Everything Cookbooks

Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly
  • 5.0 (1)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast for curious writers, readers, and cooks. Episodes provide behind-the-scenes information and stories about how cookbooks get made.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    160: A Mindful Cookbook Born from Burnout with Nicki Sizemore

    Molly and Kristin speak about merging the physical act of cooking with emotional and spiritual intentionality with Nicki Sizemore, the author of Mind, Body, Spirit, Food. Nicki shares her personal journey and the life changing process she went through that eventually led to this new focus. Battling creative burnout and the uninspired work of writing for the algorithm, Nicki learned to tune into her body, prioritize pleasure and get creative which eventually transformed her blog into a newsletter, podcast and this book. She talks about the thought behind its specific release date, the innovative recipe variations, mindful intentions, design and photography process and her aversion to the word 'wellness'. She then discusses her thoughts on audience outreach, promotion, the power of intentionality and the ripple effect of nourishment before leaving us with some advice. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Nicki Sizemore SubstackBlogPodcastInstagram  Storey Publishing These Cookbooks Explore the Link Between Mindful Cooking and Self-Care by Jamie Feldmar   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Mind, Body, Spirit, Food, by Nicki SizemoreBuild-A-Bowl, by Nicki SizemoreFresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, by Nicki Sizemore

    48 min

  2. 4 FEB

    159: Silk Roads with Anna Ansari

    Molly and Kate speak with Anna Ansari, a London based Iranian American writer, about her new book Silk Roads and the major career shift that brought it about. A former customs attorney, Anna takes us from her childhood in Michigan to a stint in Beijing where she discovered Uyghur cuisine and how a move to the UK precipitated an interest in cooking and food writing. She shares how she got interested in this particular topic and geographic location, what the research process was like and what went into crafting her writing voice. She explains the thought behind the pitch and proposal, the process of recipe curation and research and why she decided to package the book the way it is before touching on the marketing and promotion strategy and what she is working on next. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Anna Ansari WebsiteInstagramSubstack  Bibliography for Silk Roads (scroll to the bottom) MiGrateful organization Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing, by Anna Ansari Home Food, Olia Hercules   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing by Anna AnsariHome Food by Olia Hercules

    55 min

  3. 28 JAN

    158: Cookbook Marketing and Publicity with Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz

    Kristin and Kate get the inside scoop on all things marketing and publicity as they speak to the 'dream team' who worked on Kristin's recent book Turtle Island. Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz — associate director of marketing for Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press and publicist for the same— discuss their specific roles and approaches to cookbook promotion. They touch on the differences between marketing and publicity, the role events have in promoting a book and share a peek behind the curtain at the decisions, meetings, timeline and teams that go into a project. They share invaluable insights into their thought process, what authors can contribute to a campaign and how they hope to work with them throughout the long game and moment to moment demands of a media blitz. They speak about tailoring messaging to an audience, the cheerleading role they often play and how they approach a collaborative relationship with all the moving parts involved in a book's life span. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Sean Sherman on Daily Show Episode 36: Celebrating Colombia with Mariana Velásquez Link in Bio substack   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Turtle Island, by Sean Sherman. Kate Nelson & Kristin DonnellyThe SalviSoul Cookbook by Karla Tatiana Vasquez Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson Bread of Angels by Patti SmithStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelRevel by Mariana Velásquez

    50 min

  4. 21 JAN

    157: Helen Goh on Baking and the Meaning of Life

    Andrea and Kate speak with Helen Goh about her thirty years of working in the food and hospitality industry and why she chose now to write her first solo book. She speaks about her time working with the Ottolenghi brand, her hesitation at embarking on a solo venture and the pros and cons of working alone or partnered. She's had many evolutions in the personal and professional spheres and talks about finding freedom in her work and her thoughts behind this book; its title, organization and how her psychology background informed its creation. She ends by sharing what baking means to her— its role in rituals and traditions— and ends with her experience juggling both of her careers, the cerebral and the tangible. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Helen Goh Guardian ColumnInstagram  Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Baking and the Meaning of Life with Helen GohSweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

    46 min

  5. 14 JAN

    156: Writing History Through Recipes with Jessica B. Harris

    Molly and Andrea speak with the iconic culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris about her career and newest work, Braided Heritage. After discussing the 'more' than recipes that make a cookbook a cookbook, Dr. Harris also shares why this book is important at this point and what interested her about this topic and format. She speaks about the backbeat that motivated the entire project, how she went about commissioning stories and recipes from other people and why each genre she writes in requires her to wear a different hat. She talks about the long process of the book's creation, how her experience in academia informed it, the advice she has for future generations and her thoughts on being labeled an 'activist'. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions   Jessica Harris InstagramHigh on the Hog Netflix Show   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Braided Heritage by Jessica HarrisHigh on the Hog by Jessica HarrisA Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook by Jessica HarrisIron Pots & Wooden Spoons by Jessica Harrismore Jessica Harris titles here

    47 min

  6. 7 JAN

    155: Aran Goyoaga on the Art of Gluten-Free Bread

    Kate and Molly speak with author and photographer Aran Goyoaga about her new, groundbreaking book The Art of Gluten Free Bread. Aran talks about her experience as a pastry chef, where her gluten free journey began and starting her blog Cannelle et Vanille. She discusses the inspiration behind this new book, the research & development process and how her inexperience with bread was actually an advantage. With the wide variance of gluten free flours on the market, Aran talks about the importance of beginning the book with a guide with the hopes that readers will eventually riff on her recipes and why she insisted on metric measurements. She gets into the photography process, how she arranged the photo schedule around rigorous testing and why it could get lonely at times. Finally she shares some hopes she has for the book, where she wants to see it on the shelf and what she plans for the future. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Join The Local Palate Cookbook Club Aran Goyoaga WebsiteInstagramCannelle et Vanille  Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show The Art of Gluten Free Bread by Aran GoyoagaCannelle et Vanille by Aran GoyoagaCannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by Aran Goyoaga

    50 min

  7. 31/12/2025

    154: Cookbook Writing is a Long Game

    Kristin, Molly, Andrea and Kate look back at the cookbook media landscape of 2025 and discuss the Anthropic settlement, their thoughts about AI in the food media sphere and share their inclinations about its usage. Each of the hosts share some wins they had this year with Kristin speaking about working on the Turtle Island book and Andrea joining in to share her thoughts on finding balance in collaboration projects. With a dash of astrology and numerology each host reveals what keeps them following this creative path and what they've let go of over the years along with the role persistence and perseverance plays in this journey. Finally they end the episode by sharing some of the books, people and ideas they are excited to follow into 2026.   Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Join The Local Palate Cookbook Club Anthropic Settlement AI Duped My Cookbook and Made a Mess, by Adam Erace Kristin Donnelly on Co-Writing One of the Year's Biggest Books from Cookbookery Collective   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Turtle Island, by Sean Sherman. Kate Nelson & Kristin DonnellyHeart Shaped Tin, by Bee WilsonFeast on Your Life, by Tamar AdlerOn Eating, by Alicia KennedyThe Last Sweet Bite by Michael Shaikh

    45 min

  8. 17/12/2025

    153: Making a Niche Baking Book with Maureen Abood

    Andrea and Kate speak with Maureen Abood about her new cookbook Lebanese Baking. She speaks about her Lebanese American heritage and why this project allowed her to know, cherish and preserve that identity for herself and future generations. She shares why she went niche, how long the selling process was, what it was like working with her editorial team and why she decided to put her own spin on the Dubai Chocolate craze. She shares her thoughts on the photoshoot experience, marketing tactics, glossary inclusion and why she seeks to remove barriers and limit intimidation to bakers as well as why this cuisine deserves its heyday. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Special Holiday Offer for Everything Cookbook listeners from The Local Palate Cookbook Club: Enjoy 15% off any membership, which includes curated newsletters, marketplace discounts, event invitations, and chances to win cookbooks and kitchen swag. Click the link to sign up: https://thelocalpalate.com/cookbookclub/ and use promotional code EVERYTHING. This special offer expires on 12/25.  Maureen Abood WebsiteInstagramOnline Shop  Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Lebanese Baking by Maureen AboodRose Water and Orange Blossoms by Maureen Abood

    50 min
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About

A podcast for curious writers, readers, and cooks. Episodes provide behind-the-scenes information and stories about how cookbooks get made.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    175
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Everything Cookbooks
  • Show Website
    Everything Cookbooks

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