Cookbook Love Podcast

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Have you ever looked at the food you make every week and thought, there's a book in here somewhere? Here's what most people don't know: in traditional publishing, the publisher pays you to write your book, and a whole team comes with it. Editors, designers, a photographer, the people who put your book on shelves. If you've dreamed of yo...

If your dream is a publisher's yes, with a team behind you and a publisher who pays you to write, I'd love for you to join me for my free From Kitchen to Book Deal Masterclass, starting Tuesday, October 20. You'll learn 3 insider truths about traditional publishing so you can say yes to your dream without saying goodbye to your savings. Sign up here. This week I'm joined by Ellyn Caruso, and the t...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. If you have a cookbook idea but find yourself wondering how you're ever going to write, edit, photograph, design, publish, and market an entire book, today's episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss: Why you don't need to become an expert in every part of cookbook production to become a cookbook author. What you really need to focus o...

When I started this show 8 years ago, podcasting was still something people had to explain to their friends. Today it's mainstream. The global audience for podcasts has grown, and in the U.S. alone, more than half the population, roughly 158 million people, tune in every month. The number of shows has exploded too. There are now over 4.5 million podcasts worldwide. But here's the number that matte...

Today I welcome David Murray and Leslie Jonath. David and Leslie are here to honor the life and work of Debbie Berne, a cookbook and book designer who passed away in December, and to share news of her recently published book, Cookbooking: A Fan's Guide, which all listeners of this show are going to love. Cookbooking is a visually stunning pop-history that traces cookbooks from their earliest days...

Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! This week I sit down with Justin Ellen, the baker and content creator behind Everything Just Baked, whose fun, chaotic, personality-filled approach to baking has captured the attention of millions of people across social media. We talk all about his beautiful new cookbook, Better Than Grandma's: Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving, his path from posting ca...

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today's episode pulls together the best publicity advice from top cookbook PR agents who've been on this show. These experts have worked with names like Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, and Ina Garten, and have helped first time authors build a following from scratch. When I laid their advice side by side, the overlap was clear, and that's w...

Welcome back to another episode of Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I'm tackling a belief I encourage every one of my students to hold: publishers and agents aren't just open to your ideas, they're actively waiting for them. I share the real story behind my first book deal, including the year I spent sitting on a business card before I found the courage to send my idea, and how that single decision le...

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today I'm talking about something I hear all the time, from people who visit my table at events and from readers on my own email list: the belief that there are already too many cookbooks. I went through a season where I believed this myself. I really did not think there was a need for any more cookbooks, mine included. If that thought...

Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! Before I launched my recent masterclass about how to grow your audience for a cookbook, I sent my email list two questions: what's holding you back from growing your audience, and what do you want answered in the class? In this solo episode, I'm sharing the answers my readers sent in, along with a mindset shift for each one, so you can see whether you're...

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today we're getting into the myths I hear most often about what it actually takes to grow a cookbook audience.  Over the years, I keep hearing the same things repeated as if they're facts, and these are costly. They cost time, momentum, a book deal, book sales, or even the book itself. So today I'm walking through five of the biggest my...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today's episode is for the chef, the dietitian, the culinary professional who has a cookbook in them, and who has also been told that getting published means getting on TikTok. If you've ever had your teenager laugh at you for trying to "be on camera," or quietly wondered whether your cookbook dream is dead simply because you refuse to perfo...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I'm joined by Dora Ramirez. Dora Ramirez didn't set out to reinvent Mexican cuisine. She wanted to uncover the stories, ingredients, and traditions that were already there. Before we get started:  If you're a dietitian, chef, or culinary professional who wants to publish a cookbook with a traditional publishing house, I invite you to...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I'm joined by Sarah Trad, author of A House in the Lebanese Mountains: Recipes and Stories from Beit Trad.  Before we get started, I'd love your help. I'm creating a brand-new class for aspiring cookbook authors who want to build the audience publishers are looking for. If you've ever wondered how to grow your visibility, connect with...

What do comedy and death have to do with cookbook writing? In this episode, Maggie talks with comedian and first-generation Greek American Gus Constantellis about his debut cookbook, My Mom's Greek Recipes. Their conversation explores far more than recipes. It touches on storytelling, vulnerability, family traditions, grief, and the unexpected journey from writing a cookbook without a publisher to...

What can traditional drinking rituals teach us about writing a cookbook that celebrates culture and community? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Irene Yoo, food writer, recipe developer, and co-owner of Orion Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Irene shares how she translated the vibrant world of Korean hospitality into her James Beard Award-winning cookbook, So...

What can vintage cookbooks teach us about writing a cookbook readers will treasure? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Bobby Hicks, creator of Retro Recipes Kitchen and author of Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist. Bobby shares how he combined his background as a videographer with his love of vintage recipes to build Retro Recipes Kitchen....

What does it really cost to go from dreaming about writing a cookbook to signing a book deal? Many aspiring cookbook authors assume they need a large budget, professional photography equipment, or significant upfront investments before they can pursue publication. In this episode, I break down the actual costs of writing and publishing a cookbook with a traditional publisher and explain why the mo...

The James Beard Awards are often called the "Oscars of the Food World," recognizing excellence in culinary arts, food writing, and cookbook publishing. In this episode, we celebrate three remarkable Cookbook Love Podcast guests whose books were honored by the James Beard Foundation this year and explore why cookbook awards matter so much in the culinary world. In This Episode: • Discover what make...

In Episode 393, I discussed how an author platform is not just about visibility or follower count but something far more foundational. Since then, I keep thinking about this idea that a platform is not only something you build for publishing, but it is something that is actively forming you as an author while you build it. Today, I want to explore something that is still deeply misunderstood by ma...

Most aspiring cookbook authors believe they need more time before they can start writing. But what if the real challenge isn't time at all? Today, in this episode, I share a powerful mindset shift that has helped hundreds of cookbook writers move from "someday" to steady progress. You learn why waiting for a quieter season rarely works and how creating simple, repeatable containers for your writin...

Welcome to another episode of Cookbook Love Podcast, Register for the How to Master Cookbook Design and Photography Workshop  If you want to understand what publishers are really looking for before they say yes to a cookbook this is the show for you. In this episode, I share why recipes and beautiful photography are not always the deciding factor in getting a book deal and introduce a special live...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today on the show I present an interview with Sheldon Simeon about his new cookbook, Ohana Style. Born and raised in Maui, Sheldon is a chef, restaurateur, husband, father, and former Top Chef competitor. Alongside his wife Tiffany, he owns Tiffany's and Tin Roof Maui. In this conversation, Sheldon shares the deeper meaning of "ohana" and ho...

Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Before we get started, the doors are now open for Cookbook Writing Foundations for a very limited time, my new program for aspiring cookbook authors who want to move from cookbook idea to clear direction. Inside the program, I'll help you stop sitting on your cookbook idea and finally begin building it with confidence. Whether you want to pr...

Welcome to Episode 400 of the Cookbook Love Podcast! If you've been thinking about writing a cookbook, collecting recipes, organizing ideas, or waiting for the right time to begin, I invite you to join my free masterclass happening now: Stop Dreaming About Writing a Cookbook, Start with a Clear Plan. Inside the class, I'll walk you through the decisions that actually move cookbook projects forward...