When Hannah Sunderani, a 2014 graduate of our Public Relations – Corporate Communications program, moved to France six years ago, she thought it would be a great chance to start blogging about being vegan while sharing her recipes and learnings. With her passion for cooking and a desire to start a food blog, Hannah did exactly that and created her blog, Two Spoons. In the four years she spent living in France, she shared her experiences with readers and now, back in Toronto, continues to post recipes and lifestyle content.
Little did Hannah know at the time that starting her blog would ignite even more creative passions that have led her to obtain multiple achievements to date. Not only has she launched a Two Spoons app where users can access her recipes, a meal planner, and create a shareable grocery shopping list, but just this year, she published The Two Spoons Cookbook, which includes over 100 French-inspired vegan recipes.
“Writing a cookbook was a long-term goal of mine. Something I wanted to achieve after my blog gained a strong following. Upon moving home from France, I found a book agent who encouraged me to put together a proposal which we pitched to big publishing firms. Lo-and-behold we got a lot of interest, and I ended up selecting Penguin Canada to move forward with,” she shares.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE TWO SPOONS COOKBOOK
Hannah’s cookbook is greatly inspired by her time in France and the valuable tools she learned there. She shares, “I learned so much about cooking while living in France. I wouldn't be the cook I am today if it weren't for that experience. It honed my cooking skills and encouraged me to cook what's in season. The farmers' market vendors were knowledgeable about their produce with tips for how best to cook certain fruits and vegetables.”
She continues, “Watching the plant-based community take traditional French recipes and veganize them was incredibly inspiring during my time in France. I became really close to the cafe and restaurant owners, putting a vegan spin on French classics like mousse au chocolat or foie gras. Many recipes in the book are inspired by stories from these relationships during my time abroad.”
Upon crafting a proposal and selecting the publishing company, it was time to start writing. Hannah shares that while it usually takes two years to write a cookbook, she had to complete her manuscript in six months, on top of writing content and maintaining her blog. “Writing a cookbook is a beast! It takes a lot of time, energy and resources. From recipe development to recipe testing, writing, food styling and editing. What I didn't expect was the quick turnaround to create all the recipes in the cookbook,” she explains.
Hannah’s attention to detail and creativity shines through her cookbook, which is evident both aesthetically and in the vast array of recipes that fit any occasion. “The goal with all my recipes is to share your favourite dishes, veganized, without compromise on taste,” she says. Readers can find recipes for breakfast and brunch, entrées, desserts, and more – all with a French inspiration. Now a national bestseller, you can find The Two Spoons Cookbook across Canada and the US.
Before creating Two Spoons, Hannah enrolled in the PR program after completing a post-grad in Communications from McMaster University. “My reason for joining this program [at Centennial] was to get more tailored knowledge specifically in Communications and Public Relations, and to use it as a stepping stone to getting a job in PR,” she says. Within the program, she shares creative writing and grammar were some of the key lessons that she still turns to today in her career. “Knowing how to build articles or blog posts focusing on what's most important, simplifying ideas, and general grammatical skills was so influential to my writing skills and ultimately creating blog posts with high traction. I'm really grateful for improving those skills through classes at Centennial.”
Hannah’s introduction to blogging started at Centennial, as she says starting a blog was a recommendation from her instructors when joining the program. “I started a food blog called, Happy Tummy Healthy Body – it was a great introduction to blogging, and I learned so much from that little personal project,” she explains.
One of Hannah’s favourite parts of the program was the event planning, which involved working throughout the semester, leading to something tangible at the end. “It was also a great lesson in teamwork and organization, giving me the courage to pitch to media - which was really helpful when I first started blogging, and I was doing all my own PR,” she adds. Upon graduating in 2014, she worked in PR for Edelman, in addition to a small business in biotech, before starting her business, Two Spoons.
Photo credit: Lauren Miller
“There are so many things that I love about my job! But success doesn’t have to happen overnight, it happens in phases,” Hannah shares. Throughout her career, Hannah has achieved hitting 50K and then 100K followers on Instagram, she had her first magazine feature in Hello Fashion, made her first magazine cover for Simply Gluten-Free Magazine, had her first TV segment on The Doctors and adds that signing her contract with Penguin to write her cookbook, and then holding the first print in her hands, was also a major career highlight.
As for advice for those interested in pursuing PR or who want to build a brand for themselves, Hannah says you do not need to be an expert to get started. “I'm a self-taught cook, photographer, food stylist and blogger. It's been years of learning and growing that has led to the evolvement of my blog and my success. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, there's so much growth to be had in the learning process,” she shares. “One of the most rewarding parts of my job is discovering new avenues for sharing my work – starting with the blog and segwaying into an app and a cookbook. In this day in age, we have so many opportunities for job creation and job growth. It's great for entrepreneurs and creatives to find new mediums that align with their goals and career objectives.”
Congratulations, Hannah, on all of your outstanding accomplishments! If you are interested in discovering more about Hannah’s work, check out the Two Spoons blog or follow along on Instagram @twospoons.ca.
Article by: Alexandra Few
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