The idea was born in 2006 when professional chef and VW fanatic Steve Rooker and wife Suz Rooker came up with the idea of making a nice VW-cookbook. The pair had already owned over 20 different VW vans at that time and had been well bitten by the bug.
”I’ve always been fascinated by the early Volkswagen buses, probably from the very first time I saw one. It’s the laid back freedom vibe that they
conjure up combined with something oddly cool about the lines”. They decided that a book was called for, with recipes that could be easily prepared in a small VW camper kitchen and cooked on a gas stove or barbeque. Their passion for old Volkswagen vans had already rubbed off to almost all of the other family members, with Suz’s brother and father owning VW buses as well as Steve’s younger brother. So, talking about Volkswagens was not a new thing around the dinner table. Steve and Suz talked about the idea at a family dinner and it was here that the project really took off. Brother in-law Lelle and Suz sister Lotta listened to the idea and liked what they heard. The three Swedes and the Englishman then began work on the book and every family gathering now turned into more brainstorming cookbook sessions. They each contributed to the book in different ways. Steve brought twelve years of cooking knowledge to the team and of course his passion for Volkswagens. Suz brought her business savvy and planning skills to the group, Lotta with ideas and orgnizing and Lelle happened to be an art director wizard with 20 years in the advertising business, not to mention very handy with a camera. The weekends on those two years were mostly filled with cookbook work.
”We all have full-time jobs and families so we would get together at weekends to work on the book.”
Steve and Lelle would visit shows and arrange small
VW gatherings in order to get photos of cool buses in a camping environment.
”We travelled to shows in Sweden such as Bug Run and Buss Fest. In the UK we attended Van-Fest and some other smaller shows in 2006 and 2007.”
”We have taken thousands of photos in search of making the book not only a cookbook but also an inspiration for people to really get out there and cook in their campers. We also corresponded with like minded van fans around the world who have made a big contribution to the story.”
Late in 2007 we realized we had enough quality
material to begin the writing/layout stage. The recipes and text took time and getting the food pictures finished became a weekend ritual. The photo editing and graphic production took place in Lelle’s office starting in November. After six months of long nights and weekends the book had become a real piece of eye candy. By the end of April 2008 we had a finished book to read through. Over the next 2,5 years the original VW Camper Cookbook sold 21 000 copies all over the world and was translated into french and German. It continues to be in high demand. Now it is time to pack the van for more adventures, more buses, and more recipes. "The VW Camper Cookbook Rides again" will be on sale in the Autumn of 2011. If you have a VW camper that you think should be our next book or if you have a recipe you want to share with us, then please drop us a line. [email protected]
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