Everything Cookbooks

Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly
  • 5.0 (118)
  • 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. 1h ago

    Live from Cookbook Week

    This is a live conversation recorded in April 2026 during the first Cookbook Week in San Francisco, a city-wide event co-founded by Brian Hogan Stewart (of the Salt + Spine podcast), Jodi Liano, and Leslie Jonath. Here, Leslie  leads the conversation with Jenny Wapner, publisher of Hardie Grant North America, and Kate Leahy, an author, to discuss all things cookbooks. Jenny and Kate share how they got their start, what their day to day tasks look like and the recent projects that have most resonated with them. They all speak about the frantic, trend-focused nature of publishing, how the current political climate can affect a book and those glorious instances of unexpected success that keep them excited about the industry. The panelists highlight a few of their recent favorite projects and end by taking a few questions from the audience. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Brian Hogan Stewart Salt & Spine PodcastSalt & Spine SubstackInstagram  Cookbook Week Episode 65: Podcasting about Cookbooks with Brian Hogan Stewart Episode 145: Eva Kolenko on Photographing Cookbooks Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up.   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show My Egypt by Michael Mina with Kate LeahyHand Taste by Esther ChoiFeed your People by Leslie JonathElvira's Cookbook from Hell by Cassandra PetersenFull Belly Farm & Kitchen by Jenna Muller and Amon MullerCookbooking by Debbie BerneThe Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

  2. Sep 2

    115: Cookbook Trends [re-release]

    Happy New Year! Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea take a look at the past year in cookbooks and share their thoughts on the trends they predict for 2025. They discuss how the pandemic affected the cookbook market, how they see production costs and finances changing and share some insights from editors and agents about what publishers are looking for in 2025 (hint: platform!). They talk about speciality markets, single subject expertise, branded and restaurant books before sharing a few teasers of our upcoming season. [Originally aired 1/1/2025] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella     Mentions 110: Sarah Fennel on bringing an online platform to the page Attention Economy Substack The Dinner Plan Podcast   Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Champagne by Peter Liem The Bean Book King Arthur Baking Company The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook The Cake Bible Africali Islas Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen: A Cookbook The French Laundry Cookbook Coastal

  3. Aug 26

    102: Lara Hamilton of Book Larder [re-release]

    Molly and Kate speak with Lara Hamilton, the owner of Book Larder Seattle's community cookbook store. Lara shares the motivations behind opening the store, why Seattle was the perfect base and how she sees the connection between food and books. We learn the origins behind the name, location and design of the store as well as some behind the scenes insights into ordering, event planning and curating its unique selection. Lara talks about her thoughts on trends, author platforms and building a space that is a must stop on author tour before revealing her most anticipated Fall titles. [Originally aired 9/25/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Book Larder Website Instagram Podcast YouTube Channel   Book Larder Podcast: Molly Stevens Book Larder Podcast: Kate Leahy   Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez Easy Wins by Anna Jones What Goes with What by Julia Turshen A Splash of Soy by Lara Lee Chinese Enough by Kristina Cho Sift by Nicola Lamb Bake with Benoit Blin by Benoit Blin My Life in France by Julia Child Butter by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton

  4. Aug 19

    101: Pumpkin Spice and Hot Takes [re-release]

    We're back and starting off Season 6 with grab bag of topics with all our hosts. Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea discuss the pros and cons of the (potentially overfull) Fall cookbook season and how to emotionally prepare but keep expectations realistic on pub day while prioritizing celebration. We share our insights and experiences on contracts, printed errors, correction pages and wade into some existential territory as we discuss optional ingredients in recipe writing before diving back into one of our favorite topics, platform. Finally, we talk about the the current cookbook trends we're loving, upcoming releases we're looking forward to and court some potential controversy with our thoughts on pumpkin spice. [Originally aired 9/18/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Monique of Hardcover Cooks The Bojon Gourmet Pumpkin Spice Mix Cookbook Chronicles: The Science and Art and of Recipe Development, by Martin Sorge If Desired, by Joy Manning The Truth About Platform, by Kathleen Schmidt Kristin Donnelly's Newsletter   52: Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts and Letters 100: Advice from Our Listeners and Season 5 Wrap-Up 42: How to Write Recipe Titles 93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up.   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry Banjan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides by Caroline Choe The Chinese Way by Betty Liu

  5. Aug 12

    89: Insights From Cookbook Editor Sarah Kwak of Harvest [re-release]

    Molly and Kristin speak with Sarah Kwak, a senior editor at Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins, to find out what the editing process is like. Sarah shares how she ended up at her current role, the focus Harvest has for cookbooks and what authors should keep mind regarding their proposal assembly before submission. She discusses her thoughts on comp titles, overcoming past book sales, multifaceted ways to grow a platform and what compels her to spend over two years working on a specific project. Finally, she talks about trends in the food world, the changes in the economy of publishing and her advice along with the books she is excited to release this year. [Originally aired 5/8/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Sarah Kwak Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins Episode 09: Cookbook Editing Tips from Jennifer Sit Episode 48: Abi Balingit on Learning as You Go Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Mayumu by Abi Balingit The Book on Pie by Erin McDowell Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken by Jacques Pépin Hot Sheet by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine

  6. Aug 5

    75: Food Trends: Do They Matter When You Write a Cookbook? [re-release]

    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. [Originally aired 12/27/2023] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Kristin Donnelly's Cookbook Proposal Class Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up   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

  7. Jul 29

    179: Answering Your Cookbook Questions

    The whole team, Kate, Kristin, Molly and Andrea, recap a few of their favorite episodes from this past season and answer listener questions. They chat about their mixed feelings for copy editors, the discussions they had about a recent Instagram story about recipe writing rigor and call out what they learned from a few recent interviews. The hosts then open up the mail bag and give their answers on recipe adaption and attribution, the idea of 'picking brains', including previously published dishes in a book and share how they add some flourish to their own book signings. Before signing off they shout-out an upcoming virtual event and share a note about what listeners can expect during our summer hiatus. See you in September for Season 10! Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. 174: On Being a Copyeditor with Melissa Haskin 170: Becoming a Food Photographer While Writing a Debut Cookbook with Saeng Douangdara 121: The Burnout Episode 172: Blurbs: Do They Actually Matter? 177: Collective Book Studio with Angela Engel and Amy Treadwell Ali Slagle Post Sally Ekus IACP Talk with Kate Leahy and Abby Cerquitella on August 19, 2026   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show The Lost Kitchen by Erin French Ammazza! by Hillary Sterling The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo 100 Cookies by Sarah Keiffer

  8. Jul 22

    178: Comic Book Cookbooks with Sarah Becan

    Molly and Kate speak with Sarah Becan about her illustrator origin story. She explains her early love for sequential storytelling, the book that inspired her to create her own work and what drew her to food as a topic. She shares her love for the medium, how she got into the cookbook sphere by first partnering with a local restaurant and why she eventually decided to work solo. An avid lover and participant in the comic community, Sarah takes us step by step through her creative process; selecting the right recipes to illustrate and all of the considerations involved, the decision to drawing digitally or by hand along with all of the specs, editing, timeline, tools and workflow that happen behind the scenes. She discusses the pros and cons of writing solo or with a partner, why she developed her own typeface and leaves us with some advice for aspiring illustrators and comic artists. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella   Mentions Sara Becan Website I Think You're Saucesome Instagram Toronto Comic Art Festival Studio Ghibli Food A Brief History of Graphic Cookbooks, by Charlotte Druckman in the Washington Post   Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up.   Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show The Adventures of Fat Rice by Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo Let's Make Ramen! by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan Let's Make Dumplings! by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan Let's Make Bread! by Ken Forkish and Sarah Becan Let's Make Cocktails! by Sarah Becan Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat Dirt Candy by Amanda Cohen Cook Korean! by Robin Ha The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

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5
out of 5
118 Ratings

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
    205
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Everything Cookbooks
  • Show Website
    Everything Cookbooks