134: Raquel Pelzel

What does a cookbook editor actually do day-to-day in the year 2022? It turns out, more than you could ever imagine. On this episode of the show, we catch up with our old friend Raquel Pelzel. She’s the editorial director at Clarkson Potter and has authored more than a dozen cookbooks of her own. It’s clear that Raquel has tremendous respect for her authors, including Eric Kim, Rick Martinez, and Claire Saffitz, and we find out how she allows her authors’ voice to shine through. We also talk about the way she edits a recipe, which goes back to her time working at the demanding Cooks Illustrated. Was her mom “the worst cook in the world”? Yes, she was, and we find out about Raquel’s interesting upbringing living on the North Side of Chicago. This is such a great conversation about making and loving cookbooks!

More from Raquel Pelzel:

• High Cuisine: How I Wrote a Serious Pot Cookbook [TASTE]
• Thank You, WhatsApp. Or, How to Crowd-Source an Israeli Family Recipe. [TASTE]
• What Cookbook Author and Publishing Maven Raquel Pelzel Cooks for Her Family in a Week [Epicurious]

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