Everything Cookbooks

Latest Episodes:

16: Listener Questions: Recipe Testing, Family Cookbooks, Agents, and Should I Use a Scale? Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

On today's episode Molly, Andrea, Kristin and Kate sit down to answer listener submitted questions. They tackle everything from title choices, choosing an agent, becoming a recipe tester, stolen ideas and trusting yourself as an author. Finally, each host reveals a key concept they've learned from the last 15 episodes.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

15: Will Write for Food with Dianne Jacob Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Molly and Kate chat all things food writing with Dianne Jacob, freelance writing coach, editor and the author of "Will Write for Food". Dianne shares her career trajectory and insights into crafting the four editions of her book throughout an ever evolving food media landscape. She believes the craft of writing is foundational and tells us why some bloggers are scared of her, the importance of voice and her favorite writing exercise.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Dianne Jacob

Book Passage Bookstore

Delicious Experiences: Private Classes

The Dark Reality Behind ‘Cozy Mysteries’

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

Caramel Pecan Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke
The Butter Did It by Phyllis Richman
Becoming a Chef by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
52 Shabbats by Faith Kramer
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

14: How to Promote Your Cookbook Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

Kate starts off today's chat recounting some event horror stories while Kristin, Molly and Andrea chime in with some of their own. They discuss publicity timelines, tips for getting comfortable with self-promotion and insights into how to expand an audience. They share how involved the publisher can be in book promotion, what has changed since 2020 and sing the praises of librarians and booksellers.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Jenna Kutcher

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

13: Talking Cookbook Photography with Yossy Arefi Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

Kristin learns more about life behind the lens as she interviews author, photographer and food stylist Yossy Arefi. Yossy shares her career origins, her habit of self motivated learning and how she uses her food stylist talents as a photographer. She describes the unglamorous side of a shoot and provides some insights into the cover selection process before sharing the upcoming photography trends she is excited about.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Yossy Arefi

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

12: Photographing Your Cookbook Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Kristin leads today's conversation about photography, its importance in the world of cookbooks and how it can bring a book to life. Molly, Kate and Andrea join in with their own stories of shoots gone wrong, how to find the right photographer, what all is included in the photo budget and the (sometimes contentious) cover image selection process. Finally, Molly shares a book all about the evolution of food media through the years.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

"Dare to Cook Photo-Free (And Love it So Much More)" by Andrea Nguyen

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

Entertaining by Martha Stewart
Season by Nik Sharma
The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez-Alt
Feast for the Eyes by Susan Bright

11: Understanding Cookbook Design with Alice Chau May 25, 2022

Show notes

Molly gets more insight into the cookbook design process as she talks with Alice Chau, former Senior Designer at Chronicle Books and now independent designer and art director. Alice shares what her first step into a project is, how to balance various inputs and all the elements to juggle when creating the look and mood of a cookbook. With a unique educational background, she shares how she got started in her current career and how her other projects inform her cookbook design inspiration.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Alice Chau “Share Your Road”
Alice’s Instagram

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

10: Working with Your Cookbook Design Team May 18, 2022

Show notes

Molly leads the conversation about the design process, one of the more mystifying stops on a cookbook's journey to publication. With Andrea, Kate and Kristin's expertise, the discussion covers elements like trim size, typeface, bindings and paper stock as well as what to look out for in regards to form and function before revealing some personal experiences, regrets and advice. Finally, Andrea shares one of the books she refers to most often when writing.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

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

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook by Dorie Greenspan
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Pho by Andrea Nguyen
La Buvette by Camille Fourmont and Kate Leahy
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi

09: Cookbook Editing Tips from Jennifer Sit May 11, 2022

Show notes

Andrea dives further into the editing process during her interview with Jennifer Sit, Executive Editor at Clarkson Potter which is an imprint of Penguin Random House. With over 12 years of experience working with both new authors and household names, Jennifer shares her insights into the author/editor/publisher dynamic and how she approaches these relationships to ensure a successful book. She tells us her favorite part of her job as well the best way to start out a project.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Jennifer Sit

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

08: How to Survive a Cookbook Edit May 04, 2022

Show notes

Andrea leads today's deep dive into the editing stage of cookbook creation. Molly, Kate and Kristin each share their rituals, processes and insights as they discuss the different kinds of editing, how much leeway authors have and how to cope when tensions rise. We hear some personal editing woes and saves as well as learn all the final small yet essential elements that go into a polished end product. Finally, Kristin shares her recent favorite cookbook.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions:

Saltie: A Cookbook by Caroline Fidanza and Anna Dunn, is sadly unavailable through our shop at Bookshop.org but you may find it at other retailers.
More on binaural beats here.

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

07: How Michelle Tam Makes Visual Recipes Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Andrea learns more about the visual side of recipe writing as she talks with Nom Nom Paleo's Michelle Tam. Michelle shares how her work is a family affair, the process of designing the unique format of her recipes and how her previous career influences her current one. She explains her thoughts about unique content creation for her various platforms and how the pandemic shaped the latest project.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Stanford Continuing Education occasionally offers a food writing class

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected