Welcome to the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I talk about a question I hear all the time: How do I get my recipes ready for a cookbook? Recipes are the heart of any cookbook. They are what set our books apart from other works of non-fiction. They’re not just instructions on paper; they’re a combination of creativity, story, and trust. So if you are writing your recipes for publication, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the five stages of recipe writing: ideation, development, writing, testing, and publishing. These stages form the foundation of every great cookbook recipe, and understanding them will help you move from a scattered collection of notes to polished, cookbook-ready recipes.

And if you want to dive deeper, I’ll also tell you about Recipe Week LIVE 2025: Get Your Recipes Cookbook-Ready, happening August 11-15, 2025. This five-day live event is going to change the way you think about recipe writing. Sign up here for Recipe Week LIVE 2025. 

Things We Mention in This Episode:

Register for Recipe Week LIVE 

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Daen Lia — home cook, recipe creator, and the author of Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean. You may know Daen from her wildly popular social channels under @daenskitchen, where she shares comforting Mediterranean-inspired recipes with over 6 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Daen Lia learned to cook from her Spanish and Italian mother and grandmother. With the smell of garlic and roasted tomatoes wafting through the kitchen, Daen discovered the alchemy of a few simple ingredients: garlic, olive oil, and whatever is fresh, whether a vegetable or protein, or both. 

In this episode, we explore:

• Why garlic confit is the foundation of nearly every recipe in her cookbook—and how to make it yourself

• How one simple batch of garlic and olive oil can transform everyday meals

• The journey from social content to print publishing

• The six essential ingredients that structure her book: GARLIC, OLIVE OIL, BUTTER, BREAD, CRUMBS, and EGGS

• Daen’s tips for creating content for social media

Whether you’re new to Mediterranean cooking or a seasoned home cook, Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean offers approachable techniques, bold flavor, and heartfelt inspiration from a kitchen rooted in love and simplicity.

Things We Mention in This Episode: Garlic, Olive Oil, + Everything Mediterranean

Daen’s Kitchen

Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025

Diana Henry’s How to Eat a Peach

Matty Mattheson’s  Soup, Salad, and Sandwiches: A Cookbook

In this episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast, I’m joined by Suzanne Lenzer, food stylist, writer, and author of Peckish: Suggestions for the Sophisticated Snacker. Suzanne’s approach to food and cooking invites us to consider not just what we eat, but how and why, with more spontaneity and less convention. Suzanne shares how she structured Peckish around “vessels” like On Toast, In Jars, Napkins Only, and more, making it easier (and more fun) to plan a night of grazing or to turn an afternoon snack into a small ritual of care.

In today's show we talk about: 

• What mindful snacking actually looks like

• Why “Girl Dinner” became a cultural moment

• How to structure meals (or non-meals!) around what you’re really craving

• The beauty of Peckish as both a guide and an invitation

If you’ve ever felt the joy of assembling a little plate that speaks to what you want in that moment, this conversation is for you. Let's celebrate the joy of eating well, one thoughtful snack at a time.

Things We Mention in This Episode: Peckish: Suggestions for the Sophisticated Snacker Connect with Suzanne Lenzer Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025 Diana Henry, How to Eat a Peach

In today’s episode, we’re unpacking a concept I teach inside the Get Paid to Get Published program about defining Your Cookbook Concept. Using a powerful metaphor —the Dinner Party Analogy—we’ll explore how to define what your book is really about, who it’s for, what’s on the “menu,” and why it matters in today’s publishing landscape. Today you’ll learn why you, the author, are the host of your book’s journey, how to identify and describe your ideal reader, and different cookbook concept types—from ingredients to holidays, what makes your book stand out in the market, and what is a competition study.

Things We Mention in This Episode: How to Get Paid to Write a Cookbook Free Training Too Many Eggs Episode 261 with Mimi Smith Dvorak

Welcome to another episode of the show. Today, I’m excited to welcome Cristina Carolan. Cristina is a plant-based personal chef and author of Plant-Based Pacific, a cookbook that reflects a vibrant fusion of culinary cultures from Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. She’s the owner of Chef Veggie, a plant-based personal chef and holistic lifestyle service. A lifelong traveler, Cristina’s experiences living in Japan, visiting her mother’s homeland of the Philippines, and calling three Hawaiian islands home inform every dish and story in her book.

In today’s episode, we talk about:

• The inspiration behind Plant-Based Pacific

• How Cristina's multicultural upbringing shaped the concept

• Cristina's cookbook publishing journey

• Recipes and stories for local meals like Hawaiian Plate Lunch and Filipino Kamayan, all with a plant-based twist

• Advice for aspiring cookbook authors

Whether you’re a plant-based cook, a cultural food enthusiast, or dreaming of writing a cookbook, Cristina’s story offers warmth, insight, and plenty of practical wisdom for your journey in the kitchen and at your keyboard.

Things We Mention in This Episode:

Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025

Connect with Cristina Carolan 

Order a personalized copy of Plant-Based Pacific

Welcome to another episode of the podcast! Several times a year, outlets like Eater, Food Network, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, and others publish their roundup features: What’s hot in cookbooks this season? They’re the pulse checks of the cookbook world and offer a lens into what's resonating now. Today on the show, we’ll dive into trends in cookbooks published this spring, each tied to what cookbook buyers are craving and what publishers are publishing in Spring 2025.

Things We Mention in This Episode:

Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025 🎧 Episode 348 – Being a Cookbook Author: Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom

🎧 Cookbook Love Episode 347 – Being a Cookbook Author: Discover Your Authentic Voice & Indian Comfort Food

🎧 Episode 334 - Eat Better Sleep Better with Marie-Pierre St. Onge

Over the years, I’ve coached hundreds of cookbook writers. And as a cookbook writer myself, I’ve noticed something: the way we write shifts with the seasons. So does the energy you all bring to your projects. Without a doubt, January and September are your power months. Something about the clean slate of the new year—or the back-to-school feeling of fall—makes it easy to say yes. The urgency feels good for a while. But urgency doesn’t last.  Pressure wears you out.  And cookbook writing—at its best—is built on bringing the full you to the page, year-round. So today I want to offer another way. A way of writing that moves with the rhythm of summer. With more daylight.  With more warmth.  With more time to reflect, to gather, to savor, and to create. Summer isn’t about pushing. It’s about presence.  And that’s exactly what Cookbook Camp is built for.  So, whether you’re poolside with a notebook or cooking with the windows open, let’s explore how this season can support your most nourishing work yet. Things We Mention In This Episode: Registration for Cookbook Camp, a guided summer experience to help you shape your concept, choose your publishing path, and start building the habits that lead to a finished book.

Welcome to another episode of the show. If you have gathered recipes for years, hosted holiday parties and meals, preserved family traditions, or become the go-to source for meals in your family, then you may want to turn your recipes into something more: a cookbook. In this episode, I’m sharing 7 tips to help you move from recipe keeper to cookbook writer, everything from why calling yourself a writer matters to how your kitchen and keyboard habits create momentum for your project. If you’re sitting on a goldmine of recipes, this episode will give you some food for thought to help you start your cookbook.

Things We Mention In This Episode: Registration opens Monday, June 16, 2025, for Cookbook Camp, a laid-back summertime experience to help you shape your concept, choose your publishing path, and start building the habits that lead to a finished book.

Welcome to today’s episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! I’m thrilled to bring you a conversation with Kasey Lobb—a self-professed food nerd, registered dietitian nutritionist, and plant-based chef. Kasey is the author of The Gluten-Free Sourdough Cookbook, a flavorful new release that brings together her personal passion and professional expertise. Her new book marks a stirring new chapter for Kasey’s personal and professional journey.

Most days, you’ll find her experimenting in the kitchen or tending to “Mother”—her well-loved gluten-free sourdough starter. For over 20 years, Kasey has helped clients transform their health through food, with a focus on food sensitivities and autoimmune conditions. With this cookbook, she’s on a mission to help home bakers ditch dry, dense gluten-free breads and bake with confidence using accessible, nourishing ingredients the whole family will love.

Kasey and her book designer Rae are both students inside my cookbook coaching programs—Cookbooks on KDP and Get Paid to Get Published—and it’s been a joy to watch this cookbook come to life.

Things We Mention In This Episode: Appetite to Travel

The Gluten-free Sourdough Cookbook by Kasey Lobb

Join the waitlist for the next cohort of Cookbooks on KDP

Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with none other than Meathead—one of only 40 living inductees in the Barbecue Hall of Fame and the founder of AmazingRibs.com, the world’s largest barbecue and grilling website. Meathead is the author of the best-selling Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, and he’s back with a brand-new book: The Meathead Method. In this episode, we dig into what makes this book different—and how his method will change the way you cook outdoors. We also bust some big-time barbecue myths, including:

• Why beer can chicken doesn’t do what you think it does

• The truth about basting with butter

• Whether wet brining really helps your Thanksgiving turkey

• And why soaking wood chips might be a waste of time

Meathead also shares:

• How to cook chicken that’s juicy and flavorful every single time

• Tips for taking stir-frying and deep-frying outdoors

• His secret weapon for perfect steaks: the Sous Vide Que method

• Essential gear for grilling and barbecue competitions—including digital thermometers

• And a surprising favorite cookbook that celebrates... vegetables!

It’s a sizzling, myth-busting episode full of practical tips, surprising insights, and a whole lot of flavor. So buckle in for this longer-than-normal episode as we take a stroll to cook outdoors with the most important discovery of all time: fire. 

Things We Mention In This Episode: Amazingribs.com

The Meathead Method by Meathead

Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

Mastering the Art of French Cooking