Introducing the "Cookvook": Vook Premieres "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen"

Noted Cookbook Author Eric Gower Brings His Modernist Japanese Cuisine to the Vook


EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwire - November 5, 2009) - Vook, the company that blends text and video into an innovative new experience, today announced the arrival of the first "cookvook," "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen," from author Eric Gower.

"The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen" can be streamed from the Web via the Vook Reader, or downloaded to an iPhone/iPod touch from the iTunes App store. This premier cookvook features recipes and professionally shot videos that allow the at-home cook to read along and watch Eric's hands-on guidance for preparing his contemporary Japanese dishes. Readers can read/watch as Eric demonstrates how to prepare dishes like roasted hamachi with a miso-apricot glaze, udon with herby pesto and smoked salmon salad with edamame.

Having lived in Japan for more than fifteen years, Eric has developed an appreciation for minimalist cooking that achieves singular bold flavors. A cooking teacher and private chef, Eric is also the author of three cookbooks. "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen" cookvook features more than a dozen videos of Eric teaching how to prepare dishes and shop for ingredients and guiding readers through his approach to bold Japanese-inspired dishes.

"When Vook approached me about doing the first cookvook, the epiphany was immediate," said Eric Gower. "Integrating written recipes and stories with in-the-kitchen visuals is such a no-brainer way to connect with home cooks everywhere. It's the perfect medium to make hesitant cooks feel more comfortable, because you can SEE how simple the breakaway approach really is, yet still have the written instructions to guide you."

"Launching a cookvook is a natural step for us, and Eric's innovative and inviting style makes him the ideal first cookvook author," said Bradley Inman, CEO and founder, Vook. "A cookvook is able to take written recipes and complement them with an engaging visual component. It's like having a personal chef to guide the home cook in the kitchen, step-by-step."

First introduced in October, Vook offers readers the ability to watch and read works from bestselling authors either on a browser-enabled computer via the Vook Reader, or an iPhone/iPod touch. Most recently, the company announced a partnership with HarperStudio and launched "Crush It!," the first vook from Gary Vaynerchuk. "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen" is Vook's first partnership directly with an author.

You can learn more about Vook and purchase "The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen," for $5.99 at www.vook.com.

About Vook

Vook is an entirely new company and integrated media experience that blends text and video to create robust, rewarding new experiences of the books and authors that readers love. For more information about vooks visit www.vook.com. Vooks are streamed to the browser-based Vook Reader and are also available on the go as a unique mobile application for the iPhone and iPod touch. Vook is based in Emeryville, CA.

Contact Information: CONTACT: Peter Evers or Kasey Fleisher Vook [at] launchsquad [dot] com 415-625-8555