The Promises of Cookbooks:

A Visual Rhetorical Analysis

by
Stephanie Zlotnick

B6408 Visual Rhetoric

Professor Mark McBeth
June 30, 2021
INTRODUCTION

The closet right off the kitchen in my house was a black hole of plastic shopping bags,

wrapping paper, Crayola markers, and cookbooks. My dad’s collection was extensive and ranged

from general, like The Joy of Cooking, to super specific, like The Great Ceviche Book. My

personal collection consisted of a Clifford the Big Red Dog recipe book accompanied by a

plastic dog bone-shaped cookie cutter. So when I reached the age at which I was allowed to turn

the oven on by myself and began to perfect the art of the Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownie

mix, I graduated from Clifford’s recipes to the more complex, more intimidating, more beautiful

recipes in my dad’s books.

As he collected more and more cookbooks, I fell more and more in love with the photos

of alluring cakes and pastries, marking my favorites with post-it notes, promising myself I would

make them someday. One of my favorites: Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic

Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague by Rick Rodgers (2002). Before I could even find these

cities on a map or pronounce the title of the book, I was drooling at pages of linzertortes and

strudels because they just looked oh so pretty.

Cookbooks have been in production since “the manuscript age, when single recipes were

recorded” and, over time, compiled into collections (Notaker). After evolving from simply

written manuscripts to picturesque food memoirs, cookbooks today are, according to Joshua

Raff, “so much more than recipes and photographs.” They must exhibit the author’s voice,

“bring the reader into the recipe,” “offer something unique,” establish authority, and “provide the

opportunity to imagine…at least an idealized version of [“the convivial dining”] experience”

(Raff). More specifically, in order to be profitable and successful, the cover of a cookbook must

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convince consumers that what is inside will check off all these boxes. And what I wonder is: how

does a cover make these promises?

In this essay, I will walk through the visuals and text employed on the front and back

covers of three cookbooks in order to understand how they attract their target audiences and

communicate the promises they aim to fulfill within the book. Using theoretical frameworks

developed by visual rhetorical analysts including John Berger, Sonja Foss, and Jenae Cohn, I

will analyze the covers of three distinct cookbooks: a classic, Essentials of Classic Italian

Cooking by Marcella Hazan (1992; an updated edition of her 1973 publication); a celebrity

name, Nadiya’s Kitchen: Over 100 Simple and Delicious Family Recipes by Nadiya Hussain

(2016); and a trend, Breakfast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day from

the editors of Extra Crispy (2018). I hope to present a deep analysis of the visual rhetoric of

cookbook covers that effectively represents the tools designers use to market these products and

convert browsers to buyers.

FRAMEWORKS OF VISUAL RHETORIC

Before analyzing the visual rhetoric of the three cookbook covers, we must first

understand the theoretical structures through which we make rhetorical judgments. Perhaps

crucial in any kind of visual analysis, John Berger’s work provides a basis for the role of images

in our culture, especially when it comes to images of publicity. In Ways of Seeing, Berger

explains publicity as usually “justified as a competitive medium which ultimately benefits the

public (the consumer) and the most efficient manufacturers – and thus the national economy”

(131). As a product made to be sold to customers, cookbooks are undoubtedly part of the

publicity images that we all see every day. Even more, Berger argues that publicity images are

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designed to suggest that we transform ourselves, that we will be “in some way richer” despite

having spent money on an item (131). This process, he notes, convinces us consumers that, if we

buy into whatever the image is selling us, we will be enviable and glamourous. Because the

model of cookbooks sparks action by the consumer that combines “personal taste with

predetermined social standards” (Klein 97), the covers of cookbooks must entice viewers with

the prospect of being envied. Through this lens, I will break down the elements of the cookbook

covers and pinpoint those that are most effective at manufacturing glamour as defined by Berger.

Another work that will provide a framework for my analysis is “A Rhetorical Schema for

the Evaluation of Visual Imagery” by Sonja Foss. Foss promotes anti-intentionalist thinking in

visual rhetorical analyses, which “suggests that a work, once done, stands independent of its

production, and the intentions of artists or creators are irrelevant to critics’ responses to their

works” (215). This theoretical position removes the need for historical evidence or verbal

statements of the artists’ intentions and makes space for new interpretations of and experiences

with an image that do not privilege the views of the artists (Foss 215). With this mindset, I will

analyze the ways in which the cookbook covers function from the only perspective I can: that of

a consumer.

Lastly, in “Understanding Visual Rhetoric,” Jenae Cohn explains the foundations of

visual rhetorical analysis, most explicitly identifying the elements of design to which we must

pay careful attention in order to “understand more clearly why a visual has a particular kind of

effect on its viewer” (25). She lists line, color, shape, size, space, value, and texture as the

primary components of a design for examination. Cohn warns, however, that these elements

“may not necessarily help us understand purpose or intent, but they can help us break down

different component parts of images so that we can start to puzzle out what an image might do

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for us as viewers and readers” (Cohn 26). This echoes Foss’s argument and will guide me

throughout this analysis; by looking critically at the design elements of the cookbook covers, I

will be able to make judgments on the functions of the elements without the influence of the

designers’ intentions.

BOOK 1: THE CLASSIC

Marcella Hazan, born in 1924 on the Adriatic coast of Italy, is partially responsible for

bringing “proper Italian cooking” to America (Jaine). In the 1970s, she wrote a series of books

that advocated for the use of fresh produce and authentic ingredients, concepts that were “a

revelation to Americans” and the supermarkets that toted a myriad of frozen dinners (Jaine).

Hazan’s dedication to her Italian roots while in New York led to the creation of the focus of this

analysis: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. The version under scrutiny was published in

1992 and combines revised recipes from Hazan’s books The Classic Italian Cook Book (1973)

and More Classic Italian Cooking (1976), suggesting that this book was released after Hazan had

already become a staple in the world of home cooking. This 29-year-old book found its way onto

my shelf when my parents moved out of my childhood home, inspiring my dad to sift through his

cookbook collection. “This is a book every home chef has to have,” he told me.

The cover of this cookbook consists of a simple composition with significant negative

space, wide text spacing, and repetition of horizontal lines, making it easy to read and

comprehend, as if it is a double-spaced essay. A light mint-green border surrounds a muted

yellow rectangle with what looks like a graphite drawing of two large Corinthian column-

inspired bowls. The leaves and vines evoke nature and freshness, which aligns with Hazan’s

reputation of authentic, natural recipes. Even more, the ornate sculpture of the bowls emulates

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Figure 1: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, front and back covers

the classical antiquity of Ancient Greek and Roman art that inspired much of the Italian

Renaissance. The bowls serve to remind the viewer that Marcella Hazan is a classical Italian

chef.

The text lies on top of the bowls in a standard serif font, similar to Times New Roman.

The title and Hazan’s name appear in a dark maroon separated by an eight-line, double-spaced

paragraph in black italic font that reads:

Brought together at last in a single volume, the incomparable

recipes that have made Marcella Hazan’s THE CLASSIC
ITALIAN COOK BOOK and MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN
COOKING the most important, acclaimed, consulted, and enjoyed
cookbooks in their field. Revised throughout – updated and
expanded with new entries and 50 new recipes.

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 The language used here emphasizes the influence Hazan’s previous books had while

suggesting to the consumer that, even if they own those books, this one – released “at last” – has

new recipes that they could not wait another minute for. In seemingly simple text, this front

cover evokes the idea of glamour that Berger writes about; the consumer needs this book, if only

to get those additional 50 recipes that others might not have. Similarly, the word “essentials” in

the title reinforces the subconscious need for the consumer to buy this book to complete the most

comprehensive bookshelf.

What is most notable to me about this text, however, is the spacing of the lettering. Not

only are the lines well-spaced from one another, the letters are quite wideset. This lettering might

be particularly eye-catching to elderly shoppers whose eyesight deters them from picking up

cookbooks with busy covers; perhaps these customers were fans of Hazan in her prime and

aspire to possess her full repertoire. Instead of overwhelming the viewer with bold visuals, this

cover displays a dreamy drawing of bowls with large, easy-to-read text, further delivering the no-

nonsense, authentic reputation of Hazan’s name and promising accessible, doable recipes inside.

The spine and back cover of the book reinforce the simplicity displayed by the front

cover. The mint-green spans the design, and the text of the back cover sits atop the pale-yellow

box. The spine displays the title of the book in its wide, maroon font as well as the light gray

logo and name of the publisher. Meanwhile, the back cover consists only of eight quotations of

“Bravissima for Marcella Hazan’s” book in the same black, serif font seen on the front.

Overall, the front and back covers and spine of Hazan’s book promise to provide natural,

authentic, inspired Italian recipes. The austerity of the cover design highlights what Hazan is

known for and calls out to an audience of consumers who will cherish the hominess blended with

authority that she mastered in the 1970s.

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BOOK 2: THE CELEBRITY

In 2015, Nadiya Hussain won Series 6 of The Great British Bake Off. Before this,

Hussain was a stress-baking mother of three pursuing a degree in social work (“About Me”). In

the years since winning Bake Off, she’s released several cookbooks, a memoir, and multiple

cooking shows, breaking down barriers in food media through which mostly white men have

crossed (Stevens). On her position in food media, Hussain told Salon, “‘The reality is I’m never

going to blend into this industry’…‘I’m a five-foot, brown, Muslim woman in an industry where

there is no way I’m going to blend in, so why even try? Why even try? Why not just create

space?’” (Stevens) It is this characteristic realness that drew me to Hussain during her season of

Bake Off and ultimately inspired me to purchase two copies of her cookbook, one for me and one

for my sister. Evidently, Hussain’s celebrity, no matter how niche it might be, was the catalyst

for my purchase, a marketing tactic supported by the visual rhetoric of the cookbook itself.

The front cover of Nadiya’s Kitchen shows Hussain herself in bright clothing – a fuchsia

hijab and cobalt button-down shirt – scooping a colorful salad from a serving dish to a plate that

sits on a stack of four. Over Hussain’s chest is bold, white serif text that reads “Nadiya’s

Kitchen,” her name being the primary focus. To the right of her face is medium blue, all caps,

sans-serif text that reads “OVER 100 SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS FAMILY RECIPES.” All of

this appears in front of a blurred background consisting of heathered blue/gray and white panels,

allowing Hussain herself to pop and maintain prominence while staying coherent with the

simplicity of the text and cleanliness and freshness implied by the enticing vegetables. This

serves to remind consumers that Hussain’s celebrity – and the authority that comes with it – is

the primary draw of this book. Similar to Hazan’s book, the composition of this cover seems to

be made up of horizontal lines that make it easy to read from top to bottom, left to right.

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Figure 2: Nadiya's Kitchen by Nadiya Hussain, front and back covers

Hussain’s look is consistent with the way her fans would picture her: natural face and eye

makeup with lipstick that brings a pop of color, very little jewelry, and fully covered hair.

Regular viewers of Bake Off would see her photo and, even if they didn’t remember her name,

might recognize her as a television star. Even more, this image of her serves to reinforce

Hussain’s desire to create space for herself in the industry, displaying her Muslim faith matter-

of-factly without making it the most important part of her identity. The copy of the cover, as well

as the stack of four plates, suggests she is first and foremost a family woman eager to serve her

loved ones with her “delicious family recipes.”

The spine of the book is a solid fuchsia that matches Hussain’s hijab with the text

“Nadiya’s Kitchen” in the same font as the front. Next to the title in blue is her full name. This is

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notable because it is the only time her last name is written on the entire cover. Because of

Hussain’s fame, her last name simply isn’t necessary to attract attention from the target audience.

The back cover of the book stays consistent with the design on the front: the light blue

background, slightly darker blue and fuchsia sans-serif type with food photography that seems to

coordinate with the pink and blue color scheme as well. The photos of food show a range of

items, from pasta salad to Turkish delights, promising a diverse set of recipes inside and

repeating the sharp top to bottom, left to right composition on the front. Even more, we see

Hussain again, this time holding what looks to be a sandwich, as well as her three children

enjoying what look to be homemade lollipops, further conveying the presence of kid-friendly

recipes inside and the importance of family to Hussain. This is strengthened by the text above the

grid of photos that reads:

FROM BREAKFAST TO DINNERS TO

A CAKE FIT FOR THE QUEEN.
My kitchen is so much more than a room used for cooking or
baking. It’s the place where I cook for sustenance, bake for love,
congregate for company, dance for fun. The exclusive venue for
date night, teatime and after-school tantrums. The place where we
cook together and everyone’s the boss. My kitchen is so much
more than my kitchen. It’s our kitchen.

The language used here reminds consumers that Hussain is like them – a mother and a

wife, cooking for her kids to live, carving out quality time with her husband, quieting tantrums,

and creating a space for the whole family – with a little extra authority after having baked the

Queen’s birthday cake. By looking closely at the front and back covers of Nadiya’s Kitchen, we

can see the balance of celebrity, authority, authenticity, and hominess that Hussain promises her

readers will find when they turn the pages.

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BOOK 3: THE TREND

Breakfast. Supposedly it is the most important meal of the day. And that’s exactly what

the editors of Extra Crispy believe. In 2016, Time Inc. launched Extra Crispy, “a new digital

editorial brand dedicated to obsessively documenting breakfast, brunch and the culture

surrounding it all” (Clinton and Byrd). Using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and live

experiences, Extra Crispy capitalizes on America’s growing breakfast and brunch obsession

putting out “content including recipes, how-tos and hacks, as well as cultural trends, news and

first-person stories with influencers and celebrities” (Clinton and Byrd). When I was gifted

Breakfast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day by a friend, I felt like I was

being given a handbook for posting artsy photos of breakfast food on Instagram.

Approximately two-thirds of the front cover is dedicated to a table-scape of perfectly

baked French toast and its accoutrements photographed from a bird’s eye view. A white angular

serving plate holding several slices that are slathered in jam and sprinkled with confectioners’

sugar takes up the right side of the cover, and next to it is a hexagonal white plate with a partially

eaten French toast slice next to a generous bite of bacon and a blackberry, raspberry, and

strawberry, each of which has an unnatural, mouth-watering shine. This impossibly perfect

looking food serves to remind the consumer that they too can have such beautiful meals if they

buy this book, confirming Berger’s argument about creating envy. The plate is accompanied by a

blue paper napkin and a plastic fork with remnants of French toast on the prongs. On the top, a

cropped image of a pink vessel sits; the nature of this vessel only becomes clear when you notice

its shadow – the shape of a handle – and the small puddle of syrup at its base, suggesting it is a

sticky syrup dispenser. Below the plate sits a cup, filled with an unidentifiable liquid and topped

with a blue and white swirled paper straw.

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Figure 3: Breakfast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day by the editors of Extra Crispy, front and back covers

Under all of this imagery is the title of the book – breakfast – in all lowercase sans-serif

font. The subtitle is typed in all caps with an interesting feature: what is typed says “the most

important book about the most important meal of the day,” but the second “most important” is

crossed out with a line that mimics a red pen, and the word “best” is inserted in red handwriting-

style font.

The composition of this cover is similar to those of the cookbooks discussed above; the

eye moves horizontally, but the title of the book is at the bottom rather than the top or middle.

Instead, the imagery is the primary focus. This reinforces the Instagram style of the cover,

appealing to Millennials and members of Gen Z who might prioritize the way a photo is edited

over an explanation of the photo itself. Even more, by replacing “most important” with “best,”

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the cover is taking advantage of the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day

for our health – something these two generations have been raised to believe – but changing the

emphasis from healthiness to enjoyment. Plus, the red pen style of this correction echoes that of a

graded school assignment, which, for the young target audience might be currently relevant or

was relevant in recent years. All of the imagery and text sits atop a solid pale pink background

that allows the colors of the food to pop, and this continues throughout the spine and back cover.

The spine is simple: the word “breakfast” is typed in all caps in an acrostic layout, taking

up most of the space, leaving room for the logos of Extra Crispy and the publisher. The back

cover balances the front cover with a photo that takes up the majority of the bottom rather than

the top. Here, the imagery is plates of different shapes – a rhombus, a five-point star, and a circle

– with two more cups of unidentifiable liquids and swirled paper straws. The food depicted is

just as brightly saturated as that of the front but displays sunny side up eggs heavily dusted with

cracked pepper, a side of bacon and some form of fried hash brown. To remain even more

consistent with the front, there is a plastic fork with prongs covered in a thin layer of egg yolk as

if it has just broken the perfect circle of the egg next to it. The inclusion of eggs on the back

cover lets the consumer know that this book is not just about sweet breakfasts as its front might

imply, but that it includes recipes for meals that span the sweet and savory spectrum.

Since the authorities of Marcella Hazan or Nadiya Hussain or anyone like them are not

present on this book, the text on the back cover serves to fill that void:

“With this book – compiled, tested, and written by morning meal

geniuses – you can break the code to beautiful sunrise meals. Get
your spatula out, bring those eggs to room temp, crisp some
potatoes, make some waffles…It is time to cook.” – Hugh Acheson
(From the Foreword)

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 Looking at this text, though I do not know who

Acheson is, I can assume that he is credible enough to

write a foreword for a cookbook, and his approval of

the “geniuses” who made this book suggests that I can

trust them. This block of text proves that even the most

visually appealing, Instagram-worthy images need

credibility in order to be sold to cookbook shoppers.

With this, the cover of Breakfast promises its audience

that these showstopping meals are attainable at home,

not just at the trendy brunch spot downtown, and

worthy of our time, money, and effort.

CONCLUSION

Despite their categorical differences, these cookbook covers all include design elements

that serve to promise the consumer a set of primary expectations of the pages within the book.

The composition of each book consists of horizontal Figure 4: cookbook spines

lines that lead the eye from left to right and top to bottom. This logical layout underpins the idea

that the content inside is accessible and easy-to-follow, which is important since cookbooks

“‘demand a certain set of actions, performed in a certain sequence, to produce a certain product’”

(Klein 95). Additionally, the use of color throughout each cover allows the most important

elements to stand out. The contrasting maroon text on a mint-green background of Hazan’s book

brings immediate attention to the name of the book which promises the consumer everything

they need to know to cook Italian food well; the warmth and brightness of Hussain’s presence

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atop a cool-colored, blurred background makes her the most prominent image, putting forth her

status as a celebrity; and the glimmering colors of the food itself on the Breakfast cover call out

the glamour and social media-worthy aspect of the food the consumer can make with this book.

Lastly, one of the most important elements on each cookbook cover is the proof of credibility.

This is a crucial component of cookbooks and has been forever: “While an authentic and

engaging voice is important, perhaps above all, the author must have and project authority, a

thorough knowledge and competency…Without authority, there is no book. Or at least no book

reading – or using for that matter” (Raff). The inclusion of the titles of Hazan’s previous books

on the front cover, as well as the list of praise on the back, reminds the consumer that Hazan is

someone to be trusted when it comes to Italian cooking. Hussain’s note on the back cover that

tells the consumer more about her, especially her experience baking the Queen’s birthday cake,

lets us know she has the kitchen experience to support her recipes. And finally, the excerpt of the

foreword that is printed on the back cover of Breakfast suggests to the consumer that, even if we

don’t know who the editors of Extra Crispy are, someone who is well-respected enough to be

asked to write a foreword trusts them, and therefore, we should too.

Cookbooks are in a unique position, offering their audience the opportunity to attain the

level of glamour and status that comes with creating culinary satisfaction, and it is imperative

that their covers set accurate but enticing expectations of what this experience will entail. With

an understanding of the effects visual elements have on us, we can become more aware, more

critical consumers and make purchasing choices that actually serve us. Even more, working to

recognize the way visuals drive our thoughts and actions – in all aspects of daily life – is an

important step to maintaining our individual autonomy in a world that uses publicity to “mask

and compensate for all that is undemocratic within society” (Berger 149).

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 Works Cited

“About Me.” NadiyaHussain.com https://www.nadiyahussain.com/about-me/

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Chapter 7, pp. 129-155. Penguin Books, 1972.

Clinton, Eric and Emma Byrd. “Time Inc. Launches Extra Crispy, a New Digital Brand
Dedicated to Covering Breakfast, Brunch and the Culture Surrounding It All.” Business
Wire, 2016. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160601005366/en/Time-Inc.-
Launches-Extra-Crispy-a-New-Digital-Brand-Dedicated-to-Covering-Breakfast-Brunch-
and-the-Culture-Surrounding-It-All

Cohn, Jenae. “Understanding Visual Rhetoric.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vol. 3.
Parlor Press LLC, 2020.

Editors of Extra Crispy, The. Breakfast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the
Day. New York, Time Inc. Books, 2018.

Foss, Sonja K. “Rhetorical Schema for the Evaluation of Visual Imagery”. Communication
Studies, Fall 1994/Winter 1995; 45, 3-4.

Hazan, Marcella. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.

Hussain, Nadiya. Nadiya’s Kitchen: Over 100 Simple, Delicious Family Recipes. Illustrated,
Penguin UK, 2016.

Jaine, Tom. “Marcella Hazan obituary.” The Guardian, 2013.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/06/marcella-hazan

Klein, Lauren F. “Satisfaction: Aesthetics, Speculation, and the Theory of Cookbooks.” An

Archive of Taste, University of Minnesota Press, p. 81–108, 2020.

Notaker, Henry. “A History of Cookbooks: Does the Cookbook Have A Future?” UC Press
Blog, University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu/blog/32352/history-
cookbooks-cookbook-future-notaker/

Ottolenghi, Yotam and Tim Hayward. “Does it matter how we use cookbooks?” The Guardian,
2015. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/commentisfree/2015/aug/22/does-it-
matter-how-we-use-cookbooks-prue-leith.

Raff, Joshua. “Cookbooks Are So Much More than Recipes and Photographs.” Literary Hub.
2019. https://lithub.com/cookbooks-are-so-much-more-than-just-albums-of-food/

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Stevens, Ashlie D. “Nadiya Hussain isn't trying to blend into the food world anymore: ‘Why not
just create space?’” Salon, 2020. https://www.salon.com/2020/11/14/nadiya-hussain-
time-to-eat-cookbook-interview/

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