A podcast for curious writers, readers, and cooks. Episodes provide behind-the-scenes information and stories about how cookbooks get made.
The podcast Everything Cookbooks is created by Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Kate, Kristin, and Molly speak with Maggie Hoffman, host of The Dinner Plan Podcast, about her varied career in food media and what led to her starting her show. Maggie reminiscences about blogging, editing and working at Serious Eats and Epicurious as well as the ever changing landscape of food media. She shares why she began her podcast, the concept behind it and the intimacy allowed by the audio medium. She discusses her hopes and goals for the show, how it relates to her newsletter and the upcoming books and guests she is excited to see featured.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie's newsletter about starting a podcast
How to Battle Kitchen Burnout (And Still Get Dinner on the Table)
5 Spices, 50 Dishes, by Ruta Kahate
Staples + 5, by Tanorria Askew
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Molly and Kristin speak with Corrie Locke-Hardy about their debut cookbook, which pairs their passion for social justice activism and food. Corrie talks about their atypical path towards publication, the unique approaches of their publisher and how the 'figure it out as you go' method worked during the book's creation. Corrie shares how they balanced the various tones of the book, why they focused on the recipes they did, how they worked with the team on its production, distribution, and promotion, and the project they hope to work on in the future.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Corrie Locke
The Washington Women's Cookbook
The Revolution Will Be Well Fed, by Corrie Locke-Hardy
Episode 85: A Juneteenth Cookbook for Kids with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod
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In this first episode of Season 7 Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea sit down to ask the question: What happens when we start with Who instead of Why? They share the readers they had in mind when they wrote their first books and why its important to identify an audience instead of writing to the market. They share a few tips to research such as demographic data, awareness level and niching down as well as the tools and actions that could be helpful when either identifying or building an audience for a project. Finally they introduce a new Everything Cookbooks offering and tease our upcoming slate of new episodes.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Subscribe to our brand new Substack here!
EVCB Community Discount on Substack
Simon Sinek TedX Talk "Start with Why"
Episode 61: Writing a Second Edition with Lukas Volger
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Kate and Kristin discuss all things hybrid publishing with Vasudha Viswanath, the author of The Vegetarian Reset. Vasudha shares a quick rundown of the typical routes of publishing and why she chose to go down the hybrid path. She talks about the pitching process, what partnership publishers cover (and don't), the recipe development steps and how she assembled her creative and publicity team. She describes the part her book plays in her business strategy and her experience learning as she goes in the cookbook community.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Vasudha Viswanath
Episode 40: Snackable Bakes with Jessie Sheehan
Episode 47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
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Andrea leads today's chat about selling a cookbook and all the nitty gritty elements that go into it. Kristin, Molly and Kate share some of their own insights and lessons learned about advances, royalties, contract negotiation, and how to keep the right amount of tension there. They discuss how to gauge the value of your idea, morality clauses and what to look out for when looking over a contract. Finally, they answer a listener SOS and Kate gets the lowdown on the angst of butter measurement.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions:
An Agent Answers: “What Should I Expect for a Cookbook Advance?”
Would You Write a Cookbook for Next to Nothing? by Priya Krishna
The Trouble with Big Deals, by Brooke Warner
“9 Questions For When A Book Publisher Calls”
How to Make Sure Your Cookbook Deal Is Worth It, by Sonya Chopra
The Hidden Risks of Writing a Cookbook by Sierra Tishgart
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Kristin leads today's discussion all about the cookbook proposal, sharing her own first experience with the process. Molly, Kate and Andrea each describe their own firsts as well as how they format their more recent versions. They review all of the elements that go into a proposal, the three vital things to highlight, how long the process can take and how a project can morph as it leads into its first draft. Finally, a listener's salt based SOS leads to many strong opinions and some helpful tips.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Heidi Swanson’s blog post on her cookbook proposal process
Kate Leahy’s blog post on the elements of a cookbook proposal
Katie Parla’s blog post on how to write (and sell) a cookbook proposal
Diane Jacob’s website is also a great resources
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In this repeat episode, Kate and Kristin talk with literary agent Sally Ekus. A lot has changed in Sally's professional life since we last had her on -- the Ekus Group is now part of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, and Sally is a senior agent there. What hasn't changed is the great advice she gives in this episode for emerging cookbook writhers. We talk to Sally about her career path, what she brings to the table for her clients and peek into a day in her life. Sally shares how agents help careers, the key items in a query emails and the homework authors should do before reaching out to agents. Finally, she tells us her thoughts on proposal designs, where voice matters most and the one question she urges potential authors to ask themselves before getting started.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
The Ekus Group
Sally Ekus
Association of American Literary Agents Mentorship Program
The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook
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Molly starts out today's episode with an interview with Rica Allannic, a literary agent with editorial experience. Then, Kristin and Kate share how they've navigated their own agent relationships while Andrea explains how she works without one. We get into the many roles of an agent, how to find the right one and some things to consider at various stages of a cookbook author's career. Finally, Andrea shares a recipe writing tip and Kate lets us know her recent favorite cookbook.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Publisher Marketplace - “Quick Pass” link for $10 day pass
IACP membership for networking
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Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea talk about the idea behind the cookbook. After sharing some shelved ideas of their own, they workshop submissions from listeners to highlight considerations on topic, marketability, expertise and "the hook" for each premise. They brainstorm and discuss structural considerations, format, audience appeal and comp titles to give listeners insights into the vital first step of the book creation process.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 1: Should You Write a Cookbook?
Episode 2: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent? with Rica Allannic
I’ve Made Everything from Gnocchi to Mapo Tofu in My Camper Van’s Kitchen
By Ali Slagle
Episode 50: Telling Your Story in a Chef Cookbook with Vishwesh Bhatt
The Pleasures of Cooking for One
Article about the Ski Town Aprés Ski Cookbook success
Association for Dressing and Sauces
Cooking for One by Judith Jones
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We've noticed that 'burnout' is seeming more and more prevalent these days so Kate, Kristin, Molly and Andrea are using the final episode of Season 6 to speak all about it. They discuss how to identify it, how it manifests for each of them and share some ideas on what to do about it. They speak about how the blending of life and career as freelancers can exacerbate feelings of constantly being 'on', perfectionism and excessive people pleasing along with the pressure to constantly be creating content. They talk about some of the ways they notice burnout looming and the 'rebellious' activities, tips and resources they use to combat it. See you in the Spring for Season 7!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Molly speak with photographer Clay Williams about the financial realities and logistics around cookbook photography. Clay shares what he wishes authors knew before embarking on the photography portion of their book and what spurred his viral Thread about the finances behind photoshoots. He speaks about assuming the role of project manager, unexpected expenses, his typical workflow and the essential roles on a set. He shares why he continues to be interested in cookbook photography, his artistic approach to projects and what has and hasn't changed about the industry since he started.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Clay Williams
Episode 41: Writing a Bestselling Cookbook in Your 80s with Emily Meggett and Kayla Stewart
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Molly and Kristen speak with Jenny Rosenstrach about her family focused approach to food writing. She talks about her long running dinner diary, how her first book was a real time project and what went behind the decision to continue working around that theme. She explains why she includes a 'hook' in her recipes and how she landed on her unique recipe structure as well as the idea of a 'text test' for writing instructions. She shares her approach to recipe development, how she's built an audience with her relatable, inviting voice and the reasoning behind her relaxed approach to photography. Finally she tells us the book she will never write and leaves us with a bit of advice for aspiring food writers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Jenny Rosenstrach
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Kate and Kristin speak with Nicola Lamb her debut cookbook, Sift, and writing the book you want to read. Nicola talks about her passion for baking, learning and teaching before diving into the book creation process. She shares the lengthy proposal writing process, working from her Substack and a post-it wall, the importance of trusting your team and the resources she used while writing. She also speaks on the differences in releasing a book in the US versus the UK, some insights into the Americanization of the project and some astute advice for enjoying the everyday process.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Nicola Lamb
Episode 74: Crafting a Drinks Book with Danny Childs
Episode 102: Lara Hamilton of Book Larder
Episode 31: Catch an Agent's Attention with Sally Ekus
Episode 94: Insights from Literary Agent Lori Galvin
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Molly and Andrea speak with Joe Yonan, the Food and Dining Editor at the Washington Post, about his new book, Mastering the Art of Plant Based Cooking. As they discuss the idea behind creating an authoritative resource, Joe explains why he wanted to write this particular book and concentrate on this topic as a cuisine instead of a lifestyle choice. He shares why he wanted to shift the narrative around this often polarizing topic and how he used his lifetime of experience and expertise to create it. We get a behind the scenes glimpse into its creation including project management, recipe testing, time management and cover process as well as how he went about creating a consistent voice with multiple contributors.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Joe Yonan
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Kate and Andrea speak with the editor in chief of New York Times Cooking, Emily Weinstein, about all things recipe writing and recipe curation for the new book Easy Weeknight Dinners. They chat about what makes a great recipe, what are missteps, if there is a formula and all the formatting considerations involved in writing recipes. Emily talks about curating this collection, the idea behind the book, avoiding 'dull and dutiful recipes' and why they decided to bring the NYT comment section into print form. Finally, she shares her thoughts on upcoming home cooking trends and a quick tease of future projects.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Emily Weinstein
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Happy New Year! Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea take a look at the past year in cookbooks and share their thoughts on the trends they predict for 2025. They discuss how the pandemic affected the cookbook market, how they see production costs and finances changing and share some insights from editors and agents about what publishers are looking for in 2025 (hint: platform!). They talk about speciality markets, single subject expertise, branded and restaurant books before sharing a few teasers of our upcoming season.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
110: Sarah Fennel on bringing an online platform to the page
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Kate and Molly speak with blogger, writer and MasterChef alum Hetal Vasavada about her atypical career journey. She shares stories and lessons learned from her time on the tv show, how she got around the limits of her contract after it aired and why it was important to foster a community. Hetal talks about the differences between book one and book two, the advice she got during recipe development and how she learned food photography skills to shoot her own books before diving into the design process. She discusses working with the designer, choosing a title, her unique brand of flavor combinations that yields dishes that have minimal effort but maximum payoff and leaves us with a few of her ideas for book number three.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Hetal Vasavada
Would You Write a Cookbook for Next to Nothing?
Milk & Cardamom Linen Collaboration at Kaapus Co.
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Today things get a little bit spicy and steamy as Kate and Molly speak with debut romance writer Sarah Chamberlain. Sarah shares her experience working to "American-ize" foreign cookbooks and how she brought that food world expertise to her fiction writing. She discusses stepping into the romance world (reading and writing), the inspirations for her novel and how she landed on the cookbook details that were central to the plot and character development. Finally, she talks about the role food can play in fiction and where she sees this done well before giving us a sneak peak at her next book and some advice she has for aspiring writers in the food world.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 63: On Rejection and Recovery
Sarah Chamberlain
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Kristin, Andrea and special co-host Elsa chat with Priya Krishna about her fresh and unique kid's cookbook 'Priya's Kitchen Adventures'. Priya talks about approaching this project without kids of her own and why she wanted to create a physical book instead of going the video/social media route. She shares how writing for kids made her a better recipe developer, how she decided on the format, recipe titles, difficulty levels and cuisines to highlight while Elsa talks about the specifics she appreciated and enjoyed in the book. We learn about the recipe testing process and photoshoot that both involved kids and Priya talks about how she fit writing this book in with her New York Times work. Finally, she talks about the different approach to promotion that this called for and why she feels this may be her last cookbook, though hopefully not her last book.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Priya Krishna
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Kristin, Molly and Kate chat all about that often dreaded activity, networking. They talk about the stressors involved, their individual approaches and what they focus on to build relationships and why re-framing these as learning opportunities can help with imposter syndrome. They discuss some specific resources and advice along with some personal experiences that they've learned from to build a community of mutual support before ending with their Thanksgiving plans and traditions.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
"How to Network When You're an Introvert" by Kristin Donnelly
Episode 107: Caroline Choe on Banchan
Episode 32: Co-Authoring Cookbooks with JJ Goode
Episode 106: Caroline Chambers on Building a Substack Platform
How to be a Cookbook Author Facebook Group
The American Institute of Wine & Food
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Kate and Kristin speak all things platform building and content creation with Sarah Fennel as we learn what should come first, the audience or the book? Sarah shares her definition of 'content', her path from hobbyist blogger to business owner and what areas she focused on on to build her platform. She speaks about tipping points in her career, how she balances creating persona forward vs food forward content and why she decided now was the best time to write a cookbook. Finally, she talks about shooting the photos for the book, working with her team and leaves us with some wise and inspiring advice and a hint into what she is working on next.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Sarah Fennel
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Molly speak about the newest release from America's Test Kitchen "When Southern Women Cook" with its editor, Morgan Bolling, and its forward writer, Toni Tipton-Martin. This is a newer format for ATK so Morgan and Toni share its journey from idea to publication, where the concept and title came from and how late night conversations inspired its creation. They talk about working with a historical consultant, the process of balancing over 300 recipes with all of the contributing essays and how it was almost split into two volumes. They share the lessons learned for the future, how investigative curiosity is involved in both recipe development and story writing and the pride they felt in bringing the expertise of so many individuals to this project.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
We're pleased to share our very first live show with all of our listeners! Kate, Andrea and Kristin spoke with Toriano Gordon and Anna Voloshnya at the Napa Valley Cookbook Fest earlier this year where they spoke about their individual cookbook journeys and career paths, the challenges that came with their projects and the ways the process felt fulfilling. They share their goals of representing and sharing the people, places and culture they came from, the importance of community and all about recipe creation, writing and naming. Finally they share a few instances of editorial pushback, their cover stories and the one question they encourage aspiring authors to ask themselves before starting their own cookbook journey.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 25: Inside a Ukrainian Kitchen with Anna Voloshyna
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Kristin and Kate speak with chef, artist, teacher and writer Caroline Choe about her debut cookbook, Banchan. Caroline shares her career journey and how her teaching experience and art background informs her work today. After a confluence of events caused her to declare that she was quitting the industry, ultimately she was hired to write this cookbook and brought her personal story, family recipes and illustration skills into the project. She talks about the importance of including family photos, not compromising on the title and jumping into the brand new experience of a cookbook photoshoot as well as her dedication to prioritizing working with women and the AAPI community.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Caroline Choe
Episode 63: On Rejection and Recovery
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Molly and Andrea speak with Substack's number one food and drink writer, Caroline Chambers, about her experience building a successful following that led to the release of her new cookbook, What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking. Caroline shares how the pandemic spurred her shift from freelance recipe developer to newsletter writer in spite of past rejections of her cookbook proposal. She talks about her ethos, writing voice, building an audience, why she prioritizes instruction and how she balances realism and professionalism within the newsletter along with the most important piece of advice she has for aspiring platform builders.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Caro Chambers
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Kate and Molly speak about cookbook clubs and career shifts with debut author Bebe Carminito. Bebe shares what inspired her love of food and her various career changes, from makeup artist to pastry assistant to food stylist to cookbook author. She followed her curiosity, gathering contacts, classes and experience over the years which eventually led to a beautiful full circle moment with this book, The Curated Board. She talks about starting a cookbook club and how that led to joining, or starting, four others as well as the ins and outs of running them and what grabs her attention when selecting a title. She discusses the experience of styling her own book, working with her photographer and with contributors for the book's recipes before leaving us with some truly inspirational advice.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Bebe Carminito
Balcony People by Joyce Landorf Heatherley
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Molly and Kate dive back into the topic of cookbook reviews as they chat with Leslie Brenner, an experienced critic, journalist, editor and consultant in the food media space. Leslie shares how she got into food writing, the inspiration and motivation behind her website and why she focuses on the home cook. She speaks on the mental and physical toll of restaurant reviewing and why she sees cookbook reviews as important before explaining her process and the mechanics involved as well as the rule she abides by while bringing a critical eye to the work. She talks about the role voice plays, the red flags she looks for and what she wishes authors would do before sharing the upcoming cookbook trends and titles she is excited to see in the marketplace.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Leslie Brenner
Episode 84: Do We Need Cookbook Reviews?
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Molly and Kate speak with Betty Liu about the process of creating her second cookbook which she photographed while juggling a demanding day job. She shares how she ventured into the cookbook sphere from her career in wedding photography, blogging and surgical residency as well as where the idea for her first book came from. She talks about why she wanted to showcase Shanghainese food, why she focuses on cooking authentic, not traditional, food and how she incorporates medical school's "see one do one teach one" approach into her books. With her skilled eye for design she was deeply involved in the visual aspects of the book, photographing it all herself, and she talks about the importance of the linguistic and illustration elements to make this the exact book she wanted to write.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Betty Liu
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Molly and Kate speak with Lara Hamilton, the owner of Book Larder Seattle's community cookbook store. Lara shares the motivations behind opening the store, why Seattle was the perfect base and how she sees the connection between food and books. We learn the origins behind the name, location and design of the store as well as some behind the scenes insights into ordering, event planning and curating its unique selection. Lara talks about her thoughts on trends, author platforms and building a space that is a must stop on author tour before revealing her most anticipated Fall titles.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Book Larder
Book Larder Podcast: Molly Stevens
Book Larder Podcast: Kate Leahy
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We're back and starting off Season 6 with grab bag of topics with all our hosts. Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea discuss the pros and cons of the (potentially overfull) Fall cookbook season and how to emotionally prepare but keep expectations realistic on pub day while prioritizing celebration. We share our insights and experiences on contracts, printed errors, correction pages and wade into some existential territory as we discuss optional ingredients in recipe writing before diving back into one of our favorite topics, platform. Finally, we talk about the the current cookbook trends we're loving, upcoming releases we're looking forward to and court some potential controversy with our thoughts on pumpkin spice.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
The Bojon Gourmet Pumpkin Spice Mix
Cookbook Chronicles: The Science and Art and of Recipe Development, by Martin Sorge
If Desired, by Joy Manning
The Truth About Platform, by Kathleen Schmidt
52: Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts and Letters
100: Advice from Our Listeners and Season 5 Wrap-Up
42: How to Write Recipe Titles
93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson
69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
To close out Season Five and celebrate 100(!) episodes, we're sharing some advice, tips and ideas from our listeners for our listeners. Molly, Andrea, Kate and Kristin discuss some of the terrific insights that our listeners have submitted to help aspiring cookbook authors and share their own thoughts on topics like: writing classes, caring the most for your project, the inevitable "dip" in the process, headnote workflow, photography ROI, self-editing and two-book deals.
Thanks so much for joining us for 100 episodes! We'll be back with Season 6 soon!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 29: Finding Your Voice with Tori Ritchie
Episode 15: Will Write for Food with Dianne Jacob
Episode 02: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent?
Episode 82: Craft Books for Cookbook Writers
Episode 01: Should You Write a Cookbook?
Episode 18: Pro Tips from Cookbook Critic Paula Forbes
Episode 88: On Being a First-Time Cookbook Author with Michelle Braxton
Episode 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen
Episode 94: Insights from Literary Agent Lori Galvin
Episode 27: When Less is More: Ali Slagle on the Art of Short Recipes
Episode 63: On Rejection and Recovery
Episode 93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson
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Molly and Kate speak with two members of the cookbook indexing website Eat Your Books team; Jane Kelly, co-founder and CEO and Jenny Hartin, Director of Publicity. Jane shares where she got the idea to create the website, the way it works and how its grown since its inception with now over 2.5 million recipes indexed. We learn how vital the community experience of the site is and ways authors can use the site in their own work. Jenny talks about the various indexing issues that can arise, the benefits to the manual process, how she chooses which of the myriad of releases to highlight and a peek into the EYB/publisher relationship. They both share how this is still a passion of theirs, what books they've been cooking from lately and the titles they are excited about this fall. Stick around for an exclusive promo code for EVCB listeners to try out Eat Your Books for themselves!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Recipe Tin Eats by Nagi Maehashi
A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater
Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho
Open Wide by Benny Blanco
Desi Bakes by Hetal Vasavada
Cook Simply, Live Fully by Yasmin Fahr
Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi
Chicano Bakes by Esteban Castillo
Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez
Milk and Cardamom by Hetal Vasavada
Kate and Andrea chat with Singapore based cookbook author Chris Tan about his new book, Nerd Baker 2 and his publishing process. He shares why he wanted to revisit the world of Nerd Baker, how he keeps international readers in mind while writing and how his experience as a cooking instructor informs his work. He talks about the climate obstacles he had while writing and photographing, where his research led him and why he seeks to demystify instructions for his readers and how he goes about doing it. Finally, he shares insights into his social media approach and how his books get internationally distributed along with a few wise words of advice.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Nerd Baker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies by Chris Tan
Nerd Baker by Chris Tan
The Way of Kueh by Chris Tan
Chinese Cooking Demystified: Sourdough Youtube video
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Kate and Kristin tackle the topic of cookbook collaboration as they chat with Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine about their new book, Hot Sheet. Olga and Sanaë share a bit about their career paths, where the inspiration for this book came from and why partnering on it was the best way to go. They speak about the strengths and expertise each brought to the project, why they focused on sheet pans and go into the nitty gritty of how they worked together. Hint: spreadsheets! They talk about the recipe creating and testing process, the pre-work steps they took before embarking on the projects and advice they'd give to others interested in starting their own creative partnerships.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kate speak with the owners of Los Angeles based cookbook store Now Serving, Ken Concepcion and Michelle Mungcal, about the crucial role that niche independent bookstores play in the marketplace. Ken shares how his chef background informed his love of cookbooks and led to opening the store and Michelle talks about curating their space to create a specific atmosphere for their community. They speak about what titles they choose to carry, their thoughts on event formats and release schedules along with the obstacles that arise in the retail space and the ones that come with running a small business. Finally, they discuss their thoughts on self published projects and promote their new cookbook club.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Plantasia: A Vegetarian Cookbook Through Asia by Pamelia Chia
Tacos CDMX by Guia Domingo
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Kate, Kristin and Molly venture back into the user experience arena as they discuss recipe presentation in cookbooks. They highlight the need for this section to delight not distract and prioritize form over function as well as the need to write with a specific audience in mind. They discuss their thoughts as a consumer and developer on elements like: ingredients, equipment, serving size, prep time, method, sub-recipes, headnotes and bursts. Finally, they share their advice for recipe developers on things to think through and ways to research to bring clarity and individuality to their own work.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 91: The UX of Cookbook Design
Episode 28: All About Headnotes
Episode 42: How to Write Recipe Titles
Episode 24: Genius Recipes with Kristin Miglore
Episode 59: Lerato Umah-Shaylor on Africana
Episode 33: Becoming the Writer You Want to Be with Andy Baraghani
Episode 93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson
Episode 88: On Being a First-Time Cookbook Author with Michelle Braxton
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate, Kristin and Molly speak with agent Lori Galvin about her long career in the food media space. She shares what spurred her decision to move on from editorial work and how agenting required on the job learning and an entrepreneurial approach. She talks about learning to trust in her own taste, why she enjoys working with both fiction and non-fiction titles and the changes she is seeing in the cookbook sphere. After touching on proposals, comp titles and platform building, Lori gives some advice to authors looking for their own agents and what she in particular looks for in an book.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 76: Totally Achievable Zero Waste Cooking with Irene and Mei Li
Sh*t no one tells you about writing article on Query Manager (scroll down)
Kristin Donnelly's mini-course about finding an agent
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kate talk with prolific writer Bee Wilson about her new cookbook, The Secret of Cooking. Bee explains how she uses her past experience as an academic in her food writing to showcase its breadth beyond restaurants and recipes and what inspired her to write this cookbook. She shares why she settled on a thematic structure for the book, the recipe writing and testing process along with her varied influences and resources. She talks about bringing the joy back into cooking and why she believes that the golden age of home cooking is still to come.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Bee Wilson
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly speak with Ruth Reichl, an icon and authority in the food media world, about her breadth of writing experience - restaurant reviews, cookbooks, memoirs, articles and even tweets- and her new book, The Paris Novel. Ruth shares why food is a universal framework, her inspirations for this novel and the process of working with a new editor. She talks about being a "writer who hates writing" and how this process differed from others as well as how she accesses memories to include specificities in her scenes. Finally, she shares her advice to push into the unknown and what she is working on next.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Ruth Reichl
"Why I Disapprove of What I Do" by Ruth Reichl
Tumbleweed at Shakespeare and Company
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Kristin, Molly and Kate tackle cookbook design from a usability perspective. They point out design decisions that authors should consider: packaging and cover design, typeface and font legibility, photographs on matte vs gloss paper and much more. They share their own opinions, experiences and preferences on the elements that enhance or detract from a user's experience of the book and, because there's much more to say on the topic, tease a part two.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
83: A Niche Cookbook That Sold 350K+ Copies with Shelly Worcel
47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald
66: Becoming Your Own Publisher with Katie Parla
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Molly speak with cookbook author Phoebe Lapine about finding pleasure in restrictive diets and her new cookbook, Carbivore. Phoebe shares what led her down a food focused career path, how she learned while blogging and how a health diagnosis pulled her down a different path than originally planned. She talks about writing recipes that keep comfort and pleasure in mind, synthesizing data to communicate science to her reader and why her driving force is "healthy hedonism". She also discusses the concept of a "search term book", the importance of sub-titles and how she balanced blogging, social media and marketing while writing the book.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Phoebe Lapine
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Molly and Kristin speak with Sarah Kwak, a senior editor at Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins, to find out what the editing process is like. Sarah shares how she ended up at her current role, the focus Harvest has for cookbooks and what authors should keep mind regarding their proposal assembly before submission. She discusses her thoughts on comp titles, overcoming past book sales, multifaceted ways to grow a platform and what compels her to spend over two years working on a specific project. Finally, she talks about trends in the food world, the changes in the economy of publishing and her advice along with the books she is excited to release this year.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Kate discuss author Michelle Braxton's turbulent publishing journey for her new book, Supper with Love. She shares the story behind the "organic" growth of her food career, how she balances social media creation, blogging and book writing with a separate full time career and how the book idea came about. She talks about committing firmly to the book's concept, why she chose her publisher and the tumultuous publishing process that include her editor leaving and the imprint closing. Finally, she discuses who her audience is, why she creates the sorts of recipes she does and her tips and advice for aspiring authors.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Michelle Braxton
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Kate and Kristin speak with Kathleen Schmidt, an industry veteran with years of experience in editing, publishing, marketing and public relations and now author of the newsletter Publishing Confidential. Kathleen shares her extensive career path, what her focus is as a freelancer and the origins of her newsletter along with what keeps her writing. She talks about the differences between marketing and PR, her dedication to an author centric approach and walks listeners through a hypothetical scenario of book promotion. Finally, she discusses what authors should focus on, thoughts on Authors Equity, the idea of a digital surrogate and her current course offerings dedicating to help author demystify their publishing experience. - Please excuse the audio quality in this one!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Kathleen Schmidt
"Book Publishing is Broken" post
"Why Authors Equity Will Work" post
Episode 31: Catch an Agent's Attention with Sally Ekus
The Department of Salad Substack
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly speak with Lelani Lewis, a London born food stylist and culinary activist of Grenadian and Irish heritage now based in Amsterdam. Lelani shares how homesickness spurred her into a culinary career through pop-ups, where the idea for her debut cookbook came from as well as why she chose this title. She speaks about her desire to share the colorful, diverse nature of Caribbean food alongside its dark history and what she hopes readers will get from reading her book. She talks about working with a Dutch publisher, the unique editing and translation process, how she settled on her final recipe list and her ambitious new project.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Lelani Lewis
Using food as a tool to reconcile history | Lelani Lewis | TEDxAmsterdamSalon
Episode 25: Inside a Ukrainian Kitchen with Anna Voloshyna
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Molly and Kristin dive into the territory of kid-lit in this talk with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod, authors of The Juneteenth Cookbook. Alliah and Taffy discuss how they both got involved with the project, how they worked together and the goal they had of bringing the celebration of Juneteenth to life with food, history and family activities. They talk about the family representation in the book, the recipe development process and what went into all the extras inside. Alliah and Taffy both speak about tapping into their inner child while writing, what it was like working with their illustrator and the plans they have for the upcoming book tour.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
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Molly, Kristin, Andrea and Kate tackle the topic of cookbook criticism, spurred on by recent online conversations. They discuss what it could look like, its importance and what the lack of rigorous criticism means for cookbook publishing. They talk about the unique obstacles to reviewing cookbooks, the elements reviews should highlight and why we need to be wary of echo chambers. Our hosts speak on the idea that this genre isn't taken as seriously as others, what that means for cookbook quality and share what they specifically want to see in a good cookbook.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Cookbooks And Criticism by Tim Mazurek
Cooks Without Borders by Leslie Brenner
Where the Heck Is All the Cookbook Criticism? by Paula Forbes
A Wine Guide for a Changing World (for Better and for Worse) in NYT
Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman
Episode 49: Cookbook Media Coverage with Bonnie Benwick
Kitchen Bookshelf on Instagram
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Kristin and Molly speak with author and blogger Shelly Worcel about breaking into speciality markets and writing niche, single subject cookbooks. Shelly speaks about growing her skills while blogging, how she was tapped to write her highly successful second book, and how her open mindset allowed a natural escalation of her brand and career. She shares the pitching process, how photography and styling fits into her workflow and how she is able to keep each new project fresh. She talks about marketing her books as "gifts", how she keeps merchandising in mind during the writing and the upcoming project she is concentrating on now.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Shelly Worcel
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Kate talks with Kristin, Molly and Andrea about the challenges faced when beginning a writing career and the resources they use to help improve their writing skills. They discuss which interest came first, the writing or the food, how reading with a critical eye can help one move beyond the basics and why it is vital to always keep the reader at the forefront. They each share the specific books and tools they turn to for guidance, inspiration and exploration as they constantly look to advance their craft.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
The Complete Recipe Writing Guide
Recipes Into Type (Out of Print)
Episode 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen
Episode 15: Will Write for Food with Dianne Jacob
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To mark our 2 year anniversary, we're re-releasing our very first episode!
Kate leads today's discussion on the most important question to ask before you sit down to write your cookbook: Should you write a cookbook? Molly, Andrea and Kristin share their individual journeys as authors and provide some insights into what goes on behind the decision to move forward with a project. They chat about the importance of hustle, platform and studying the elements in your favorite cookbooks as well as some of the books they decided against creating. Finally, Molly shares a Tip of the Week and Andrea lets us know which cookbook has captured her attention lately.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions:
Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks website
Susan Chang's Podcast: The Level Teaspoon
The New York Times Magazine article about why dictionaries are valuable
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Andrea, Molly, Kristin and Kate sit down to wrap up another incredible season of the show: taking listener questions, highlighting our top takeaways and hinting at the upcoming Season 5. They discuss how they individually approach recipe testing, what they learned about community this season and take time to celebrate the recent World Central Kitchen fundraiser and the evolution of our Insider Series. Thank you for your support and stay tuned for future episodes in the coming weeks!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 16: Listener Questions: Recipe Testing, Family Cookbooks, Agents, and Should I Use a Scale?
Episode 72: Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous on Co-Authoring Scandinavian From Scratch
Episode 36: Celebrating Colombia with Mariana Velásquez
Episode 74: Crafting a Drinks Book with Danny Childs
Episode 79: Collaborating with Family on a Cookbook with the Wang Sisters
Episode 73: Writing For the Culture with Klancy Miller
Episode 77: Politics, Food and Cooking with Clarissa Wei
Episode 76: Totally Achievable Zero Waste Cooking with Irene and Mei Li
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Kate speak with cookbook author Adeena Sussman about her career, her new book and what its like working with Chrissy Teigen. A self described "late bloomer" Adeena shares her experience collaborating on over a dozen books, how she got her start and what she learned on the job as she hustled her way into food media. She talks about how she sees herself and her audience, what shabbat means to her and how she views social media recipe development. Finally, she discusses the value she sees in book events, how she stays organized and what her next book is about.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Adeena Sussman
The Little Rituals That Keep Us Going - The New York Times
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Molly and Kristin speak with the Wang sisters, Stéphanie, Patricia Ho-Yi and Caroline, about their new cookbook, Asian Vegetables and its recently released English edition. They discuss how the idea for the book came about and how they decided to tackle it as a team using their various skill sets as a gardener, dietician and musician. They share their collaboration process, how they divided the labor and what themes they were passionate about including in this all-in-one gardening guide, memoir and cookbook. They talk about crafting one voice, the translation process and design choices including a special connection with their photographer as well as how working on this during the height of the pandemic brought them closer as sisters.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Asian Vegetables (French Version)
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Molly and Kate discuss serialized cookbooks with author and professor, Darra Goldstein. Darra explains how the idea for the series came about, how the writing team was assembled and the inspirations behind the project. She shares the obstacles that arose as they released two books at once, as well as the relentless schedule this involved. Finally, she speaks on the necessity of switching up her writing voice from academic to author, the hurdles of the design process and where the next installments are in the pipeline.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Darra Goldstein
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Andrea and Molly talk with Taipei-based journalist and author, Clarissa Wei about her debut cookbook, Made in Taiwan and the inclusion of politics in food writing. Clarissa speaks about her career's origins and how her frustration with the outdated coverage of Taiwanese food in media compelled her to write this book. She shares how her journalistic background informed the project, how she worked with the various members of her team and her strategy for weaving in the history with the technical side of cooking. She discusses how she used her writing voice in this format and what she hopes to work on in the future.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Clarissa Wei
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Kate and Kristin speak with sisters Margaret and Irene Li about their new book, Perfectly Good Food, and the concepts of shopping your kitchen and foraging your fridge. They discuss the idea behind the book, how they approached its unique structure and landed on its fun, friendly tone and created its flexible recipes. They share how they divided the work of writing and what is next for them.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Food Waste Feast on Instagram
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In our last episode of 2023, Kate, Kristin and Molly discuss food trends and how they apply to the cookbook world. Whether it's butter boards, nacho tables, "girl dinner" or baked potato bars these stunt foods can loom large yet die quickly in the public consciousness. They discuss ideas on identifying trends, how to capitalize on them and the importance of keeping a variety of demographics in mind when working on "trendy" topics. Finally, we list some things we're looking forward to in 2024.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Kristin Donnelly's Cookbook Proposal Class
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Kristin and Molly speak with Danny Childs about his new beverage book, Slow Drinks; its origination, proposal stages and how the pandemic affected its creation. Danny shares his background in ethnobotany, how he altered his writing voice from academic to narrative and the process of making these recipes adaptable to non-local foraging readers. He talks about the book's photography, illustration and design process, the books that inspire him and the new business venture he is starting.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Danny Childs / Slow Drinks Instagram
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Kate and Kristin speak with Klancy Miller about her magazine and upcoming book: For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food. She speaks about writing the book she wanted to read when she was younger, how the idea came about and how events in 2020 influenced it. She shares how it evolved from proposal to book, why she included recipes and the ups and downs of its interview format. Finally, she talks about the decision to use illustrations, her self-funded book tour and what is next for her personally and professionally.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Klancy Miller
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Kate and Molly get into the nitty gritty of collaborations with Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous as they discuss their new book, Scandinavian From Scratch. They share how the book came about, how they began to work together and the process they followed so each could bring their own strengths to the project. They talk about the book's unique organization, creating a writing voice, the on-location photography shoot and the most difficult part of the entire process before sharing a few final words of advice for anyone looking to establish their own successful writing partnership.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Scandinavian from Scratch by Nichole Accettola
My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Camara and Malena Watrous
If You Follow Me by Malena Watrous
Kate and Kristin speak with Ara Zada all about content creation and becoming a social media influencer. Ara shares his decision to pursue a large following and grow his platform as well as how a health scare motivated this choice. He describes a day in his life and the full time requirements of this work as well as the mental toll it can take due to its instant nature, algorithm changes, comments, trolls, monetization strategies and banned content. He talks about the inter-relatedness of his book to his online presence, how he evolves his content over time and a sneak peek into what he is working on next.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Ara Zada
A journey to Armenia through food: The Armenian bread that’s at the heart of every meal
Kristin and Molly speak with Sara Calvosa Olsen about her new cookbook, Chími Nu’am and its inspiration, creation and message. Sara shares her food writing journey, thoughts on the title and cover and how the pandemic altered the book's approach and voice. She discusses why she calls it "an inconvenient cookbook" and what it was like working with her publisher and learning photography for its images. Finally, she talks about the best advice she received, the concept she returns to in times of doubt and the themes she wants to communicate with this work.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Sara Calvosa Olson
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Molly and Kate speak with writer Amy Thielen about her new cookbook, Company; its menu format, its inspiration and how its voice differs from her earlier works. She describes confronting her own created persona, why she feels it is important to highlight the bittersweetness in life, and who she writes for. She also discusses the delays with this book, working with her editor, stylist, and photographer, as well as her system for recipe writing, tracking, and testing. Finally, she shares her intimate approach to food writing and what she is working on now.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Amy Thielen
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Molly and Kristin talk with Tuscany based blogger, teacher and cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia about the concept of cucina povera and creating a community in two languages. She shares her career journey, the differences in publishing in Italy versus the U.S. and how her passion for writing and cooking developed hand in hand. She speaks on the recipe testing process, her translation method, dealing with one star reviews and the version of Italy that was important for her to showcase in this book.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Giulia Scarpaleggia
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Kristin and Kate speak with food columnist and author, Sandra Gutierrez, about her career path and her newest cookbook Latinísimo, an almost 600 page tome about the cuisines of 21 Latin American countries. She shares her love of challenges, what its like working with a university press and why she wanted to write this specific book. She discusses behind the scenes experiences of proposal writing, recipe creation, research, photography, unexpected hiccups and more before sharing some final advice for aspiring writers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Sandra Gutierrez
Episode 31: Catch an Agent's Attention with Sally Ekus
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Kate and Molly discuss all things self-publishing with writer, tour guide and (new) publisher, Katie Parla. She shares what motivated her to do some data investigation into her previous cookbooks and ultimately how she decided to start her own publishing company for her newest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands. She talks about lessons learned, experiences with finding and working with her self assembled team and what is next for Parla Publishing. Listen for her thoughts on touring smaller cities, her recipe development process and why she encourages aspiring authors to nerd out on the numbers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Katie Parla
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Kate, Molly and Kristin speak with fellow podcaster Brian Hogan Stewart, of the Salt & Spine podcast. They chat about his career path, the origins of the show and how it has evolved since it began. Brian shares how his journalistic background and love of cookbooks led him to podcasting, how he learned the technical side of things and how he fits it all in his busy schedule. Finally, he describes what goes into a good interview, shares some advice for aspiring podcasters and also what kind of shows he hopes to hear in the future.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Brian Hogan Stewart
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We are kicking off Season 4 with an episode dedicated to listener questions. Molly, Kate, Andrea and Kristin share their insights on everything from time management, "the cool kids club", design planning, building brand awareness and their love for librarians.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Publishing Confidential Substack
Episode 38: Finding Your People with Carla Lalli Music
Episode 49: Cookbook Media Coverage with Bonnie Benwick
Episode 55: Making a Documentary-Style Cookbook with Matt Rodbard
Episode 11: Understanding Cookbook Design with Alice Chau
Bad on Paper Podcast: How Libraries Work
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Today all four hosts sit down to discuss the realities of rejection. They share their own experiences with being turned down along with advice and tips on how to turn that into a learning strategy. They talk about what to keep in mind while waiting for responses, the pain of silent rejections and how they deal with negative comments and bad reviews. Finally, they encourage writers to know their "why", ask questions, build community and to become experienced instead of embittered (with a dash of rejection revenge!).
Everything Cookbooks will be back in October with more episodes!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman
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Molly and Kate talk with Martha Holmberg, author and former publisher and food editor, about writing single subject cookbooks. She describes her career journey, how she decided to write her first cookbook and what the greatest job of her life was. She shares how her voice and style has evolved, how to make a deep dive into a subject feel complete and the way she switches from editorial brain to writer brain. Finally she talks about the experience writing solo vs. as a co-author and the tip she wants each home cook to do.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Martha Holmberg
Fifty Shades of Pâté: New Cookbooks
Michael Ruhlman: The Art of the Single-Subject Cookbook
Accused, Yes, but Probably Not a Killer by Harold McGee
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Kate and Molly talk with cookbook author Lukas Volger about his career, writing journey and the process of creating a second edition. Lukas shares how he got his start in the food writing world, his experience in publishing industry and the easter eggs he includes in each of his books. He describes where the idea for a second edition of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way came from, how he approached it and what he learned from revisiting his work thirteen years later.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Lukas Volger
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Andrea and Kristin chat with writer and recipe developer Hetty McKinnon about her career, books and inspirations. Hetty discusses how her background informs her food as well as the trajectory of her career from providing a salad delivery service in Australia to writing cookbooks in Brooklyn. She explains her thoughts on headnotes, how she stays organized and what inspires her recipes. She also shares how she has developed her writing voice, why she photographs her books and the trust she seeks to build with her audience.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Hetty McKinnon
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Molly and Kate talk with Lerato Umah-Shaylor, a UK based chef, food writer and cooking teacher, about her debut cookbook Africana. Lerato shares how she made her passion for food into a career and what made her want to tackle this massive topic for her first book. She discusses how she pairs stories and context with recipes, how she conducted her research and balanced structure and voice in her writing. She provides some insights on the differences between the US and UK publishing experience and the feedback she loves to get from readers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Lerato Umah-Shaylor
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Kate and Kristin talk with writer David Lebovitz about his career and life in France. He discusses how he went from pastry chef to food writer, how blogging strengthened his writing voice and why he pivoted to video during the pandemic. He shares his decision to write "the hardest book he ever wrote", the advice he gives to aspiring writers and his choice to move his writing to Substack. Finally, he tells us how decides what stories to tell and reveals a glimpse into a few new potential projects.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
David Lebovitz
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Molly and Kristin talk with writer Alicia Kennedy about her new book, No Meat Required, and her philosophy on food writing. She discusses the proposal, writing and publishing process and her thoughts on the structure, citations and bibliography of the book. She shares her inspirations for the cover as well as how she organizes her varied research and publishing schedule. She talks about developing her own voice, what she hopes to see in the future of food media and thoughts on recipe creation as well as her relationship to social media.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Alicia Kennedy
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Kate and Kristin discuss all things hybrid publishing with Vasudha Viswanath, the author of The Vegetarian Reset. Vasudha shares a quick rundown of the typical routes of publishing and why she chose to go down the hybrid path. She talks about the pitching process, what partnership publishers cover (and don't), the recipe development steps and how she assembled her creative and publicity team. She describes the part her book plays in her business strategy and her experience learning as she goes in the cookbook community.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Vasudha Viswanath
Episode 40: Snackable Bakes with Jessie Sheehan
Episode 47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kristin chat with Matt Rodbard; writer and founding editor of the online food and culture magazine TASTE, all about his career in food media. He reveals the surprising way he got started, how his collaborations came about and the documentary visual style of some of his books. He shares some ups and downs of his writing career, how he balances his many projects and his hopes and excitement for the future of cookbooks.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Matt Rodbard
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Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea talk about the idea behind the cookbook. After sharing some shelved ideas of their own, they workshop submissions from listeners to highlight considerations on topic, marketability, expertise and "the hook" for each premise. They brainstorm and discuss structural considerations, format, audience appeal and comp titles to give listeners insights into the vital first step of the book creation process.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Episode 1: Should You Write a Cookbook?
Episode 2: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent? with Rica Allannic
I’ve Made Everything from Gnocchi to Mapo Tofu in My Camper Van’s Kitchen
By Ali Slagle
Episode 50: Telling Your Story in a Chef Cookbook with Vishwesh Bhatt
The Pleasures of Cooking for One
Article about the Ski Town Aprés Ski Cookbook success
Association for Dressing and Sauces
Cooking for One by Judith Jones
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Kristin talk with Nick DiGiovanni about his transition from YouTube/TikTok star to cookbook author. He discusses what made him want to write, how he translated the visual into the verbal and what inspired the focus of the book. He explains how he got started in content creation, his thoughts on soup and a peek behind the scenes of the book process. Finally, he answers a few fan questions from a special podcast guest before sharing some words of advice for aspiring cookbook writers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Nick DiGiovanni
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Molly and Kate talk with Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts & Letters, the New York City bookstore specializing in food and drink. As the managing partner, Matt shares his deep knowledge of bookselling with us as he discusses his career path, insights for cover, page (and spine!) design along with insights for aspiring authors. He tells us how he decides what to put on the shelves, the nitty gritty of ordering and returns as well as what books he hopes to see released in the future.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Omnivore Books - San Fransisco
Book Larder - Seattle
Bold Fork Books - Washington, DC
Now Serving - Los Angeles
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Kristin and Molly speak with Susan Spungen, food stylist, recipe developer, author and founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living, about her new cookbook and its unique photography method. Susan discusses her career path, how she pairs visual inspiration with recipe development and the diaristic tone she created for her latest book, Veg Forward. She describes the process of shooting the book alone with her iPhone and why she wanted to create a vegetable (not vegetarian) book for everyone.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Susan Spungen
The Art of Making the Basil Blush
Susan's Kale Salad on Epicurious
The Cuisine of the Sun: Classic Recipes from Nice and Provence, by Mireille Johnston
The Cuisine of the Rose: Classic French Cooking from Burgundy and Lyonnais, by Mireille Johnston
Party Food: 2017
Strawberries, Short Stack Editions, 2013
Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook
Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook: Potter, 1999
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Molly and Kristin talk with Vishwesh Bhatt, James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef in the South, about his new cookbook I Am From Here. He discusses the origin of the book, what makes it unique and the team that helped create it. He shares his philosophy on food and stories as well as insights into the ideas behind the title, chapter divisions, recipe development and testing. Finally, he gives some advice for others embarking on similar projects and what he wants people to come away with after reading.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Viswesh Bhatt
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly speak with Bonnie Benwick, journalist and former deputy editor of the Washington Post food section, about the changes she's seen over her career in food media. Bonnie talks about her time at the Post, her views on recipe testing/testers and what she thinks is lacking in cookbook reviewing today. She shares what elements make up a good cookbook, her thoughts on recipe writing, design, sidebars, sub-recipes and much more.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Bonnie Benwick
And for Mains by Gareth Smith, Rick Higgins and Nicola Brady
The Pleasures of Cooking for One: A Cookbook by Judith Jones
Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman
Episode 18: Pro Tips from Cookbook Critic Paula Forbes
Episode 28: All About Recipe Headnotes
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Molly and Kate talk with debut cookbook author, Abi Balingit about her whirlwind publishing journey, during which she juggled a full time job and roommates. She shares the origins of her blog, her inspirations and process along with how she worked within her book's tight timeline. She showcases her abundance mentality as she describes honoring her family's food, finding her audience and pinpointing the creative vision she had for the book before chatting about what is next.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Abi Balingit
Abi Balingit on Cherry Bombe Podcast
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Kate and Kristin talk with Nick Fauchald, founding editor of Tasting Table, creator of Short Stack Editions and the co-author of many cookbooks. Nick shares his career path, love for the design and tangible artistry of cookbooks and how some of his projects came together. He describes how he chooses his work, the ups and downs of self publishing and the importance of role definitions within a project. Finally, he shares tips, advice and self reflecting questions for anyone thinking of self publishing a cookbook.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Nick Fauchald
Lior Lev Sercarz / La Boîte Books
The Aviary Cocktail Book by Grant Achatz
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Today Kristin, Molly and Kate chat with prolific cookbook author (and EVCB co-host) Andrea Nguyen about her inspirations, career path and her newest cookbook: Ever-Green Vietnamese. She talks about where the book idea came from, how it evolved and what the hardest recipe to get right was. She also shares the challenges of this book, how her family influences her work, the ways her approach to writing and promotion has evolved over time and why she loves the pantry section.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Andrea Nguyen
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Molly and Kristin talk with prolific cookbook author Dorie Greenspan about her career, process and longtime creative partnerships. She explains her abundance mentality, how parameters can beget creativity and the struggles, benefits and lessons she experienced writing multiple cookbooks and working as a co-author. Finally, Dorie shares how vital editing is and her advice for aspiring writers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Dorie Greenspan
Keep Calm and Cook On Podcast with Julia Turshen
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Picking up where last week's episode left off, Kate gets more in depth about the money side of the business with Kristin, Andrea and Molly. They share past mistakes and how they each tackle budgets, groceries, receipt management, expenses and more. They also discuss outside costs, tax know-hows and the exposure economy along with advice on how side hustles, anchor gigs and outside food work can help build a sustainable career.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate discusses the money side of cookbooks with Molly, Andrea and Kristin. They each share what they wish they knew before starting out, lessons learned from past projects and what makes them choose to work on a book or not. They share insights on opportunity costs, cash flow timing, working with or without an agent and the difference between an auction and a preempt.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly +Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate talks with Molly, Andrea and Kristin all about recipe titles. They share what makes one stand out, what is an immediate veto and how these have evolved over the years. They discuss the importance of indexing, the challenge of translation and how grammar, structure and formatting are used in titling along with some of their own that they'd like to revisit.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin and Andrea chat with Emily Meggett, the matriarch of Edisto Island, and her co-author Kayla Stewart about their book Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. Ms. Emily shares her love for Edisto Island, the long journey to create the book and the mentors that inspired her along the way. Kayla describes the particular challenges of writing this book and recording the recipes along with advice for others who choose to work on similar projects. Finally, Ms Emily tells us how she wants the book to tell the story of food and flavor in America.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly talk with Jessie Sheehan, "the self-proclaimed queen of easy-peasy sweets", about her varied career path, how she got into baking and what entices her about a recipe. She shares how the pandemic and social media contributed to creating her unique voice, her advice for writing with a co-author and how to avoid the dreaded "happy robot voice". She describes how she worked on an abbreviated timeline for this book and teases a future one.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kate dive deep into the journey and person that is chef/writer/artist/activist/culinary ambassador (and more), Toya Boudy. She shares how her talents as an artist and wordsmith, along with the interwoven nature of life, resulted in her latest cookbook, "Cooking for the Culture". She discusses her creation process, the unconventional schedule for the book and her family's contribution as she explains her mission to build community and empower the artist inside.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Toya Boudy
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Molly and Andrea talk with author and former Food Director at Bon Appétit, Carla Lalli Music, all about the voice in the void and finding an audience. She discusses her career path, performing as herself and her thoughts on social media along with the advice she received that helped create her unique writing voice. She shares some insights on economy in recipe writing, style sheets and self-editing and how to fill up the inspiration bank.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Carla Lalli Music
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Molly and Andrea talk with Kenji López-Alt, author and Chief Culinary Advisor for Serious Eats, about creating and maintaining a voice of authority. He shares his career path, where his interest in food got started and the work that has influenced his own. He describes the relationship he has with his followers, how (or if) to curb enthusiasm while doing topic deep dives and a glimpse inside the creation of his best-selling books.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly chat with food stylist extraordinaire, Mariana Velásquez about their past working together, her career path and how she finally felt prepared to write her debut book, Colombiana. She describes the process of choosing the best agent for the project, how the pandemic altered the end result and where she starts the development of her recipes. She talks about some unique formatting choices, "maximalism" and the beauty of collaboration before sharing advice for others embarking on a similar journeys.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Mariana Velásquez
Cartagena de Indias en la Olla by Teresita Ronan De Zurek
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Molly, Andrea, Kristin and Kate answer listener questions about recipe attribution, testing and self-publishing. The hosts reflect on the episodes and topics that have stuck with them during this first year of podcasting and share what they are looking forward to in 2023.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate leads today's discussion all about the holiday season; its joys, its tribulations and its desserts. Molly, Andrea and Kristin join in with memories, advice and ideas for traditions (to keep and to avoid), dishes, wine and favorite cookies. Finally, each host shares the book they plan to dive into this holiday season.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Andrea and Kate talk with chef and food writer Andy Baraghani about his debut cookbook and the varied career experience that prepared him to write it. He explains how he injects his personality into his recipes, who he writes for and the influences of his work. He shares the successful self-imposed rule for recipe writing he had while at Bon Appétit, the intricate process of title writing as well as how his identities inform his work.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kristin speak with writer JJ Goode about his career path, collaborating with chefs on cookbooks and what draws him to his projects. He discusses some past work, how he organizes his To Do list and his advice for others who want experience with co-authorship.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kate and Kristin talk with lead agent and co-owner at The Ekus Group, Sally Ekus, about her career path, what she brings to the table for her clients and peek into a day in her life. Sally shares a wealth of knowledge including what she looks for in potential clients, how agents help careers, the key items in a query emails and the homework authors should do before reaching out to agents. She tells us her thoughts on proposal designs, where voice matters most and the one question she urges potential authors to ask themselves before getting started.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Andrea and Kristin talk with Eric Kim about his intensely personal and remarkable book, Korean American. He shares his inspirations and motivations for the essay format, how he wrote his family as characters and the potential and limits of memoir writing. He talks about the idea of authenticity in food, what goes into naming recipes and the unpredictability of a viral recipe.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly chat with cookbook teacher, author and editor Tori Ritchie about her career trajectory and how she developed her personal writing voice after years of working on branded cookbooks. She shares insights and tips about developing a voice and the bad habits to avoid in writing before revealing a few of the writers she assigns to her students. Finally everyone shares the three words that best describe their own singular writing style.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Today, Andrea tackles the topic of the ever elusive headnote with Molly, Kate and Kristin. They discuss what a headnote is, how they go about writing them and the pitfalls to avoid while composing. They bring examples of some favorites and also their pet peeves as they chat about the format, design and variety that goes into these important cookbook ingredients.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Andrea and Molly speak with recipe developer, editor, stylist and writer, Ali Slagle about her career trajectory, her debut cookbook and why she focuses on the home cook. She shares her inspiration for the book's unique format and language, the challenges she puts on her recipe writing and how she channels her voice with permission to be weird. At the end of the episode we (virtually) visit Andrea's kitchen as she makes a recipe from Ali's book, Bacon Lettuce and Tofu Stir Fry.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly and Kate talk with Adam Roberts aka The Amateur Gourmet, about his career path, what he's learned from working on his first two books and how he merges story with food in his work. He shares insights on voice vs tone, the role humor plays in his content creation along with stories from his earlier projects and the origin of his latest book. Finally, he shares the gospel of musical theater and a glimpse into what he is working on now.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Kristin speak with food stylist, photographer and author Anna Voloshyna about her debut cookbook, Budmo!. Anna shares how the war in Ukraine has affected her and her family as well as why she focused so much on joy in this book. She explains what she discovered about her own history while writing, how she got into food and her favorite dishes from the book. She shares some tips about the book writing process as well as what surprised her the most and her advice for people starting out their own cookbook journeys.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Molly chat with the founding editor of Food52 and the brains behind their Genius Recipes, Kristen Miglore. Kristen shares her career trajectory before becoming Food52's first employee and the inception of the "Genius Recipe" concept. She explains how she injects her own voice into the writing, what makes a recipe "genius" and how she keeps up the passion for her work along with a recent dish she keeps coming back to.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kristin and Andrea chat with owner of Tanorria's Table, author of Staples + 5, and co-host of Black Girls Eating, Tanorria Askew, about her career path, heart for hospitality and what cooking means to her. She discusses navigating her boundaries, food deserts in her hometown of Indianapolis and the process of writing her first book. She also shares some insights on appropriation in food, the importance of putting her Black identity forward in her book, how she chose the team behind her book's creation along with some of her future goals.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin starts out today's episode asking Molly, Kate and Andrea about the books that inspired them to follow this career path and how they'd define the idea of "voice" in writing. They discuss the difference between tone and voice, the tools they've use to craft their own and how to inject it into recipe writing. They reveal some writing exercises and advice on how to find and improve voice in your own writing.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Today's episode is a quick update about our summer hiatus and a thank you to our listeners for tuning in and joining our community. We share some standout resources from Season 1 and the dishes and books we are planning to dive into for our summer meals. Thank you for listening and be sure to follow us @everythingcookbooks or sign up for our mailing list for updates on Season 2!
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate and Kristin chat with the Marketing and Publicity Manager of Hardie Grant, Lorraine Woodcheke, to learn more about what goes on in the secretive world of marketing. Lorraine shares how she got started in the food and drink sphere, what her day-to-day looks like and what she loves about her job. She discusses the relationship between the sales, marketing and publicity teams, the importance of the author questionnaire and the upcoming titles she is excited for. Finally, she shares her favorite kitchen tool and some advice for aspirational marketing/publicity professionals.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Andrea and Molly chat with journalist and food writer Charlotte Druckman to find out more about what it means to create "good" work and how to measure success. Charlotte shares where her love of cookbooks began, the invention of the Piglet awards and how she feels about "Tastemakers". She reveals why we shouldn't take awards too seriously, her dislike of categories and the fallacy of objectivity.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kate and Andrea chat with cookbook critic Paula Forbes whose reviews have run in Eater, Epicurious, Lucky Peach and Food52. She shares how she got started on her career path, how she selects books to review and what she loves to see in a book (hint:charts!). She describes her audience, the affect bad reviews have on book sales and how writing her own cookbook affected her critiques. Finally, she reveals some of the upcoming trends in cookbooks she is excited about.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly leads today's discussion with Andrea, Kate and Kristin through the opaque world of book sales. They talk about the challenges of getting accurate numbers, NPD BookScan, frontlist vs backlist titles and what makes a book "successful". They provide insights on improving sales as authors, Amazon rankings and the dangers of constantly refreshing. Finally, Kate shares a recent cookbook she's been loving.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Molly and Kristin have a quick chat with surprise guest, Jenna Kutcher. Jenna is a photographer, podcaster, entrepreneur and her debut book "How are you Really?" is available now wherever books are sold. She shares her approach to writing, her thoughts behind the "why" of ambition and some of the strategies behind her unique approach to promoting her debut. She also explains how she honed her writing voice and the role food plays in her life which connects back to the cookbook sphere.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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On today's episode Molly, Andrea, Kristin and Kate sit down to answer listener submitted questions. They tackle everything from title choices, choosing an agent, becoming a recipe tester, stolen ideas and trusting yourself as an author. Finally, each host reveals a key concept they've learned from the last 15 episodes.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Molly and Kate chat all things food writing with Dianne Jacob, freelance writing coach, editor and the author of "Will Write for Food". Dianne shares her career trajectory and insights into crafting the four editions of her book throughout an ever evolving food media landscape. She believes the craft of writing is foundational and tells us why some bloggers are scared of her, the importance of voice and her favorite writing exercise.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Dianne Jacob
Delicious Experiences: Private Classes
The Dark Reality Behind ‘Cozy Mysteries’
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Kate starts off today's chat recounting some event horror stories while Kristin, Molly and Andrea chime in with some of their own. They discuss publicity timelines, tips for getting comfortable with self-promotion and insights into how to expand an audience. They share how involved the publisher can be in book promotion, what has changed since 2020 and sing the praises of librarians and booksellers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kristin learns more about life behind the lens as she interviews author, photographer and food stylist Yossy Arefi. Yossy shares her career origins, her habit of self motivated learning and how she uses her food stylist talents as a photographer. She describes the unglamorous side of a shoot and provides some insights into the cover selection process before sharing the upcoming photography trends she is excited about.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kristin leads today's conversation about photography, its importance in the world of cookbooks and how it can bring a book to life. Molly, Kate and Andrea join in with their own stories of shoots gone wrong, how to find the right photographer, what all is included in the photo budget and the (sometimes contentious) cover image selection process. Finally, Molly shares a book all about the evolution of food media through the years.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Molly gets more insight into the cookbook design process as she talks with Alice Chau, former Senior Designer at Chronicle Books and now independent designer and art director. Alice shares what her first step into a project is, how to balance various inputs and all the elements to juggle when creating the look and mood of a cookbook. With a unique educational background, she shares how she got started in her current career and how her other projects inform her cookbook design inspiration.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Molly leads the conversation about the design process, one of the more mystifying stops on a cookbook's journey to publication. With Andrea, Kate and Kristin's expertise, the discussion covers elements like trim size, typeface, bindings and paper stock as well as what to look out for in regards to form and function before revealing some personal experiences, regrets and advice. Finally, Andrea shares one of the books she refers to most often when writing.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Andrea dives further into the editing process during her interview with Jennifer Sit, Executive Editor at Clarkson Potter which is an imprint of Penguin Random House. With over 12 years of experience working with both new authors and household names, Jennifer shares her insights into the author/editor/publisher dynamic and how she approaches these relationships to ensure a successful book. She tells us her favorite part of her job as well the best way to start out a project.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Andrea leads today's deep dive into the editing stage of cookbook creation. Molly, Kate and Kristin each share their rituals, processes and insights as they discuss the different kinds of editing, how much leeway authors have and how to cope when tensions rise. We hear some personal editing woes and saves as well as learn all the final small yet essential elements that go into a polished end product. Finally, Kristin shares her recent favorite cookbook.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions:
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Andrea learns more about the visual side of recipe writing as she talks with Nom Nom Paleo's Michelle Tam. Michelle shares how her work is a family affair, the process of designing the unique format of her recipes and how her previous career influences her current one. She explains her thoughts about unique content creation for her various platforms and how the pandemic shaped the latest project.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kristin gets into the fundamentals of recipe writing as she chats with Tina Ujlaki, her mentor and the former executive editor at Food & Wine magazine. Tina explains her recipe writing philosophy, how testing can be the antithesis to cooking and the what bothers her about the format's evolution. She shares her thoughts on voice, headnotes, titles and the top 3 things to do before sharing recipes with the world.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Kate leads today's discussion about the recipe development, curation and testing that go into creating a cookbook. Andrea, Molly and Kristin each share their individual recipe writing processes and the tools used behind the scenes to keep everything organized. They discuss sticking to theme, finding your audience and what can take away from the magic of cooking as well as the juggling act of attribution and importance of recipe testers. Finally, Molly tells us about a recent cookbook that has her inspired.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
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Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes & Rituals from the Soul of Colombia, by Marian Velásquez
Andrea leads today's chat about selling a cookbook and all the nitty gritty elements that go into it. Kristen, Molly and Kate share some of their own insights and lessons learned about advances, royalties, contract negotiation, and how to keep the right amount of tension there. They discuss how to gauge the value of your idea, morality clauses and what to look out for when looking over a contract. Finally, they answer a listener SOS and Kate gets the lowdown on the angst of butter measurement.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kristin leads today's discussion all about the cookbook proposal, sharing her own first experience with the process. Molly, Kate and Andrea each describe their own firsts as well as how they format their more recent versions. They review all of the elements that go into a proposal, the three vital things to highlight, how long the process can take and how a project can morph as it leads into its first draft. Finally, a listener's salt based SOS leads to many strong opinions and some helpful tips.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Molly starts out today's episode with an interview with Rica Allannic, a literary agent with editing experience. Then, Kristin and Kate share how they've navigated their own agent relationships while Andrea explains how she works without one. We get into the many roles of an agent, how to find one and the things to look out for as one moves along in their career. Finally, Andrea shares a recipe writing tip and Kate lets us know her recent favorite cookbook.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Kate leads today's discussion on the most important question to ask before you sit down to write your cookbook: Should you write a cookbook? Molly, Andrea and Kristin share their individual journeys as authors and provide some insights into what goes on behind the decision to move forward with a project. They chat about the importance of hustle, platform and studying the elements in your favorite cookbook as well as some of the books they decided against creating. Finally, Molly shares a Tip of the Week and Andrea lets us know which cookbook has captured her attention lately.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
Mentions
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Welcome to Everything Cookbooks! A podcast for curious writers, readers and cooks. Hosted by four experienced cookbook authors, this show will take you behind the scenes of the cookbook creation process. Each episode is an in-depth dive into what it takes to produce a finished cookbook and is full of insights, advice, tips and wisdom.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.