Cookbook Club

Rick Martinez brings his warm, fun and exuberant personality to this collection of Mexican cuisine from different regions of Mexico. We love the color and texture throughout this book and talk about one of the yummiest meals we’ve shared together. Somebody book us a trip to sunny Mexico! Recipes mentioned in this episode: Enchiladas mineras (page 74) Aguachile (page 242) Gaspacho moreliano (page 9...

Pie is wonderful. Dessert pie is the best. And it makes us feel downright patriotic. Join us as we geek out on crust, fillings and baking techniques in this episode all about pie. Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Tart and pie dough ( The Art of Simple Food ) All butter crust ( America’s Test Kitchen ) The only pie crust ( Alison Roman ) Lime pie with Anzac biscuit crust ( Family ) Carrot pie (...

Bryant Terry is a visionary in the vegan cooking world, and we tried out this well-known cookbook. We talk about nesting doll recipes, brilliant vegan flavor boosters and decide whether this book could ever work on a weeknight. (And yes, we know we sound a little breathy in the audio on this episode, we’re working on it!) Recipes mentioned in this episode: All-green everything salad with creamy sa...

We love to bake — so today, we talk about some favorite recipes for these easy go-to bakes. Sara won a prize for quickbread at the Oregon State Fair, Emily brings us tips on making these treats gluten free, and Renee, as always, loves Melissa Clark. Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Carrot loaf cake with tangy lemon glaze ( NYT ) Banana bread (Weeknight Baking) Spiced banana brown bread ( Now &...

This book grabbed Renee’s eye over the summer when she was traveling in the UK, so she brought it back and we dove in to this ingredient-focused, easy weeknight book from our neighbor across the pond. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Persian saffron chicken, fennel & barberry stew ( Persiana ) Harissa & lemon roasted chicken thighs (page 80) Bloody Mary spatchcocked chicken (page 58) But...

There are very many things you can put on buns. Make your own buns, buy some at the grocery store, make a thing on a bun! We give you a whole list of ideas you can use for a meal on a bun! Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Beautiful burger buns ( King Arthur Flour ) English muffins ( King Arthur Flour ) Crispy oven pulled pork ( Smitten Kitchen Keepers ) Turkey burgers ( Food Health & Happi...

Season three of our podcast and we’re finally cooking from the Barefoot Contessa! We talk about our fabulous cookbook club dinner, and whether we like cooking Ina Garten’s classic, entertaining-friendly recipes. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Warm spinach & artichoke dip Ultimate bloody marys Green salad vinaigrette Creamy tomato bisque Split pea soup with crispy kielbasa Charred carrots w...

We make a lot of cakes! In this episode, we weigh the pros and cons of cake mixes vs. homemade cakes, kid cakes vs. adult cakes and talk about decorations and give you some of our best birthday cake strategies. Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Pineapple upside down cake ( Snacking Cakes ) Strawberry summer cake (Smitten Kitchen) Devil’s food with salted milk chocolate frosting ( Smitten Kitche...

One of the most famous cookbooks of all time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking was a revelation at the time, bringing French cuisine to American cooks. This huge collection of recipes is a little intimidating — but in this episode, we break it down to share the things we’ve made and loved along the way. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Pissaladière niçoise (Vol 1, page 151) Salade niçoise (Vo...

We are coming off the holidays, entering a new year, battling winter weather and sitting down to share how cooking is going in our homes these days. Freezer clean-outs, fresh new year recipes and more! Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Indecision grilled chicken ( Small Victories ) Shepherd’s pie with a sweet potato crust ( Whole30 ) Roasted red pepper sauce (Whole30) Roasted pork shoulder with...

We loved Andrea Nguyen’s first book, “Vietnamese Food Any Day.” How does her new release stack up for us? Renee and Sara talk about building block recipes, too-long-descriptions, eating cake until our stomachs hurt and more. Recipes mentioned in this episode: 10-10-10 Perfect Rice (page 65) Umami tofu crumbles (page 50) Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (page 32) Fast-fried shallots (page 46) Chicken-vegeta...

The holidays are over and weeknight cooking is back. If you’re like us, maybe you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and worn out on it — in that case, tune in for some easy weeknight dinner inspiration to get your dinner mojo back. Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Shakshuka ( Dinner in an Instant ) Shakshuka ( Dinner in One ) Green shakshuka with avocado and lime ( NYT ) Rao’s meatballs ( NYT )...

This week we’re coming back for more Deb Perelman with her newest book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. Are they keepers? How do we like these compared to her other books? Tune in to find out. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Devil’s food cake with salted milk chocolate frosting (page 267) Luxe s’mores bars (page 235) Carrot cake with brown butter and no clutter (page 263) The blondie chipwich (page 23...

Have you ever made a babka? We tried a number of recipes for this enriched-dough bread with a ribbon of flavor, and we came up with very mixed results. Listen in on to see what we baked and our favorite babka recipe! Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Babka ( America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book ) Cinnamon babka ( Claire Saffitz , NYT ) Savory babka with ricotta and herbs ( Melissa Clark ,...

Inspired by a classic Pacific Northwest bakery, this book tells us how to make those beloved treats at home. This week we talk about the bakery and the cookbook, and which recipes we enjoy (or maybe not so much!) Recipes mentioned in this episode: Grand Central Bakery jammers (page 22) Pecan sticky buns (page 46) Rough puff pastry (page 176) Tarte tatin (page 194) Dutch babies (page 39) Artisan pi...

It’s not a cookbook, but the New York Times Cooking section is a huge source of recipes for both of us. In this episode, we break down some favorites for fall and Thanksgiving. Recipes mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Pumpkin maple muffins (Alison Roman) Pumpkin crumb cake (Yossy Arefi) No-bake pumpkin cheesecake (Yossy Arefi) Pumpkin bundt cake with maple brown-butter glaze (Yossy Arefi) Red wine pea...

We dig in to Freddy Bitsoie’s ode to Indigenous cuisine and ingredients on this episode, with a recap of a delicious meal we shared together with our in-person Cookbook Club. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Hominy with bacon bits (page 76) Alaskan King Salmon with crushed pecans (page 226) Spice-rubbed pork tenderloin (page 214) Chocolate bison chili (page 160) Three sisters salad with shallot...

Cooking is one thing, but it takes a whole lot of logistics to plan, shop, organize and keep track of the groceries, recipes and cookbooks in our kitchens. Today we’re joined by Kirsten Collins to chat about how we organize our kitchens and our deeply personal ways of organizing cookbooks. Resources mentioned in this episode: ⁠ Google Calendar Reminders app Eat Your Books Our Groceries app Join ou...

We return to Melissa Clark in this episode, to dig in to her one-pan, one-pot, one-skillet, one-sheet-pan wonder. Joined by our friend Kirsten Collins, we go through the recipes we are loving from this collection of weeknight dinners. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Spiced pearl couscous with jammy eggplant and tomatoes (page 126) Full English breakfast (page 34) Cheater’s chicken and dumplings...

Let’s talk about pancakes and waffles! They’re a classic breakfast food, but spoiler alert, we eat them for dinner very frequently. We’ll share our favorite recipes and give you some tips for making these delicious treats. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Dutch baby ( Grand Central Baking Book or NYT ) Sour cream pancakes ( Small Victories ) Buttermilk pancakes ( NYT ) Waffles ( NYT ) Almond flo...

An elevated but health-focused book with a Paleo bent, this cookbook is different from a lot of other books we’ve cooked from, as well as being extremely personal. In this episode, we talk about entertaining people with dietary restrictions, which recipes we like from this book and the game-changers it gave us. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Spicy pineapple turmeric smoothie Sticky chicken win...

It’s been two years of Cookbook Club! On today’s episode, we tie up loose ends from the season, talk about what’s coming next and take some listener questions. Recipes, authors and cookbooks mentioned in this episode: Julia Turshen Melissa Clark Samin Nosrat Yotam Ottolenghi Deb Perelman Heidi Swanson Alison Roman In Bibi’s Kitchen , by Hawa Hassan Nothing Fancy , by Alison Roman Dining In , by Al...

This cookbook feels like an embodiment of Priya Krishna’s sunny disposition, and serves as a love letter to her mom’s “Indian-ish” cooking which she ate growing up. We talk about what we made from this book, including a dump cake and some other very interesting recipes! Recipes mentioned in this episode: Black pepper and chile baked goat cheese (page 57) Dad’s yogurt (page 43) Spicy olive tapanede...

Grilling is a laid-back kind of summer cooking where you can sip a cold beverage and cook outside. This week we talk about our favorite things to grill and why we love grilling. Get outside with us! Recipes mentioned in this episode: Lamb arayes ( Simply Julia ) Ginger lime chicken ( NYT ) Spicy honey-brushed chicken thighs ( Cooking Light ) Huli huli chicken ( NYT ) Grilled za’atar chicken with g...

This vibrant, beautiful cookbook celebrates Colombia and its flavors, women, music and more. We talk about how beautiful the food is, and whether the flavors kept up with that beauty. Recipes mentioned in this episode: Refajo a la Brooklyn (page 124) Coquito mio (page 152) Alegrías de coco y anis (page 201) Lentejas ahumadas con chorizo (page 95) Ceviche de palmito y pomelo (page 238) Ensalada de...