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Cookbook Club

Each month I cook through one cookbook and share my favorite recipes, my not-so-favorites, and what I’ll make again. Then you cook along, send me a short voice memo, and I weave listener voices right into the episode. Sometimes friends from my real-life cookbook club in Portland join in too. New episodes monthly. Follow along on Instagram @cookbookclubshow.

Latest Episodes:

102 Good Things Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

Cookbook Club is back, and our first book is Good Things by Samin Nosrat! Eight years after Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin returns with a collection of the recipes she loves to cook for the people she loves, many of them born at a weekly dinner party with friends. I share what my real-life cookbook club made, what we'd make again, and your voice memos about cooking from the book.Recipes mentioned in this episode:- House dressing (page 117)- Creamy sesame-ginger dressing (page 119)- Crunchy cabbage slaw (page 121)- Boiled spring vegetable matrix (page 208)- Spicy tuna pantry pasta (page 177)- Roasted eggplant parmesan (page 225)- Chicken stock (page 314)- Chicken braised with apricots and harissa (page 302)- Pane criminale (page 329)- Oat and honey dinner rolls (page 381)- Yellow buttermilk cake (page 402)- Sparkling banana bread (page 414)Join our Cookbook Club!- Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow- Send us a voice memo: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com- Find Renee on Instagram: @hipchickdigs- Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 12/2/2026): Sweet Enough, by Alison Roman. Send your voice memo by Wednesday, 11/25.

101 Cookbook Club Is Back (and You’re In It) Oct 25, 2026

Show notes

Cookbook Club is back, with a new format that makes you part of the show!

Each month, I’ll cook through one cookbook and share my favorite recipes, my not-so-favorites, and what I’ll make again. Then I’ll invite you to cook along and send me a short voice memo about your experience, and I’ll weave your voices right into the episode. Sometimes friends from my real-life cookbook club in Portland will join me too.

Our first book is Good Things by Samin Nosrat, author of Salt Fat Acid Heat. That episode comes out Wednesday, November 4.

How to join in: Cook anything from Good Things, record a 1–2 minute voice memo on your phone about what you made and how it went, and email it to cookbookclubshow@gmail.com by Friday, October 30. Start by telling me your first name and where you’re cooking from. Sending a memo means you’re okay with me using it on the show.

Follow along on Instagram: @cookbookclubshow

100: Farewell episode Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Join us for our farewell episode, where we talk about the process of making the podcast and hear from some of our listeners! Thank you all for listening for the last four years and making this such a fun project for us.

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

Eleven Madison Park granola (NYT)
Baked eggs with crushed chickpeas, chorizo and herby breadcrumbs (Dining In)
Cinnamon rolls (NYT)
Curried chicken salad (Salt Fat Acid Heat)
Chicken pelau (Small Victories)
Shepherd’s Pie (Whole30)
Strawberry summer stack cake (Smitten Kitchen Keepers)
Strawberry summer sheet cake (Smitten Kitchen)
Strawberry summer snack cake (Smitten Kitchen)
Cranberry pear cake (Snacking Cakes)
Almond olive oil rosemary shortbread (Smitten Kitchen Every Day)
Beef stew (My Kitchen Year)
Bacon & Egg spaghetti (Dinner in One)
Third Culture Cooking by Zaynab Issa
The Michael Scott Podcast Company podcast
Home Cooking podcast

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

99: Snacks Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

Snacks, as Sara says, are a life raft in the chaos of motherhood. Renee has a whole snack system. We have, actually, a lot to say about snacks. Join us!

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

Costco high-protein granola bars
That’s It fruit bars
Rx bars
Epic bars (bison & cranberry)
Larabars
Partake brand vanilla wafers or graham crackers
Chomps
Wild Zora
GoMacro
White bean spread (Super Natural Every Day)
Hummus (Dinner in an Instant)
Goat cheese with za’atar and lemon (Nothing Fancy)
Penzey’s buttermilk ranch dressing & dip
Honey roasted cashews (Cooking in Real Life)
Pizza pistachios (EatingWell)
Everything seasoned almonds (EatingWell)
Curried cashews (EatingWell)
Vegan boards
That cheese plate will change your life

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next (and last!) cookbook episode (airing 7/9/2025): Ottolenghi Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi

98: Ottolenghi Simple Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

We’ve had listener requests for Ottolenghi books over the years, and we’ve saved him for out last cookbook episode! We talk about his signature flavors, whether this book is overly simple, and whether we love it.

Recipes mentioned in this episode:

Gem lettuce with fridge raid dressing (page 37)
Curried lentil, tomato and coconut soup (page 52)
Roasted eggplant with anchovies and oregano (page 64)
Chicken marbella (page 229)
Sweet potato fries (page 145)
Baked rice with confit tomatoes and garlic (page 174)
Spring roast chicken with preserved lemon (page 227)
Blueberry, almond and lemon cake (page 276)
Plum, blackberry and bay friande (page 274)
No-churn raspberry ice cream (page 292)

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

97: Meal Trains 2 Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

We are revisiting one of our favorite topics: meal trains! After Renee’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, we both learned so much more about meal trains. This is the best way to support people in your world with your cooking skills. Join us for some new tips and ideas.

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

Green smoothies (NYT)
Seed crackers with oil-packed tuna, avocado and supremed grapefruit (Health Nut)
Eleven Madison Park granola (NYT)
Ligurian foccacia (Samin Nosrat)
Snacking Cakes, by Yossy Arefi
Bentgo meal prep containers (Amazon)
Spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric (NYT)
Cranberry apple cake (Snacking Cakes)
Skillet chicken pot pie (NYT)
Skillet chicken pot pie (Small Victories)
Now & Again, by Julia Turshen
Stella’s Kitchen

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next (and last!) cookbook episode (airing 7/9/2025): Ottolenghi Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi

96: The Book on Pie Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

A very ambitious and comprehensive guide to pie — from crust technique to decoration to hundreds of unique and interesting flavor combinations — this book from Erin Jeanne McDowell really captured our interest. We talk about the recipes we made, and decide whether this book holds up to the promise.

Recipes mentioned in this episode:

Striped citrus pie
Creamy lemon custard pie
Peanut butter cream pie with raspberry meringue
Sweet corn pie with blueberry whipped cream
Roasted pineapple pie
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Caramel Earl Grey custard pie in a gingersnap crumb crust
Blueberry swamp pie with cornmeal crust
Citrus sugar pie
Birthday cake pie
Tres leches slab pie
Orange vanilla panna cotta pie
Creamy mango pie
Mango pie (NYT)
Peanut butter choco-shmallow pie

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next (and last!) cookbook episode (airing 7/9/2025): Ottolenghi Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi

95: Veggie burgers May 27, 2025

Show notes

We like veggie burgers, but have we cooked that many? Turns out, this episode sent Sara down a rabbit hole of making veggie burger recipes and they are tricky! Renee weighs in with her favorite store-bought veggie burger options and we have some clear winners to recommend.

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

The Ultimate Veggie Burger (NYT)
Black bean burgers (NYT)
Really awesome black bean burgers (Serious Eats)
Best Veggie Burger (Love & Lemons)
Sweet potato, quinoa, spinach and red lentil burger (NYT)
White bean burgers (NYT)
Beautiful burger buns (King Arthur Flour)
Multigrain veggie burger (Grains for Every Season)
Vegetarian black bean burger (Ultimate Veg)
Beet & Pinto burger (America’s Test Kitchen Vegan for Everybody)

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 6/11/2025): The Book on Pie, by Erin Jeanne McDowell

94: My Everyday Lagos May 14, 2025

Show notes

My Everyday Lagos is a critically acclaimed cookbook that brings West African cuisine to western audiences. Specialty ingredients, spice mixes and unusual techniques set this book apart for us.

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

Bon Appetit article featuring Yewande Komolafe
Mom’s Sunday chicken
Omo Tunde’s spice blend
Jacobsen salt tins
Citrus tonic
Fermented grain bowls
Stewed sardines
Coconut milk caramels

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our Amazon storefront
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 6/11/2025): The Book on Pie, by Erin Jeanne McDowell

93: Breakfast for dinner Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Breakfast for dinner is a favorite weeknight hack for our families. You can take it in a hundred different directions, make it dead easy or make it fancy. Here’s our favorite recipes and hacks to make this fun meal!

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:

Multigrain pancake (Super Natural Every Day)
Sour cream pancakes with roasted blueberries (Small Victories)
Almond flour pancakes (King Arthur Flour)
Cuisinart Belgian waffle maker with pancake plates
Waffles (NYT)
Simple yeasted waffles (NYT)
Waffles (Kid in the Kitchen)
Dutch baby (NYT)
Dutch baby (Grand Central Baking Book)
Crepes (Canelle et Vanille)
Italian roasted potatoes (Nigella Lawson)
Sheet pan full English breakfast (Dinner in One)
Leek and red potato frittata with goat cheese and dill (Cooking in Real Life)
Sweet potato quiche (Dinner in French)
Pasta frittata (NYT)
Joi plant-based milks
Shakshuka (Dinner in an Instant)
Artichoke shakshuka (One Pan and Done)
Sheet Pan Suppers, by Molly Gilbert
Green shakshuka with avocado, chile & feta (Dinner in One)
Huevos rancheros (Ama)
Huevos rancheros (Smitten Kitchen)
Baked eggs with crushed chickpeas, chorizo and bread crumbs (Dining In)

Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: cookbookclubshow@gmail.com
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 5/14/2025): My Everyday Lagos, by Yewande Komolafe

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