Cookbook Love Podcast

Maggie Green
  • 4.9 (44)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

In this weekly podcast, host Maggie Green celebrates cookbook readers, writers, collectors, and clubs, with interviews and conversations about cookbook writing and the role of cookbooks in our lives. Maggie's mission is to build and celebrate a community of people who would rather write, read, and buy a cookbook over any other genre of book.

  1. 1d ago

    About Comedy, Death, and Cookbook Writing with Gus Constantellis

    What do comedy and death have to do with cookbook writing? In this episode, Maggie talks with comedian and first-generation Greek American Gus Constantellis about his debut cookbook, My Mom's Greek Recipes. Their conversation explores far more than recipes. It touches on storytelling, vulnerability, family traditions, grief, and the unexpected journey from writing a cookbook without a publisher to signing a traditional book deal. Whether you're writing a cookbook, preserving family recipes, or wondering how personal stories can strengthen your work, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Gus wrote his cookbook before he had a publishing contract and how that decision led to a book deal. How humor and vulnerability can make cookbook stories more meaningful. What preserving family recipes can mean for future generations. Why authentic storytelling is often what readers remember most. Mentioned in This Episode: ConstantlyGus.com Yiayia cookbook Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

    About Comedy, Death, and Cookbook Writing with Gus Constantellis

  2. Jul 9

    A Cookbook Korean Night Out with Irene Yoo

    What can traditional drinking rituals teach us about writing a cookbook that celebrates culture and community? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Irene Yoo, food writer, recipe developer, and co-owner of Orion Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Irene shares how she translated the vibrant world of Korean hospitality into her James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Soju Party: How to Drink and Eat Like a Korean. Our conversation explores why the most impactful cookbooks do more than list ingredients. They act as visual cultural statements, honor culinary heritage, and bring people together across generations.  In this episode, you'll learn: How Irene navigated the emotions of winning a James Beard Award. Why structuring a cookbook to mirror a real-life experience, like a progressive night out, creates a deeply engaging reader journey. What the essential pillars of Korean drinking culture, from table-side bomb shots to the non-negotiable rule of Anju, teach us about hospitality and sharing meals and drinks. How collaborating with family members on recipes, book design, and illustrations can turn a standard recipe book into a treasured work of art. Whether you're dreaming of writing your first cookbook or looking for creative ways to structure your culinary manuscript, this conversation will inspire you to think beyond the plate. Every dish has a cultural heartbeat, and those rituals are often what readers treasure long after the final round is poured. Ready to turn your cookbook idea into a concept publishers will notice? Download our Cookbook Concept Map and discover how to shape your expertise, recipes, and stories into a compelling cookbook concept.

    A Cookbook Korean Night Out with Irene Yoo

  3. Jul 2

    Episode 408: Bobby Hicks and the Stories That Live Inside Vintage Cookbooks

    What can vintage cookbooks teach us about writing a cookbook readers will treasure? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Bobby Hicks, creator of Retro Recipes Kitchen and author of Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist. Bobby shares how he combined his background as a videographer with his love of vintage recipes to build Retro Recipes Kitchen. This social media brand eventually led to a traditional cookbook deal. Our conversation explores why the most memorable cookbooks offer more than recipes. They preserve culture, spark nostalgia, and invite readers to gather around the table. In this episode, you'll learn: How Bobby transformed his videography skills into Retro Recipes Kitchen and, ultimately, a traditionally published cookbook. Why the stories behind recipes are often what readers remember most. What food history can teach cookbook authors about creating a lasting legacy. How nostalgia and hospitality can make your cookbook more meaningful to readers. Whether you're dreaming of writing your first cookbook or looking for ways to make your recipes more meaningful, this conversation will inspire you to think beyond the ingredients. Every recipe has a story, and those stories are often what readers remember long after the meal is over. Ready to turn your cookbook idea into a concept publishers will notice? Download this Cookbook Concept Map and discover how to shape your expertise, recipes, and stories into a compelling cookbook concept that publishers will love.

    Episode 408: Bobby Hicks and the Stories That Live Inside Vintage Cookbooks

  4. Jun 25

    From Cookbook Dream to Book Deal: What It Really Costs

    What does it really cost to go from dreaming about writing a cookbook to signing a book deal? Many aspiring cookbook authors assume they need a large budget, professional photography equipment, or significant upfront investments before they can pursue publication. In this episode, I break down the actual costs of writing and publishing a cookbook with a traditional publisher and explain why the most important investments are often not financial at all. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why many of the key steps in the traditional publishing process, from writing and pitching a proposal to signing a book deal, can cost little to nothing out of pocket. • Which expenses are optional, and how publishers often cover many of these costs. • The real investment behind every successful cookbook project. If you've been wondering whether writing a cookbook is financially out of reach, this episode offers a different perspective. While every publishing journey requires effort and dedication, the path from cookbook dream to book deal may be more accessible than you think. Ready to turn your cookbook idea into a concept publishers will notice? Download my free Cookbook Concept Map and discover how to shape your expertise, recipes, and stories into a compelling cookbook concept. https://www.cookbookwritersacademy.com/conceptmap

    From Cookbook Dream to Book Deal: What It Really Costs

  5. Jun 18

    Episode 406: What Award-Winning Cookbooks Can Teach Us

    The James Beard Awards are often called the "Oscars of the Food World," recognizing excellence in culinary arts, food writing, and cookbook publishing. In this episode, we celebrate three remarkable Cookbook Love Podcast guests whose books were honored by the James Beard Foundation this year and explore why cookbook awards matter so much in the culinary world. In This Episode: • Discover what makes cookbook awards such as the James Beard Awards influential in the publishing and culinary industries. • Celebrate Sapna Punjabi, author of Dal Chawal, a James Beard Award nominee whose work highlights the nourishing power of vegetarian home-style Indian cooking and Ayurvedic wellness. • Learn how Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn transformed family recipes and Korean-American culinary traditions into Umma, the James Beard Award winner for U.S. Foodways. • Hear why Helen Goh's Baking and the Meaning of Life captured the James Beard Award for Baking and Desserts through its unique blend of baking, psychology, and human connection. Cookbooks do more than teach recipes. They preserve culture, share wisdom, build community, and tell stories that shape how we understand food and one another. Mentioned in This Episode: Episode 347 with Sapna Punjabi, author of Dal Chawal Episode 348 with Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn, authors of Umma Episode 391 with Helen Goh, author of Baking and the Meaning of Life Episode 215 All About Cookbook Public Relations with Carrie Bachman If you're ready to build the visibility and audience publishers are looking for, download the free Cookbook Author Platform Checklist and learn how to create an engaged community that supports your book before it's published.

    Episode 406: What Award-Winning Cookbooks Can Teach Us

  6. Jun 11

    Six Unspoken Benefits of an Author Platform

    In Episode 393, I discussed how an author platform is not just about visibility or follower count but something far more foundational. Since then, I keep thinking about this idea that a platform is not only something you build for publishing, but it is something that is actively forming you as an author while you build it. Today, I want to explore something that is still deeply misunderstood by many aspiring cookbook authors: what a platform actually does beyond getting you noticed. Because while publishers do care about platform, the real question is not whether your platform is big enough, it's what your platform is shaping you into over time. In this episode, you'll discover: Why a platform is less about visibility and more about forming real relationships with readers that shape your cookbook concept and voice How consistent engagement with readers sharpens your message through real-world feedback, not guesswork The unexpected way a platform builds confidence by replacing self-doubt with real evidence that your work matters Why your platform begins creating opportunities for you - speaking, teaching, collaborations - before you ever "pitch" anything If this episode helped you rethink your platform, I created a simple, practical tool to help you see what you already have, what's working, and what's missing. Download the Cookbook Author Platform Checklist

    Six Unspoken Benefits of an Author Platform

  7. Jun 4

    The Secret to Writing a Cookbook With a Busy Life

    Most aspiring cookbook authors believe they need more time before they can start writing. But what if the real challenge isn't time at all? Today, in this episode, I share a powerful mindset shift that has helped hundreds of cookbook writers move from "someday" to steady progress. You learn why waiting for a quieter season rarely works and how creating simple, repeatable containers for your writing can help you gain momentum even in the middle of a busy life. In This Episode You Discover: How to stop waiting for more time and start using the time you already have Why cookbook projects stall when they live in the margins of your schedule The three essential elements of a productive writing container How small, repeatable writing sessions can help you build momentum and finish your cookbook project Whether you're balancing work, family, caregiving, retirement, or a growing business, this episode will help you see new possibilities for moving your cookbook forward. Ready to Get Clear on Your Cookbook?  If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and create a realistic plan for writing your cookbook, schedule a complimentary Cookbook Clarity Conversation. Book Your Cookbook Clarity Conversation We'll discuss your cookbook idea, where you are in the process, what's been holding you back, and the next best step to help you move forward. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend who has been saying, "I want to write a cookbook someday." Things We Mention in This Episode: Book Your Cookbook Clarity Conversation

    The Secret to Writing a Cookbook With a Busy Life

  8. May 28

    The Real Reason Some Cookbook Authors Get Book Deals

    Welcome to another episode of Cookbook Love Podcast, Register for the How to Master Cookbook Design and Photography Workshop  If you want to understand what publishers are really looking for before they say yes to a cookbook this is the show for you. In this episode, I share why recipes and beautiful photography are not always the deciding factor in getting a book deal and introduce a special live workshop on cookbook design and photography taught by a senior art director from a major cookbook publisher. If you've ever wondered who handles the visuals, what publishers expect from authors, and how to communicate your creative vision professionally, this episode is for you. During the show, I breaks down the real reasons some cookbook authors land publishing deals while others struggle to get traction. She shares the five things publishers care most about when evaluating cookbook proposals and explains the difference between what publishers want and what readers want in a cookbook. In this episode: The five things publishers look for before investing in a cookbook Why recipes alone rarely sell a cookbook proposal The truth about photography, design, and publisher expectations How to position yourself as a cookbook author that publishers want to work with Register for the How to Master Cookbook Design and Photography Workshop  Baking for Two Episode 345 with Steph Pixley

    The Real Reason Some Cookbook Authors Get Book Deals
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About

In this weekly podcast, host Maggie Green celebrates cookbook readers, writers, collectors, and clubs, with interviews and conversations about cookbook writing and the role of cookbooks in our lives. Maggie's mission is to build and celebrate a community of people who would rather write, read, and buy a cookbook over any other genre of book.

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