Everything Cookbooks

Latest Episodes:

75: Food Trends: Do They Matter When You Write a Cookbook? Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

In our last episode of 2023, Kate, Kristin and Molly discuss food trends and how they apply to the cookbook world. Whether it's butter boards, nacho tables, "girl dinner" or baked potato bars these stunt foods can loom large yet die quickly in the public consciousness. They discuss ideas on identifying trends, how to capitalize on them and the importance of keeping a variety of demographics in mind when working on "trendy" topics. Finally, we list some things we're looking forward to in 2024.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Kristin Donnelly's Cookbook Proposal Class

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

Beautiful Boards by Maegan Brown
Everyday Snack Board by Largeman-Roth Rdn Frances
Koreatown by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard

74: Crafting a Drinks Book with Danny Childs Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

Kristin and Molly speak with Danny Childs about his new beverage book, Slow Drinks; its origination, proposal stages and how the pandemic affected its creation. Danny shares his background in ethnobotany, how he altered his writing voice from academic to narrative and the process of making these recipes adaptable to non-local foraging readers. He talks about the book's photography, illustration and design process, the books that inspire him and the new business venture he is starting.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Danny Childs / Slow Drinks Instagram

The Farm and Fisherman

Slow Food International

Edible Magazine

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

Slow Drinks by Danny Childs
Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan
The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual by Jack McGarry, Ben Schaffer and Sean Muldoon
The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan and Chris Gall
Death & Co by David Kaplan, Alex Day and Nick Fauchald
Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons
Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz
Wildcrafted Fermentation by Pascal Baudar
The River Cottage Preserves Handbook
Jerry Thomas
Imbibe Magazine
Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

73: Writing For the Culture with Klancy Miller Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

Kate and Kristin speak with Klancy Miller about her magazine and upcoming book: For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food. She speaks about writing the book she wanted to read when she was younger, how the idea came about and how events in 2020 influenced it. She shares how it evolved from proposal to book, why she included recipes and the ups and downs of its interview format. Finally, she talks about the decision to use illustrations, her self-funded book tour and what is next for her personally and professionally.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Klancy Miller

Mona Creative

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

For the Culture by Klancy Miller
Cooking Solo by Klancy Miller

72: Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous on Co-Authoring Scandinavian From Scratch Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Kate and Molly get into the nitty gritty of collaborations with Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous as they discuss their new book, Scandinavian From Scratch. They share how the book came about, how they began to work together and the process they followed so each could bring their own strengths to the project. They talk about the book's unique organization, creating a writing voice, the on-location photography shoot and the most difficult part of the entire process before sharing a few final words of advice for anyone looking to establish their own successful writing partnership.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Nichole Accettola

Malena Watrous

Kantine

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

Scandinavian from Scratch by Nichole Accettola

My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Camara and Malena Watrous

If You Follow Me by Malena Watrous

71: Building Your Instagram Following with Ara Zada Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Kate and Kristin speak with Ara Zada all about content creation and becoming a social media influencer. Ara shares his decision to pursue a large following and grow his platform as well as how a health scare motivated this choice. He describes a day in his life and the full time requirements of this work as well as the mental toll it can take due to its instant nature, algorithm changes, comments, trolls, monetization strategies and banned content. He talks about the inter-relatedness of his book to his online presence, how he evolves his content over time and a sneak peek into what he is working on next.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions
Ara Zada

LA Times Article

A journey to Armenia through food: The Armenian bread that’s at the heart of every meal

Practical Kitchen Instagram

70: Native California Recipes and Stories with Sara Calvosa Olson Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Kristin and Molly speak with Sara Calvosa Olsen about her new cookbook, Chími Nu’am and its inspiration, creation and message. Sara shares her food writing journey, thoughts on the title and cover and how the pandemic altered the book's approach and voice. She discusses why she calls it "an inconvenient cookbook" and what it was like working with her publisher and learning photography for its images. Finally, she talks about the best advice she received, the concept she returns to in times of doubt and the themes she wants to communicate with this work.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Sara Calvosa Olson

HeyDay

Edible Magazine

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

Chími Nu’am by Sara Calvosa Olson

69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

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 photographer, as well as her system for recipe writing, tracking, and testing. Finally, she shares her intimate approach to food writing and what she is working on now.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Amy Thielen

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

Company: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others by Amy Thielen
Give a Girl a Knife: A Memoir by Amy Thielen
The New Midwestern Table: 200 Heartland Recipes by Amy Thielen
Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook

68: A Cookbook from the Tuscan Countryside with Giulia Scarpaleggia Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

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, dealing with one star reviews and the version of Italy that was important for her to showcase in this book.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Giulia Scarpaleggia

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

Cucina Povera by Giulia Scarpaleggia
From the Markets of Tuscany by Giulia Scarpaleggia

67: Latinísimo by Sandra Gutierrez Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

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, recipe creation, research, photography, unexpected hiccups and more before sharing some final advice for aspiring writers.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Sandra Gutierrez

Instagram

Episode 31: Catch an Agent's Attention with Sally Ekus

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

Latinísimo by Sandra A. Gutierrez
Savor the South: Beans and Field Peas by Sandra A. Gutierrez
Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina by Sandra A. Gutierrez
The New Southern Latino Table by Sandra A. Gutierrez

66: Becoming Your Own Publisher with Katie Parla Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

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 assembled team and what is next for Parla Publishing. Listen for her thoughts on touring smaller cities, her recipe development process and why she encourages aspiring authors to nerd out on the numbers.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Katie Parla

Kitchen Arts and Letters

Now Serving Bookstore

The Vanity Project

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