We’re delighted to announce the publication of Cordon Noir – A Survival Guide for Distracted Cooks, a new book by Penny Moon, created in collaboration with Manus AI.
Borrowing its title and tone from classical cookery, Cordon Noir uses the language of the kitchen to explore what happens when something new is quietly coming into being. It is a book about the slow work of preparation — best approached at low heat, and in your own time.
Rather than offering instructions or outcomes, Cordon Noir treats change as a process. Ingredients are assembled, boundaries are respected, heat is applied carefully, and results are allowed to emerge when they are ready. There is no recipe card to follow, only an invitation to stay present with what’s unfolding.
The book began life as a simple storyboard — a kind of mise en place — developed over years of therapeutic practice. Over time, it evolved into a reflective text made up of short passages and symbolic reflections. Readers are encouraged to pause, taste, and return. If nothing seems to be happening, that may be part of the method.
There are no fixed techniques, no promised results, and no pressure to “get it right.” Cordon Noir doesn’t lecture from a distance — it invites the reader into the kitchen.
This book will appeal to:
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Therapists, coaches, and reflective practitioners
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Readers drawn to symbolism, archetype, and metaphor
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Anyone navigating change or uncertainty
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Those who prefer slow reading to quick answers
This is not a book to be devoured.
It is one to simmer with.
Best served slowly. No rushing. No substitutions.
