Everything Cookbooks

Latest Episodes:

84: Do We Need Cookbook Reviews? Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

Molly, Kristin, Andrea and Kate tackle the topic of cookbook criticism, spurred on by recent online conversations. They discuss what it could look like, its importance and what the lack of rigorous criticism means for cookbook publishing. They talk about the unique obstacles to reviewing cookbooks, the elements reviews should highlight and why we need to be wary of echo chambers. Our hosts speak on the idea that this genre isn't taken as seriously as others, what that means for cookbook quality and share what they specifically want to see in a good cookbook.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Cookbooks And Criticism by Tim Mazurek

Cooks Without Borders by Leslie Brenner

Where the Heck Is All the Cookbook Criticism? by Paula Forbes

A Wine Guide for a Changing World (for Better and for Worse) in NYT

Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman

Episode 49: Cookbook Media Coverage with Bonnie Benwick

Kitchen Bookshelf on Instagram

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Modern Proper by Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

83: A Niche Cookbook That Sold 350K+ Copies with Shelly Worcel Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

Kristin and Molly speak with author and blogger Shelly Worcel about breaking into speciality markets and writing niche, single subject cookbooks. Shelly speaks about growing her skills while blogging, how she was tapped to write her highly successful second book, and how her open mindset allowed a natural escalation of her brand and career. She shares the pitching process, how photography and styling fits into her workflow and how she is able to keep each new project fresh. She talks about marketing her books as "gifts", how she keeps merchandising in mind during the writing and the upcoming project she is concentrating on now.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Shelly Worcel

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Every Season is Soup Season by Shelly Worcel
Platters and Boards by Shelly Worcel
Tables & Spreads by Shelly Worcel
Vegetarian Heartland by Shelly Worcel

82: Craft Books for Cookbook Writers Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

Kate talks with Kristin, Molly and Andrea about the challenges faced when beginning a writing career and the resources they use to help improve their writing skills. They discuss which interest came first, the writing or the food, how reading with a critical eye can help one move beyond the basics and why it is vital to always keep the reader at the forefront. They each share the specific books and tools they turn to for guidance, inspiration and exploration as they constantly look to advance their craft.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

The Complete Recipe Writing Guide

Recipes Into Type (Out of Print)

Grammarphobia website

Episode 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen

Episode 15: Will Write for Food with Dianne Jacob

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BONUS Re-release: 01: Should You Write a Cookbook? Mar 09, 2024

Show notes

To mark our 2 year anniversary, we're re-releasing our very first episode!

Kate leads today's discussion on the most important question to ask before you sit down to write your cookbook: Should you write a cookbook? Molly, Andrea and Kristin share their individual journeys as authors and provide some insights into what goes on behind the decision to move forward with a project. They chat about the importance of hustle, platform and studying the elements in your favorite cookbooks as well as some of the books they decided against creating. Finally, Molly shares a Tip of the Week and Andrea lets us know which cookbook has captured her attention lately.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions:

Jane Friedman.com

Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks website

Susan Chang's Podcast: The Level Teaspoon

The New York Times Magazine article about why dictionaries are valuable

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Taste & Technique by Naomi Pomeroy
Mister Jiu's in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food by Brandon Jew

81: “Do we really test all the recipes?” Season 4 Wrap-Up Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Andrea, Molly, Kristin and Kate sit down to wrap up another incredible season of the show: taking listener questions, highlighting our top takeaways and hinting at the upcoming Season 5. They discuss how they individually approach recipe testing, what they learned about community this season and take time to celebrate the recent World Central Kitchen fundraiser and the evolution of our Insider Series. Thank you for your support and stay tuned for future episodes in the coming weeks!

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Follow EVCB on Instagram

Heidi Swanson

Episode 16: Listener Questions: Recipe Testing, Family Cookbooks, Agents, and Should I Use a Scale?

Episode 72: Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous on Co-Authoring Scandinavian From Scratch

Episode 36: Celebrating Colombia with Mariana Velásquez

Episode 74: Crafting a Drinks Book with Danny Childs

Episode 79: Collaborating with Family on a Cookbook with the Wang Sisters

Episode 73: Writing For the Culture with Klancy Miller

Episode 77: Politics, Food and Cooking with Clarissa Wei

Episode 76: Totally Achievable Zero Waste Cooking with Irene and Mei Li

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

80: From Co-Author to Bestselling Solo Author with Adeena Sussman Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Kristin and Kate speak with cookbook author Adeena Sussman about her career, her new book and what its like working with Chrissy Teigen. A self described "late bloomer" Adeena shares her experience collaborating on over a dozen books, how she got her start and what she learned on the job as she hustled her way into food media. She talks about how she sees herself and her audience, what shabbat means to her and how she views social media recipe development. Finally, she discusses the value she sees in book events, how she stays organized and what her next book is about.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Adeena Sussman

The Little Rituals That Keep Us Going - The New York Times

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Sababa by Adeena Sussman
Shabbat by Adeena Sussman
Cravings by Adeena Sussman and Chrissy Teigen
Cravings: Hungry for More by Adeena Sussman and Chrissy Teigen
Cravings: All Together by Adeena Sussman and Chrissy Teigen

79: Collaborating with Family on a Cookbook with the Wang Sisters Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Molly and Kristin speak with the Wang sisters, Stéphanie, Patricia Ho-Yi and Caroline, about their new cookbook, Asian Vegetables and its recently released English edition. They discuss how the idea for the book came about and how they decided to tackle it as a team using their various skill sets as a gardener, dietician and musician. They share their collaboration process, how they divided the labor and what themes they were passionate about including in this all-in-one gardening guide, memoir and cookbook. They talk about crafting one voice, the translation process and design choices including a special connection with their photographer as well as how working on this during the height of the pandemic brought them closer as sisters.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

The Wang Sisters

Asian Vegetables (French Version)

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Asian Vegetables (English version) by Stéphanie Wang, Patricia Ho-Yi Wang, Caroline Wang

78: Co-Authoring a Cookbook Series with Darra Goldstein Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Molly and Kate discuss serialized cookbooks with author and professor, Darra Goldstein. Darra explains how the idea for the series came about, how the writing team was assembled and the inspirations behind the project. She shares the obstacles that arose as they released two books at once, as well as the relentless schedule this involved. Finally, she speaks on the necessity of switching up her writing voice from academic to author, the hurdles of the design process and where the next installments are in the pipeline.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Darra Goldstein

Zarela Martinez

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Preserved: Condiments by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, Richard Martin
Preserved: Fruit by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, Richard Martin
Kirsten Shockey
Food52
Modernist Cuisine

77: Politics, Food and Cooking with Clarissa Wei Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Andrea and Molly talk with Taipei-based journalist and author, Clarissa Wei about her debut cookbook, Made in Taiwan and the inclusion of politics in food writing. Clarissa speaks about her career's origins and how her frustration with the outdated coverage of Taiwanese food in media compelled her to write this book. She shares how her journalistic background informed the project, how she worked with the various members of her team and her strategy for weaving in the history with the technical side of cooking. She discusses how she used her writing voice in this format and what she hopes to work on in the future.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Clarissa Wei

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Made in Taiwan by Clarissa Wei

76: Totally Achievable Zero Waste Cooking with Irene and Mei Li Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

Kate and Kristin speak with sisters Margaret and Irene Li about their new book, Perfectly Good Food, and the concepts of shopping your kitchen and foraging your fridge. They discuss the idea behind the book, how they approached its unique structure and landed on its fun, friendly tone and created its flexible recipes. They share how they divided the work of writing and what is next for them.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Food Waste Feast

Food Waste Feast on Instagram

Mei Mei Dumplings

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show