Cookbook Club

By Sara Gray & Renee WilkinsonArts Food

Cookbook Club episodes

May 04, 202220: Cookbooks that teach you how to cook
Some cookbooks are just a collection of recipes. That’s great, but how about cookbooks that take you to the next level as a cook, imparting techniques and strategies to make you better at your craft? That’s what we’re talking about. Renee and Sara round up some of our favorites that taught us, and can teach you, some new tricks in the kitchen. Note: For more links, visit this episode's link on our website.
Resources from this episode:
Alice Waters and elitism (NYT)

Cooked, by Michael Pollan
Cookbooks mentioned in this episode:
Salt Fat Acid Heat, by Samin Nosrat

Small Victories, by Julia Turshen

America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well, by Sam Sifton

The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters

How to Cook, by Hugh Acheson

The Food Lab, by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee

Keys to Good Cooking, by Harold McGee

Food IQ, by Daniel Holzman & Matt Rodbard

The Gourmet Cookbook, by Ruth Reichl

How to Cook Everything: The Basics, by Mark Bittman
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Blueberry pie (America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Classic apple pie (America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Apple pie (Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well)

Jennie’s chicken pelau (Small Victories)

Best rice pilaf with roasted red cabbage (Small Victories)

Beef stew (The Art of Simple Food)

Tart and pie dough (The Art of Simple Food)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 5/18/2022): The Campout Cookbook, by Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson
28 min
April 20, 202219: Salt Fat Acid Heat
Chef and teacher Samin Nosrat brings us heaps of advice through her four building blocks of flavor: Salt, Fat, Acid and Heat. Sara and Renee have learned a lot from this cookbook and we break it down to our favorites recipes and techniques.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Samin Nosrat

Salt Fat Acid Heat

Home Cooking

Waffles & Mochi

Wendy McNaughton

Japanese Cookbook for Beginners

Snacking Cakes

Eleven Madison Park granola (NYT)

Mooncakes and Milk Bread

Six Seasons
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Buttermilk-marinated roast chicken (page 340)

Slow-roasted salmon (page 310)

Pesto (page 382)

Ligurian Focaccia

Blue cheese dressing (page 249)

Tahini dressing (page 251)

Chicken pot pie (page 322)

Chicken with lentil rice (page 334)

Fresh ginger and molasses cake (page 412)

Lori's chocolate midnight cake (page 410)

Nekisia's olive oil and sea salt granola (page 402)

Chicken stock (page 271)

Tuscan bean and kale soup (page 274)

Chicken and garlic soup (page 332)

Shaved carrot salad with ginger and lime (page 227)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 5/18/2022): The Campout Cookbook, by Jen Stevenson & Marnie Hanel
34 min
April 06, 202218: Vegan & Vegetarian recipes
Meat-free meals are the bread and (vegan) butter of this episode. Both Sara and Renee have lots of experience cooking vegan and vegetarian recipes, and in this episode we break down our favorite recipes, books, tips and tricks. (NOTE: For show notes with links, visit our website!)
Resources from this episode:
Cook for Love — free account required to view recipes

Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman (Yes, Sara called him Mark Fuhrman in the episode, whoops!)

Bisto gravy granules
Cookbooks/recipes mentioned in this episode:
Apples to Zucchini

VB6, by Mark Bittman

The Sprouted Kitchen, by Sara Forte

Simply Julia, by Julia Turshen

Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen

Love & Lemons, by Jeanine Donofrio

The Weekday Vegetarians, by Jenny Rosenstrach

Vietnamese Food Any Day, by Andrea Nguyen

Indian Instant Pot cookbook, by Urvashi Pitre

Dinner for Everyone, by Mark Bittman

The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison

America’s Test Kitchen’s Vegan for Everybody

America’s Test Kitchen’s Vegetables Illustrated

America’s Test Kitchen’s Just Add Sauce

My New Roots, by Sarah Britton

Naturally Nourished, by Sarah Britton

Family, by Hetty McKinnon
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Roasted red pepper, almond and garlic dip (Epicurious)

Romesco, chickpea and smashed egg bowl (Smitten Kitchen Every Day)

Sweet potato surprise (Love & Lemons)

Super easy Mac & Cheese (Cook for Love)

Black bean and corn tamale pie (Simply Julia)

Carrot & chickpea korma (Simply Julia)

Caribbean pelau with kidney beans & spinach (Simply Julia)

Refried black bean tostadas with avocado & pickled onions (The Weekday Vegetarians)

Spicy-tangy-smoky pinto bean bowls (The Weekday Vegetarians)

Spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric (Alison Roman, NYT)

Coconut curry chickpeas with pumpkin and lime (Melissa Clark, NYT)

Farro with roasted squash, feta and mint (Melissa Clark, NYT)

Crispy tofu with broccoli and sesame peanut pesto (Smitten Kitchen Every Day)

Mushroom bourgignon (Smitten Kitchen)

Roasted portobello in wine sauce (Cook for Love)

Vegan shepherd’s pie (Cook for Love)

Kentucky fried cauliflower (Cook for Love)

Sloppy janes (Cook for Love)

Veggie nuggets (Cook for Love)

Tempeh peanut chili (Dinner for Everyone)

Mung bean dal (Dinner for Everyone)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 4/20/2022): Salt Fat Acid Heat, by Samin Nosrat
41 min
March 23, 202217: It's All Easy
Do we really need a recipe for avocado toast? Not really. This book is an easy weeknight cookbook (mostly!) but we aren’t sure about GP’s no-recipe recipes (should they even be in a cookbook?!) and general diet culture and cultural appropriation. Sara finds some gems anyway, and Renee is rushing it back to the library!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Gwyneth Paltrow

Thea Bauman

It’s All Easy

It’s All Good

goop
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Avocado toast (page 45)

Blueberry granola parfait (page 4)

Açai bowl (page 2)

Thai curry noodle pot (page 35)

Chai tea (page 54)

Matcha tea (page 60)

Turkey meat loaf (page 124)

Tikka masala roast chicken (page 165)

Indian creamed spinach (page 103)

Roasted cauliflower with curry and lime (page 117)

Moroccan chicken salad wrap (page 32)

Miso ramen (page 113)

Asian-steamed halibut with scallions and bok choy (page 186)

Black bean soup (page 64)

Carbonara (page 66)

Grilled cheese and easy tomato soup (page 71)

Chocolate mousse (page 227)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 4/20/2022): Salt Fat Acid Heat, by Samin Nosrat
29 min
March 09, 202216: Meal Planning
As Renee puts it, meal planning is annoying because you have to to it every day for the rest of your life. Join us as we share our systems for planning meals, grocery management and keeping track of recipes we love.
Resources from this episode:
Evernote

Sara’s meal plan

Meal matrix (The Lazy Genius)

Renee’s Warm Season Meal Matrix

Renee’s Warm Season Meal Queue

Renee’s Cool Season Meal Matrix

Renee’s Cool Season Meal Queue

Our Groceries app

Azure Standard

Nuts.com

Didn’t I just feed you?
Cookbooks mentioned in this episode:
An Everlasting Meal

Saving Dinner

A New Way to Dinner

Now & Again
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 3/23/2022): It’s All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow with Thea Bauman
35 min
February 23, 202215: Dinner in an Instant
Join us for a deep dive into Melissa Clark’s first pressure-cooker cookbook. Renee and Sara don’t see eye to eye on this one — is it the perfect weeknight cookbook, or too complicated for pressure cooking?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dinner in an Instant

Melissa Clark
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Garlic rice (page 85)

Garlicky cuban pork (page 35)

Moroccan chickpeas with kale (page 103)

Lamb tagine with apricots and olives (page 52)

Black beans with chili and cumin (page 109)

Cowboy Beans (Hello, my name is Tasty)

Black bean soup (It’s All Easy)

Rice pudding with cardamom and rosewater (page 149)

Port-braised short ribs with star anise (page 43)

Chicken and dumplings (page 58)

Wild mushroom, pancetta and pea risotto (page 88)

Creamy macaroni and cheese (page 87)

Paneer (Indian Instant Pot)

Hummus (page 106)

Bone broth (page 114)

Chicken stock (page 114)

Butter-braised Yukon Gold potatoes (page 139)

Shakshuka (page 26)

Hard-boiled eggs (page 25)

Beets with dill, lime and yogurt (page 131)

Tangerine carrots with ricotta, chives and walnuts (page 132)

Coq au vin (page 60)

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives (page 135)

Shrimp scampi with white wine and fennel (page 70)

Osso bucco (page 48)

Smoky barbecue chicken (page 57)

Oven barbecue chicken (The Kitchn)

Molasses barbecue sauce (Small Victories)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 3/23/2022): It’s All Easy, by Gwyneth Paltrow with Thea Bauman
35 min
February 09, 202214: Making pizza at home
Is it really worth it to make pizza at home? We weigh in and tell you how we do it — including our favorite recipes for crust and sauce, best toppings, gear and techniques to make it happen. We’re having ice cream for dinner, kids!
Resources from this episode:
Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish

Ken’s Artisan Pizza

Tastebud

Dove Vivi

Pizza peel

Fancy pizza ovens (1, 2, 3)
Recipes and ideas from this episode:
Quick and easy pizza crust (Allrecipes)

Artisan pizza or Ben’s pan pizza (Grand Central Baking Book)

Basic pizza sauce (Flour Water Salt Yeast)

Calzones (NYT)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 2/23/2022): Dinner in an Instant by Melissa Clark
29 min
January 26, 202213: Snacking Cakes
Yossy Arefi’s book hits a high note — casual but delicious, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. In this episode, we talk about our favorite cakes (and a few flops) from this fun baking book. This book is for everyone — if you love weight lifting, and show tunes.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Yossy Arefi’s Apt 2B baking blog

Sweeter off the Vine (also by Yossy Arefi)
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Whole-grain strawberry cake (page 79)

Double apple cake (page 80)

Mostly apples cake (page 53)

Apple cake (Feeding a Family by Sarah Waldman)

Simple sesame cake (page 115)

Corn cake with honey (page 101)

Almond butter banana cake (page 87)

Buttery brown sugar pear and cranberry cake (page 40)

All the spices cake (page 88)

Brown butter pecan and white chocolate cake (page 133)

Cocoa yogurt cake (page 135)

Red velvet cake (page 159)

Chocolate peanut butter cake (page 151)

Vanilla buttermilk cake (page 173)

Oatmeal chocolate chip cake (page 119)

Lemony olive oil cake (page 44)

Berry cream cheese cake (page 35)

Strawberry glaze (page 75)

Cocoa glaze (page 135)

Fluffy pumpkin pancakes (NYT)

Spiced honey cake (page 102)
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 2/23/2022): Dinner in an Instant by Melissa Clark
33 min
January 12, 202212: Meal Trains
Meal Trains are a great way to use your cooking skill to care about people in your world going through a life change or a tough time. Eliz Roser joins us to chat about our best strategies for providing meals to others!
Resources from this episode:
The First Forty Days

Extra Helping
Recipes/ideas from this episode:
Tuna noodle casserole

Thai salad with cashews

Picnic with salami, crackers etc.

Homemade meatballs in tomato sauce

West African peanut stew

Slow-cooker cassoulet

Foccacia (Salt Fat Acid Heat)

Red lentil soup (Dinner in an Instant)

The Kale salad that started it all (Six Seasons)

Baked ziti

Baked mac & cheese

Butter chicken (Indian Instant Pot)

Palak paneer (Indian Instant Pot)

Tomato coconut soup (Indian Instant Pot)

Baked oatmeal (Super Natural Every Day)

Eleven Madison Park granola (NYT)
About our Guest:
Eliz Roser is a former project manager and current stay at home mom of two. She lives in NE Portland, and loves grocery shopping alone, messy kid art projects, and a clean kitchen. She also writes a weekly meal plan newsletter (sign up here!). Eliz prefers to use cookbooks over online recipes, and has way too many in her collection. You can follow her on Instagram @itselizzz
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

Find Renee and Sara on Instagram: @hipchickdigs and @realtor_saragray
27 min
December 29, 202111: Vietnamese Food Any Day
After the holidays, we are very excited to eat something a little lighter. Andrea Nguyen's Vietnamese Food Any Day is full of delicious, accessible recipes with big, bright flavors. Join us, along with Melissa Chan, to discuss MSG, awesome recipes and how to pronounce "star anise."
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Andrea Nguyen's Viet World Kitchen

How to pronounce "star anise"

Dave Chang and MSG
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Curry scented grilled beef lettuce wraps (page 139)

Rice noodle salad bowl (page 197)

Nuoc cham dipping sauce (page 30)

Vibrant turmeric coconut rice (page 188)

Charred Brussels sprouts with coconut (page 170)

One-pot turmeric rice from NYT

Coconut-kissed chicken and chile (page 100)

Char siu chicken (page 97)

Gingery greens and shrimp soup (page 68)

Pressure-cooker vegetable stock (page 38)

Pressure-cooker chicken stock (page 36)

Instant Pot Sichuan spicy beef noodle soup (Viet World Kitchen)

Crispy caramelized pork crumbles (page 132)

Honey hoisin roast chicken and vegetables (page 104)

Umami garlic noodles with shiitake mushroom (page 194, also on NYT)

Smacked cucumber and shrimp salad (page 165)

Bahn mi sandwich (page 62)

Streetside corn and chile (page 51)

Hanoi style bacon and grilled pork rice noodle bowls (page 201)

Roasted cauliflower "wings" (page 48)

Herby oven-steamed eggs (page 147)

Caramel sauce (page 32)

Ginger garlic fish parcels (page 115)

No-churn Vietnamese coffee ice cream (page 210)

Cashew sesame brittle (page 217)
About our guest:
Melissa Chan is the Director of Product at The Wild. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her spouse and 4-year-old son. She’s on Instagram @chanface.
Join our Cookbook Club!
Our Instagram, @cookbookclubshow

E-mail us: [email protected]

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

Cook along with us! Next cookbook episode (releasing 1/26/2022): Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi
39 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…