Diane Palliser's cookbook cover

AD Books

We conceive and publish illustrated cookbooks

I am looking for creative designs for the cover of a cookbook celebrating the cooking and sense of hospitality of Diane Palliser, one of the most unique hostesses in Paris. Diane is a Cherokee woman from Savannah Georgia, who married a painter and moved to Paris 25 years ago without speaking a word of French. Ever since she has hosted the most wonderful parties in the city, peopled with the most eclectic mix of friends and celebrities from all over the world, all brought together by her warmth and cooking. She still doesn't speak a word of French and uses her generous cuisine as a way to interact and relate to her Parisian guests. The cookbook aims to celebrate her wild personality, and will contain her best recipes, photos of dishes and parties, but also paintings of her from her husband Anthony Palliser, and testimonies from guests. It will first be published in a limited edition for her 70th birthday in Paris in July.
We have the cover photo, and the title : Cooking for Paris. The tagline is : Savannah hospitality from a tiny kitchen (although that can be removed from the front cover if need be). Her name, Diane Palliser, should also be on the front cover.

I am interested in whatever you have in mind, providing that we use the photo enclosed. Another indication : no eifeel tower or blue white red flags to illustrate Paris. It doesnt have to be used in full page and can be framed if need be. The challenge, in my opinion, is to find a design which modernizes the cover and counterbalances the slightly "quaint" atmosphere of the photo, while staying in line with the intimate, poetic feel and colour palette of the books' contents.
Enclosed : the photo to be used for the cover, either in full page or not, 2 screenshots of the book's Inside contents. Please feel free to contact me for any questions.
The website we have used to raise funds : dianepalliser.com (with more details on the book project).

Whoever wins will be thanked in the book and invited by this wonderful couple to the party of a lifetime in their Paris home !