Everything Cookbooks

Molly and Kate speak with writer Amy Thielen about her new cookbook, Company; its menu format, its inspiration and how its voice differs from her earlier works. She describes confronting her own created persona, why she feels it is important to highlight the bittersweetness in life, and who she writes for. She also discusses the delays with this book, working with her editor, stylist, and photogra...

Molly and Kristin talk with Tuscany based blogger, teacher and cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia about the concept of cucina povera and creating a community in two languages. She shares her career journey, the differences in publishing in Italy versus the U.S. and how her passion for writing and cooking developed hand in hand. She speaks on the recipe testing process, her translation method, dea...

Kristin and Kate speak with food columnist and author, Sandra Gutierrez, about her career path and her newest cookbook Latinísimo, an almost 600 page tome about the cuisines of 21 Latin American countries. She shares her love of challenges, what its like working with a university press and why she wanted to write this specific book. She discusses behind the scenes experiences of proposal writing,...

Kate and Molly discuss all things self-publishing with writer, tour guide and (new) publisher, Katie Parla. She shares what motivated her to do some data investigation into her previous cookbooks and ultimately how she decided to start her own publishing company for her newest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands. She talks about lessons learned, experiences with finding and working with her self...

Kate, Molly and Kristin speak with fellow podcaster Brian Hogan Stewart, of the Salt & Spine podcast. They chat about his career path, the origins of the show and how it has evolved since it began. Brian shares how his journalistic background and love of cookbooks led him to podcasting, how he learned the technical side of things and how he fits it all in his busy schedule. Finally, he describes w...

We are kicking off Season 4 with an episode dedicated to listener questions. Molly, Kate, Andrea and Kristin share their insights on everything from time management, "the cool kids club", design planning, building brand awareness and their love for librarians.  Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Publishing Confidential Substack Episode 3...

Today all four hosts sit down to discuss the realities of rejection. They share their own experiences with being turned down along with advice and tips on how to turn that into a learning strategy. They talk about what to keep in mind while waiting for responses, the pain of silent rejections and how they deal with negative comments and bad reviews. Finally, they encourage writers to know their "w...

Molly and Kate talk with Martha Holmberg, author and former publisher and food editor, about writing single subject cookbooks. She describes her career journey, how she decided to write her first cookbook and what the greatest job of her life was. She shares how her voice and style has evolved, how to make a deep dive into a subject feel complete and the way she switches from editorial brain to wr...

Kate and Molly talk with cookbook author Lukas Volger about his career, writing journey and the process of creating a second edition. Lukas shares how he got his start in the food writing world, his experience in publishing industry and the easter eggs he includes in each of his books. He describes where the idea for a second edition of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way came from, how he approached i...

Andrea and Kristin chat with writer and recipe developer Hetty McKinnon about her career, books and inspirations. Hetty discusses how her background informs her food as well as the trajectory of her career from providing a salad delivery service in Australia to writing cookbooks in Brooklyn. She explains her thoughts on headnotes, how she stays organized and what inspires her recipes. She also sha...

Molly and Kate talk with Lerato Umah-Shaylor, a UK based chef, food writer and cooking teacher, about her debut cookbook Africana. Lerato shares how she made her passion for food into a career and what made her want to tackle this massive topic for her first book. She discusses how she pairs stories and context with recipes, how she conducted her research and balanced structure and voice in her wr...

Kate and Kristin talk with writer David Lebovitz about his career and life in France. He discusses how he went from pastry chef to food writer, how blogging strengthened his writing voice and why he pivoted to video during the pandemic. He shares his decision to write "the hardest book he ever wrote", the advice he gives to aspiring writers and his choice to move his writing to Substack. Finally,...

Molly and Kristin talk with writer Alicia Kennedy about her new book, No Meat Required, and her philosophy on food writing. She discusses the proposal, writing and publishing process and her thoughts on the structure, citations and bibliography of the book. She shares her inspirations for the cover as well as how she organizes her varied research and publishing schedule. She talks about developing...

Kate and Kristin discuss all things hybrid publishing with Vasudha Viswanath, the author of The Vegetarian Reset. Vasudha shares a quick rundown of the typical routes of publishing and why she chose to go down the hybrid path. She talks about the pitching process, what partnership publishers cover (and don't), the recipe development steps and how she assembled her creative and publicity team. She...

Molly and Kristin chat with Matt Rodbard; writer and founding editor of the online food and culture magazine TASTE, all about his career in food media. He reveals the surprising way he got started, how his collaborations came about and the documentary visual style of some of his books. He shares some ups and downs of his writing career, how he balances his many projects and his hopes and excitemen...

Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea talk about the idea behind the cookbook. After sharing some shelved ideas of their own, they workshop submissions from listeners to highlight considerations on topic, marketability, expertise and "the hook" for each premise. They brainstorm and discuss structural considerations, format, audience appeal and comp titles to give listeners insights into the vital first...

Kate and Kristin talk with Nick DiGiovanni about his transition from YouTube/TikTok star to cookbook author. He discusses what made him want to write, how he translated the visual into the verbal and what inspired the focus of the book. He explains how he got started in content creation, his thoughts on soup and a peek behind the scenes of the book process. Finally, he answers a few fan questions...

Molly and Kate talk with Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts & Letters, the New York City bookstore specializing in food and drink. As the managing partner, Matt shares his deep knowledge of bookselling with us as he discusses his career path, insights for cover, page (and spine!) design along with insights for aspiring authors. He tells us how he decides what to put on the shelves, the nitty gritty of...

Kristin and Molly speak with Susan Spungen, food stylist, recipe developer, author and founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living, about her new cookbook and its unique photography method. Susan discusses her career path, how she pairs visual inspiration with recipe development and the diaristic tone she created for her latest book, Veg Forward . She describes the process of shooting the book a...

Molly and Kristin talk with Vishwesh Bhatt, James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef in the South, about his new cookbook I Am From Here. He discusses the origin of the book, what makes it unique and the team that helped create it. He shares his philosophy on food and stories as well as insights into the ideas behind the title, chapter divisions, recipe development and testing. Finally, he gives som...

Kate and Molly speak with Bonnie Benwick, journalist and former deputy editor of the Washington Post food section, about the changes she's seen over her career in food media. Bonnie talks about her time at the Post, her views on recipe testing/testers and what she thinks is lacking in cookbook reviewing today. She shares what elements make up a good cookbook, her thoughts on recipe writing, design...

Molly and Kate talk with debut cookbook author, Abi Balingit about her whirlwind publishing journey, during which she juggled a full time job and roommates. She shares the origins of her blog, her inspirations and process along with how she worked within her book's tight timeline. She showcases her abundance mentality as she describes honoring her family's food, finding her audience and pinpointin...

Kate and Kristin talk with Nick Fauchald, founding editor of Tasting Table, creator of Short Stack Editions and the co-author of many cookbooks. Nick shares his career path, love for the design and tangible artistry of cookbooks and how some of his projects came together. He describes how he chooses his work, the ups and downs of self publishing and the importance of role definitions within a proj...

Today Kristin, Molly and Kate chat with prolific cookbook author (and EVCB co-host) Andrea Nguyen about her inspirations, career path and her newest cookbook: Ever-Green Vietnamese. She talks about where the book idea came from, how it evolved and what the hardest recipe to get right was. She also shares the challenges of this book, how her family influences her work, the ways her approach to writ...

Molly and Kristin talk with prolific cookbook author Dorie Greenspan about her career, process and longtime creative partnerships. She explains her abundance mentality, how parameters can beget creativity and the struggles, benefits and lessons she experienced writing multiple cookbooks and working as a co-author. Finally, Dorie shares how vital editing is and her advice for aspiring writers.   Ho...