Podcast
Everything Cookbooks
Hosted by Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly · EN
A podcast for curious writers, readers, and cooks. Episodes provide behind-the-scenes information and stories about how cookbooks get made.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
42: How to Write Recipe Titles [re-release]
Mar 1800:45:57Tap to summarizeOriginally 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
Transcribe →06: Getting Your Recipes in Shape with Tina Ujlaki [re-release]
Mar 1100:26:09Tap to summarizeOriginally 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
Transcribe →05: Getting Started Writing Your Recipes [re-release]
Mar 400:42:48Tap to summarizeOriginally 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
Transcribe →162: The one in which we issue an apology and answer listener questions
Feb 2500:34:38Tap to summarizeKate, 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
Transcribe →161: A Journalist's Approach to Cookbook Collaboration with Korsha Wilson
Feb 1800:43:46Tap to summarizeKristin 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
Transcribe →160: A Mindful Cookbook Born from Burnout with Nicki Sizemore
Feb 1100:48:01Tap to summarizeMolly 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
Transcribe →159: Silk Roads with Anna Ansari
Feb 400:54:34Tap to summarizeMolly 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
Transcribe →158: Cookbook Marketing and Publicity with Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz
Jan 2800:49:37Tap to summarizeKristin 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
Transcribe →157: Helen Goh on Baking and the Meaning of Life
Jan 2100:46:24Tap to summarizeAndrea 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
Transcribe →156: Writing History Through Recipes with Jessica B. Harris
Jan 1400:46:48Tap to summarizeMolly 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
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