Cookbook Club

By Sara Gray & Renee WilkinsonArts Food

Cookbook Club episodes

March 19, 202590: The Woks of Life
This cookbook brings the unique perspective of an entire family — a collaboration between parents and young adult children with personal stories, family history and some delicious Chinese recipes. Renee went for some weeknight-friendly easier recipes and Sara took on a big baking project.
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Cantonese steamed fish (page 211)
Mapo tofu (page 250)
Chili oil wontons (page 87)
Ultimate chili oil (page 275)
Shredded potato & carrot salad (page 74)
Fast sizzled cucumber salad (page 73)
Beef and broccoli (page 194)
Milk bread (page 284)
Red bean pineapple buns (page 287)
Char siu roast pork (page 173)
Char siu mini bao (page 29)
Lazy veggie noodles (page 115)
Eggplant with garlic sauce (page 231)

Join our Cookbook Club!
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E-mail us: [email protected]
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
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Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 4/16/2025): Cravings: All Together by Chrissy Tiegen
32 min
March 04, 202589: Noodles
We’ve talked about pasta recently, but in this episode, we dig into noodles. From noodle soups to a range of Asian noodle dishes, we talk about the delicious things we like to make. Just try to listen to this on without your mouth watering.

Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:
The Kitchn guide to Chinese noodles
Vietnamese rice noodle salad bowl (Vietnamese Food Any Day)
Ever-Green Vietnamese, by Andrea Nguyen
Umami garlic noodles (Vietnamese Food Any Day)
Sesame brown butter udon noodles (NYT)
Pressure cooker miso chicken ramen with bok choy (NYT)
Pressure cooker beef pho (NYT)
Perfect instant ramen (NYT)
Peanut butter noodles (NYT)
Gochujang butter noodles (NYT)
Super simple ramen (Japanese Cookbook for Beginners)
Bulgogi with noodles (Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking)
Noodle soup with kimchi seasoning (Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking)

Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow
E-mail us: [email protected]
Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers
Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 3/19/2025): Woks of Life, by the Leung Family
24 min
February 18, 202588: Cooking in Real Life
Lidey Heuck’s recipes are classic — maybe to a fault? For Sara, this book has been a weeknight workhorse, and Renee loves the inventive flavor combinations.
Recipes mentioned in this episode:

Blueberry muffin sugar cookies (page 108)

Honey-roasted cashews with a kick (page 33)

Baked crap dip with sweet corn and Old Bay (page 41)

Coconut creamed corn (page 182)

Kale salad with gouda, honeycrisp & walnuts (page 50)

Little gem salad with avocado goddess dressing & pickled red onions (page 65)

Raddichio salad with pear, cornbread crumbs & muffins (page 77)

Shaved carrot salad with creamy sesame-ginger dressing (page 54)

Spiced sweet potatoes with pecans & pomegranate seeds (page 177)

Avgolemono-ish chicken noodle soup (page 74)

Cider-glazed sausages with caramelized apples & fennel (page 87)

One-pan chicken meatballs with red sauce & spinach (page 84)

Creamy polenta (page 162)

Oven-baked polenta (NYT)

Red potato and leek frittata with goat cheese and dill (page 245)

Lidey bars – vegan date & almond bars (page 246)

Peanut butter & ginger cookies (page 190)

Lemon rosemary olive oil cake (page 221)

Rainbow sprinkle ice cream cake (page 213)

Spicy paloma punch (page 22)
Join our Cookbook Club!

Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our Amazon storefront

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 3/19/2025): Woks of Life, by the Leung Family
33 min
February 04, 202587: Savory Pies
We love pie! In this episode, we dig in to savory pies that
run a wide gamut of influences and flavors. Sara talks about the tamale pie of her youth, Renee used her precious postpartum support time to make a steak & mushroom pie, and we deem pies perfectly worthy of dinner.
Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:
Tamale pie (Simply Julia)

Kale and mushroom pot pie (Simply Julia)

Pasta alfredo (Cook for Love)

Shepherd’s pie (Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen)

Shepherd’s pie (Whole30)

Steak, ale & mushroom pie (goodFOOD)

Samosa pie (NYT)

Chicken pot pie (America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)

Chicken pot pie (Small Victories)

Chicken pot pie (Salt Fat Acid Heat)

Skillet chicken pot pie (NYT)

Deep dish broccoli quiche (Smitten Kitchen Keepers)

Sweet potato & bacon quiche (Dinner in French)

The Book on Pie

Everything bagel hand pies (Simply Julia)

Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our Amazon storefront

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 2/19/2025): Cooking in Real Life, by Lidey Heuck
32 min
January 21, 202586: My Kitchen Year
This memoir with recipes is an unusual cookbook — it follows
the year after the folding of Gourmet magazine, when Ruth Reichl was left reeling and found her way through that transition through cooking and food. We talk about the wide variety of recipes, mixture of prose and recipes, and whether we liked the things we made from this book.
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Khao man gai

Borscht salad

Cider-braised pork shoulder

Thomas Keller roast chicken

Food cart curry chicken

Roast leg of lamb with fresh mint sauce

Chicken liver pate

Beef, wine and onion stew

Tart lemon tart

Gingered applesauce cake with caramel

Linzer torte
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our Amazon storefront

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 2/19/2025): Cooking in Real Life, by Lidey Heuck
37 min
January 07, 202585: Budget-friendly weeknight meals
After the hemorrhage of the holiday season, we are ready to
get back to simple cooking in the evenings, with a budget-friendly spin.
We focus on cleaning out the freezer/pantry, maximizing protein and using our yummiest budget-friendly recipes.
Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:
White bean dip (Super Natural Every Day)

Lentil soup dip (Simply Julia)

The Everlasting Meal, by Tamar Adler

Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson

White beans & cabbage (Super Natural Every Day)

Miso curry delicata squash (Super Natural Every Day)

Green lentil soup (Super Natural Every Day)

Curried red lentils with coconut milk (Small Victories)

Pureed winter squash & lentil soup (NYT)

Red lentil soup with lemon (NYT)

Creamy lentils (Indian Instant Pot)

Stewed chickpea, zucchini & peppers (Simply Julia)

Roasted chickpeas (NYT)

Spaghetti with garlicky breadcrumbs & anchovies (NYT)

I Dream of Dinner, by Ali Slagle

Dinner in One, by Melissa Clark
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 1/22/2025): My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved my Life, by Ruth Reichl
31 min
December 24, 202484: Health Nut
This cookbook from Martha Stewart alum Jess Damuck rides
high on crunchy California hippie vibes. Whole wheat baked goods (yikes), smoothies and salads rule this book, which we liked and disliked in almost equal measure.
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Tuna, Avocado and Grapefruit with Seed Crackers (page 129)

Test Kitchen turmeric tonic (page 74)

Morning glory muffins (page 50)

Morning glory muffins (NYT)

Savory brown rice porridge with greens and soft egg (page 54)

Creamsicle smoothie (page 70)

Peach and burrata caprese with hot honey (page 176)

Crispy rice and salmon bowl with quick pickles and greens (page 111)

Sweet potato bread with miso tahini butter (page 240)

Whole wheat sesame challah (page 262)

Buckwheat brownies (page 244)

Simple Any-stone-fruit cake (page 254)

Marian Burros’ plum torte (NYT)

Black bean tostadas with avocado and crispy leeks (page 91)

Very good vegan chili (page 103)

Mushroom “carnitas” tacos with citrusy radish slaw (page 232)

Lemony kale salad with crispy chickpeas and avocado (page 183)

Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our sponsor: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 1/22/2025): My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved my Life, by Ruth Reichl
34 min
December 10, 202483: Foodie Gifts
By listener request, some ideas for gifts for yourself or
the other cooks and foodies in your life. We discuss the best gift exchange gifts we’ve received, thrifting for treasures and buying more than one of your favorite spatula.
Recipes and resources mentioned in this episode:
SNL: Christmas morning (YouTube)

Strawberry huller (Amazon)

Renee’s Amazon storefront

Mason jar juicer lid (Amazon)

Thermopro probe thermometer (Amazon)

Get it Right spatulas

Figmint mini rubber spatulas & mixing bowls with lids (Target)

Hydro Flask insulated bowl (Amazon)

Fly by Jing chili crisp

Olympia Provisions

Jacobsen salt

Raaka chocolate

Sugarpine Drive-In sundae sauces
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 12/25/2024): Health Nut, by Jess Damuck
34 min
November 27, 202482: Scandinavian from Scratch
Discovered by Renee at Book Larder in Seattle, this book
is a baking book celebrating flavors and treats from Denmark, Norway & Sweden. We both loved creating these treats that were outside the normal things we bake — a perfect book for the baking season!
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread (My New Roots)

Sprouted rye bread (page 198)

Cardamom-scented apple and pear snacking cake (page 76)

Rye chocolate chunk cookies (page 60)

Waffles with kefir & cardamom (page 179)

Raspberry squares (page 57)

Cinnamon buttons (page 224)

Caramel slices (page 47)

Brown sugar “focaccia” cake (page 81)

Royal party cake (page 100)

Soft bun dough (page 110)

Cinnamon knots (page 113)

Saffron rusks (page 64)

Buttermilk “soup” with cardamom rusks (page 103)

Rye crispbread (page 175)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our sponsor: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 12/25/2024): Health Nut, by Jess Damuck
42 min
November 12, 202481: Thanksgiving Survival Guide
It’s that time again! The super bowl of the cook’s calendar.
We talk about not making it a one-woman show, our plans for Thanksgiving this year and strategies for keeping it together during this food and family-filled holiday.
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Cranberry curd tart (NYT)

Mango pie (NYT)

Vegan mushroom gravy (NYT)

Carrot pie (Six Seasons)

French onion stuffing (NYT)

Pecan pie bites with gravy (NYT)

Jennie’s Chicken Pelau (Small Victories)

Chicken and black-eyed pea chili (Now & Again)

Chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric (NYT)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray

Our sponsors: Dropcloth Samplers

Cook along with us! Our next cookbook episode (airing 11/27/2024): Scandinavian from Scratch, by Nicole Accettola
30 min

About Cookbook Club

From the publisher's feed

Join us as we cook from a different cookbook every month and deep dive into cooking topics, like finding the perfect meatball recipe and our favorite kitchen tools. New episodes are released every…