Everything Cookbooks

Latest Episodes:

65: Podcasting about Cookbooks with Brian Hogan Stewart Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

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 what goes into a good interview, shares some advice for aspiring podcasters and also what kind of shows he hopes to hear in the future.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Brian Hogan Stewart

The Civic Kitchen

Competition Kitchen Game

Whetstone Radio Collective

Milk Street Radio

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64: 'Do Only the Cool Kids Get Book Deals' and Other Community Questions Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

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 38: Finding Your People with Carla Lalli Music

Episode 49: Cookbook Media Coverage with Bonnie Benwick

Episode 55: Making a Documentary-Style Cookbook with Matt Rodbard

Episode 11: Understanding Cookbook Design with Alice Chau

Bad on Paper Podcast: How Libraries Work

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63: On Rejection and Recovery Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

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 "why", ask questions, build community and to become experienced instead of embittered (with a dash of rejection revenge!).

Everything Cookbooks will be back in October with more episodes!

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman

Substack

Jane Friedman

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No Meat Required by Alicia Kennedy

62: Single Subject Cookbooks with Martha Holmberg Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

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 writer brain. Finally she talks about the experience writing solo vs. as a co-author and the tip she wants each home cook to do.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Martha Holmberg

Puff

Modern Sauces

Plums Short Stack

Fifty Shades of Pâté: New Cookbooks

Michael Ruhlman: The Art of the Single-Subject Cookbook

Accused, Yes, but Probably Not a Killer by Harold McGee

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

Simply Tomato by Martha Holmberg
Crepes by Martha Holmberg
Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg
Grains by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg
The Bar Book by Jeffery Morgenthaler and Martha Holmberg

61: Writing a Second Edition with Lukas Volger Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

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 it and what he learned from revisiting his work thirteen years later.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Lukas Volger

The Experiment Publishing

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

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition by Lukas Volger
Snacks for Dinner by Lukas Volger
Start Simple by Lukas Volger
Bowl by Lukas Volger
Vegetarian Entrées That Won't Leave You Hungry by Lukas Volger

60: Hetty McKinnon on Writing for an International Audience Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

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 shares how she has developed her writing voice, why she photographs her books and the trust she seeks to build with her audience.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Hetty McKinnon

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Community by Hetty McKinnon
Neighborhood by Hetty McKinnon
To Asia with Love by Hetty McKinnon
Tenderheart by Hetty McKinnon

59: Lerato Umah-Shaylor on Africana Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

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 writing. She provides some insights on the differences between the US and UK publishing experience and the feedback she loves to get from readers.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Lerato Umah-Shaylor

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

Africana by Lerato Umah-Shaylor

58: David Lebovitz on the Writing Life in Paris Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

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, he tells us how decides what stories to tell and reveals a glimpse into a few new potential projects.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

David Lebovitz

The Idle Hour

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Drinking French by David Lebovitz
L’Appart by David Lebovitz
My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz
The Lost Kitchen by Erin French

57: Alicia Kennedy on Expanding the Scope of Food Writing Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

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 her own voice, what she hopes to see in the future of food media and thoughts on recipe creation as well as her relationship to social media.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Alicia Kennedy

Scrivener

Whetstone

Vittles

Culinary Tourism Program

Ruby Tandoh

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

No Meat Required by Alicia Kennedy
Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
Taste Makers by Mayukh Sen
Under the Henfluence by Tove Danovich

56: Hybrid Publishing with Vasudha Viswanath Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

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 describes the part her book plays in her business strategy and her experience learning as she goes in the cookbook community.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Vasudha Viswanath

The Collective Book Studio

Episode 40: Snackable Bakes with Jessie Sheehan

Episode 47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

IngramSpark

52 Shabbats by Faith Kramer

Reedsy

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