is printed and folded in sections of eight pages. 102 would mean twelve eights plus a four page section and a two page section to print and bind separately. Adding two more pages made 104, a neat thirteen sections, and the spine width stayed the same.
When the final files arrived with 106 pages, pages 1 and 106 came out by agreement. As Clémence put it, “they will be replaced by the yellow endpapers.” She also asked about growing the book to 249 x 198mm. Mike recommended keeping the original size, which suits our press sheet and sits comfortably between A5 and A4 on a kitchen shelf. Planning a sewn hardback? Write to a page count that divides by eight and odd sections never arise.
What do yellow endpapers bring to a cookbook?
Open the case and a bright yellow sheet greets you, a sunny contrast to the muted grey blue cover. Lilette and Clémence chose it from paper swatches, and when the stock came in two weights Mike advised the heavier one for a more prestigious turn of the page. Clémence confirmed the 140gsm version, a sheet that is 80% recycled.
The design inside keeps that sense of occasion. Each chapter opens on a full page pattern drawn in one colour, green vegetables and turmeric jars for Vegetarian, lilac for Fish, opposite a plain page carrying the chapter name. A Spices Cupboard spread draws cardamom, curry leaves, cumin and garam masala by hand, with advice such as “Trust your sense of smell!” Recipes list preparation time and servings above two clear columns, with each photograph facing its method. Mike’s note when the artwork landed: “it’s such a nice book”.
The finished books left us on a pallet, and Lilette answered the dispatch email that afternoon to thank us for everything. Two days later, with the boxes unpacked, she wrote again to thank the whole team for the end product. A year on, when Mike offered to help promote the book on social media, her reply was short.
“I appreciate all your support”
Lilette, author of Lilette’s Kitchen
Thinking about a recipe book of your own? See our printing options for sewn, case bound hardbacks and send us your page count, size and the way you want it to open.
PaperbacksA5, 44 pages, perfect bound£246for 100
