Cooking and baking book
How did you come up with a cookbook?
Najat: “We started a cooking group on Facebook. That was something we really wanted; building a community and bringing people together. That happened with the Facebook group. Everyone joined en masse and friendships have also emerged. Because we shared a lot of recipes, people asked if it was not time for a website. This way they could quickly access our recipes. A year after the Facebook group, we then set up the website where we share a daily recipe. Now, four years later, we come up with our book. ”
Nadia: “We complement each other very well. Najat is the creative one and I am more the technical. ”
Najat: “She does things I can’t do.”
Nadia: “And vice versa.”
Why is this book so popular, you think?
Najat: “We have been lovingly helping people for years. I think the favor factor is also very high to us. ”
Nadia: “We are a close-knit community for everyone.”
Najat: “What also sets us apart from other cookbooks is the step-by-step photos we have. We explain everything from A to Z. So also how much a sandwich or biscuit weighs. We go into the details and explain everything. This makes it accessible to young and old. And we also see that. For example, we recently received a message from an eight-year-old girl: ‘Hey Kookmutsjes, I tried this recipe from you, all by myself and my mother is very proud of me’. ”
Nadia: “That is great to see. And it looks real then Wow from!”
Najat: “We can also be very creative with the Kookmutsjes. I can make the craziest things and something different every day. That freedom is nice. For that reason we always come up with unique things, such as the Big Mac pizza. Or we combine different cultures, such as the Moroccan and Dutch. People really like that about us, because it is not standard. ”
Cooking caps
Where does the name ‘Cooking caps’ come from?
Nadia: “That’s a funny story. Najat did not agree with that. We were brainstorming a name and came up with a lot of crazy ideas. At one point I suggested the name ‘Cooking caps’. Then she said, ‘No, there will be none of that. We’re really not going to do that. ‘ Apparently she had to sleep on it because the next morning she came to me. The first thing she said was, “Yes, Nadia. This will be it. It will be ‘Cooking caps’. ”
Najat: “In the beginning we had a Facebook group called ‘Najats Keuken’. That was really mine, but Nadia helped me. We also wanted to share recipes on that page, but in the end I told Nadia that I found ‘Najats Kitchen’ too personal. It was mine, but I really wanted to get everyone involved. That is why we decided to come up with a different name that everyone can agree with. ”
Bestseller
Your cookbook is number one in The Bestseller 60. What does that do to you?
Nadia: “I think it’s really incredible.”
Najat: “There are so many emotions going through you. You are super happy and proud. The attention around it is also beautiful. Bookstores are amazed at what happens to them. Everyone comes in. Also people who never go to bookstores, but can now suddenly be found there. That is great fun for us, but also for the bookstores. Also in connection with the corona times it is nice that we can offer something nice and can help. ”
Nadia: “That is also what we want to do. Expand our community and bring more people together. Not only in the Netherlands, but also Belgium and Germany. We want to be the biggest. ”
Sister love
Don’t you ever argue?
Najat: “Yes.”
Nadia: “Sometimes it clashes between us.”
Najat: “But then we always make up for it, because we need each other. Nadia and I really like ‘bitch’ and ‘witch’, but five minutes later when someone needs something, we help each other. As if nothing is wrong. ”
Nadia: “It is wonderful to be able to act like that to your sister. Of course, that wouldn’t be possible against a colleague. ”
Najat: “But we grew up together from an early age. When you saw Najat, you saw Nadia, and vice versa. ”
Nadia: “The love between us is very great.”
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