Everything Cookbooks

To kick off Season 9 Molly, Andrea, Kate and Kristin discuss e-cookbooks vs physical editions before diving into front matter; all of the sections of a cookbook that come before the recipes. They talk about the purpose, process and planning that goes into the preface, prologue, forward, introduction and pantry section and ask whether these are even necessary. Each of them talk about their own experiences and approach to front matter as well as the unique ways other books have utilized these sections. They speak about the differences between the sections, their frustrations and rejections, how front matter has evolved and the importance of being creative and (sometimes) going rogue to keep readers interested and not intimidated to dive into the rest of the book. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Why the Cookbook Endures by Shaan Merchant in Taste Episode 28: All About Recipe Headnotes Food Friends Newsletter Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Classic Indian Cooking, by Julie Sahni Rice is Life, by Caryl Levine, Ken Lee, Kristin Donnelly Down South + East by Ron Hsu Something from Nothing by Alison Roman Chop Chop by Ozoz All About Roasting by Molly Stevens All About Braising by Molly Stevens Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin Ghana to the World by Eric Adjepong, Korsha Wilson

Originally aired on June 19, 2024 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 Genius Recipes by Kristin Miglore Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts by Brooks Headley

Originally aired on November 9, 2022 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 Kristin's newsletter - Mission Dinner Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show All About Braising by Molly Stevens All About Dinner by Molly Stevens Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan Ever-Green Vietnamese by Andrea Nguyen Greenfeast by Nigel Slater Rice Is Life by Kristin Donnelly Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert Small Victories by Julie Turshen The Chef’s Garden by Farmer Lee Jones and Kristin Donnelly The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis Wine Style by Kate Leahy

Originally aired on February 22, 2023 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 Gourmet Cookbook Boston Cooking School / Fanny Farmer Series Cook it in a Casserole Cooking Bold and Fearless Recipes from Sunset Chefs of the West The Book of Yogurt Secret Ingredients Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Change of Appetite by Diana Henry Nigel Slater Vietnamese Food Any Day by Andrea Nguyen Ever-Green Vietnamese by Andrea Nguyen Mi Cocina by Rick Martinez The Woks of Life by Sarah Leung, Bill Leung Rice is Life by Caryl Levine, Ken Lee, Kristin Donnelly

Originally aired on April 20, 2022 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 Tina Ujlaki Nigella Lawson Nigel Slater David Lebovitz Dorie Greenspan Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Originally aired on April 13, 2022 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: Kristin spreadsheet template Bryan Ford Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes & Rituals from the Soul of Colombia, by Marian Velásquez

Kate, Molly, Andrea and Kristin begin the episode with an apology about a technical snafu that plagued our website's Contact page and some corrections. They go through some listener questions and discuss copyeditors and the other roles editors can play, share advice, ideas, theories and encouragements about a range of topics, share insights on how to survive the submission process and thoughts on genre mash-ups. This episode closes out Season 8 but we'll be back very soon with Season 9! Thank you for listening and participating!Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsKristin Donnelly's Cookbook Coaching ServicesWill This Make You Happy, by Tanya BushKitchenBookshelf on InstagramCultFlave on YouTubeThe Marketing Hustle Podcast Episode 70: Building a Global Brand Without Paid Media: The CMO behind Ottolenghi’s Growth StrategyPublishers Marketplace Sally Ekus' SubstackJenna Helwig's SubstackEpisode 122: Start With WhoEpisode 137: Being a Cookbook Editor with Sarah Billingsley of Chronicle BooksEpisode 158: Cookbook Marketing and Publicity with Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showDirt Candy by Amanda CohenHeartland Masala by Jyoti Mukharji and Auyon MukharjiWill This Make You Happy, by Tanya Bush

Kristin and Molly speak with journalist and cookbook co-author Korsha Wilson about her experiences in the world of food media. Korsha shares the magazine that sparked her initial interest, her educational approach and a behind the scenes look at some of her projects. She talks about her evolving views on recipes, what her hopes are for her work and how she approaches the research portion of a project. She discusses weaving together the design and content portions of a book, the process of mimicking voices in a collaboration along with establishing her own before sharing some freelancing insights and a peek into her upcoming project, ending the episode with advice she has for aspiring food writers.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsKorsha WilsonWebsiteA Hungry Society PodcastInstagram What a Food Trip to Ghana Taught Me About My Black American Identity, by Korsha WilsonHoneysuckleEpisode 108: Live at Cookbook Fest: Toriano Gordon and Anna Voloshnya Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showGhana to the World, by Eric Adjepong with Korsha WilsonVegan Mob, by Toriano Gordon with Korsha Wilson

Molly and Kristin speak about merging the physical act of cooking with emotional and spiritual intentionality with Nicki Sizemore, the author of Mind, Body, Spirit, Food. Nicki shares her personal journey and the life changing process she went through that eventually led to this new focus. Battling creative burnout and the uninspired work of writing for the algorithm, Nicki learned to tune into her body, prioritize pleasure and get creative which eventually transformed her blog into a newsletter, podcast and this book. She talks about the thought behind its specific release date, the innovative recipe variations, mindful intentions, design and photography process and her aversion to the word 'wellness'. She then discusses her thoughts on audience outreach, promotion, the power of intentionality and the ripple effect of nourishment before leaving us with some advice.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsNicki SizemoreSubstackBlogPodcastInstagram Storey PublishingThese Cookbooks Explore the Link Between Mindful Cooking and Self-Care by Jamie Feldmar Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showMind, Body, Spirit, Food, by Nicki SizemoreBuild-A-Bowl, by Nicki SizemoreFresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, by Nicki Sizemore

Molly and Kate speak with Anna Ansari, a London based Iranian American writer, about her new book Silk Roads and the major career shift that brought it about. A former customs attorney, Anna takes us from her childhood in Michigan to a stint in Beijing where she discovered Uyghur cuisine and how a move to the UK precipitated an interest in cooking and food writing. She shares how she got interested in this particular topic and geographic location, what the research process was like and what went into crafting her writing voice. She explains the thought behind the pitch and proposal, the process of recipe curation and research and why she decided to package the book the way it is before touching on the marketing and promotion strategy and what she is working on next.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsAnna AnsariWebsiteInstagramSubstack Bibliography for Silk Roads (scroll to the bottom)MiGrateful organizationSilk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing, by Anna AnsariHome Food, Olia Hercules Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showSilk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing by Anna AnsariHome Food by Olia Hercules

Kristin and Kate get the inside scoop on all things marketing and publicity as they speak to the 'dream team' who worked on Kristin's recent book Turtle Island. Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz — associate director of marketing for Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press and publicist for the same— discuss their specific roles and approaches to cookbook promotion. They touch on the differences between marketing and publicity, the role events have in promoting a book and share a peek behind the curtain at the decisions, meetings, timeline and teams that go into a project. They share invaluable insights into their thought process, what authors can contribute to a campaign and how they hope to work with them throughout the long game and moment to moment demands of a media blitz. They speak about tailoring messaging to an audience, the cheerleading role they often play and how they approach a collaborative relationship with all the moving parts involved in a book's life span.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsSean Sherman on Daily ShowEpisode 36: Celebrating Colombia with Mariana VelásquezLink in Bio substack Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showTurtle Island, by Sean Sherman. Kate Nelson & Kristin DonnellyThe SalviSoul Cookbook by Karla Tatiana Vasquez Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson Bread of Angels by Patti SmithStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelRevel by Mariana Velásquez

Andrea and Kate speak with Helen Goh about her thirty years of working in the food and hospitality industry and why she chose now to write her first solo book. She speaks about her time working with the Ottolenghi brand, her hesitation at embarking on a solo venture and the pros and cons of working alone or partnered. She's had many evolutions in the personal and professional spheres and talks about finding freedom in her work and her thoughts behind this book; its title, organization and how her psychology background informed its creation. She ends by sharing what baking means to her— its role in rituals and traditions— and ends with her experience juggling both of her careers, the cerebral and the tangible.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsHelen GohGuardian ColumnInstagram Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showBaking and the Meaning of Life with Helen GohSweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

Molly and Andrea speak with the iconic culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris about her career and newest work, Braided Heritage. After discussing the 'more' than recipes that make a cookbook a cookbook, Dr. Harris also shares why this book is important at this point and what interested her about this topic and format. She speaks about the backbeat that motivated the entire project, how she went about commissioning stories and recipes from other people and why each genre she writes in requires her to wear a different hat. She talks about the long process of the book's creation, how her experience in academia informed it, the advice she has for future generations and her thoughts on being labeled an 'activist'.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Jessica HarrisInstagramHigh on the Hog Netflix Show Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showBraided Heritage by Jessica HarrisHigh on the Hog by Jessica HarrisA Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook by Jessica HarrisIron Pots & Wooden Spoons by Jessica Harrismore Jessica Harris titles here

Kate and Molly speak with author and photographer Aran Goyoaga about her new, groundbreaking book The Art of Gluten Free Bread. Aran talks about her experience as a pastry chef, where her gluten free journey began and starting her blog Cannelle et Vanille. She discusses the inspiration behind this new book, the research & development process and how her inexperience with bread was actually an advantage. With the wide variance of gluten free flours on the market, Aran talks about the importance of beginning the book with a guide with the hopes that readers will eventually riff on her recipes and why she insisted on metric measurements. She gets into the photography process, how she arranged the photo schedule around rigorous testing and why it could get lonely at times. Finally she shares some hopes she has for the book, where she wants to see it on the shelf and what she plans for the future.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsJoin The Local Palate Cookbook ClubAran GoyoagaWebsiteInstagramCannelle et Vanille Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showThe Art of Gluten Free Bread by Aran GoyoagaCannelle et Vanille by Aran GoyoagaCannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by Aran Goyoaga

Kristin, Molly, Andrea and Kate look back at the cookbook media landscape of 2025 and discuss the Anthropic settlement, their thoughts about AI in the food media sphere and share their inclinations about its usage. Each of the hosts share some wins they had this year with Kristin speaking about working on the Turtle Island book and Andrea joining in to share her thoughts on finding balance in collaboration projects. With a dash of astrology and numerology each host reveals what keeps them following this creative path and what they've let go of over the years along with the role persistence and perseverance plays in this journey. Finally they end the episode by sharing some of the books, people and ideas they are excited to follow into 2026. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea NguyenEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsJoin The Local Palate Cookbook ClubAnthropic SettlementAI Duped My Cookbook and Made a Mess, by Adam EraceKristin Donnelly on Co-Writing One of the Year's Biggest Books from Cookbookery Collective Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showTurtle Island, by Sean Sherman. Kate Nelson & Kristin DonnellyHeart Shaped Tin, by Bee WilsonFeast on Your Life, by Tamar AdlerOn Eating, by Alicia KennedyThe Last Sweet Bite by Michael Shaikh