Kate and Kristin speak with Ara Zada all about content creation and becoming a social media influencer. Ara shares his decision to pursue a large following and grow his platform as well as how a health scare motivated this choice. He describes a day in his life and the full time requirements of this work as well as the mental toll it can take due to its instant nature, algorithm changes, comments, trolls, monetization strategies and banned content. He talks about the inter-relatedness of his book to his online presence, how he evolves his content over time and a sneak peek into what he is working on next.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions
Ara Zada

• Website
• Instagram
• TikTok
• YouTube
   

LA Times Article

A journey to Armenia through food: The Armenian bread that’s at the heart of every meal

Practical Kitchen Instagram

Kristin and Molly speak with Sara Calvosa Olsen about her new cookbook, Chími Nu’am and its inspiration, creation and message. Sara shares her food writing journey, thoughts on the title and cover and how the pandemic altered the book's approach and voice. She discusses why she calls it "an inconvenient cookbook" and what it was like working with her publisher and learning photography for its images. Finally, she talks about the best advice she received, the concept she returns to in times of doubt and the themes she wants to communicate with this work.
 

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Sara Calvosa Olson

• Website
• Instagram

HeyDay

Edible Magazine

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Chími Nu’am by Sara Calvosa Olson

Molly and Kate speak with writer Amy Thielen about her new cookbook, Company; its menu format, its inspiration and how its voice differs from her earlier works. She describes confronting her own created persona, why she feels it is important to highlight the bittersweetness in life, and who she writes for. She also discusses the delays with this book, working with her editor, stylist, and photographer, as well as her system for recipe writing, tracking, and testing. Finally, she shares her intimate approach to food writing and what she is working on now.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Amy Thielen

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Substack

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Company: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others by Amy Thielen
• Give a Girl a Knife: A Memoir by Amy Thielen
• The New Midwestern Table: 200 Heartland Recipes by Amy Thielen
• Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook

Molly and Kristin talk with Tuscany based blogger, teacher and cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia about the concept of cucina povera and creating a community in two languages. She shares her career journey, the differences in publishing in Italy versus the U.S. and how her passion for writing and cooking developed hand in hand. She speaks on the recipe testing process, her translation method, dealing with one star reviews and the version of Italy that was important for her to showcase in this book.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions
 

Giulia Scarpaleggia

• Instagram
• In Jul's Kitchen Blog
• Substack: Letters from Tuscany
• Podcast: Cooking with an Italian Accent

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Cucina Povera by Giulia Scarpaleggia
• From the Markets of Tuscany by Giulia Scarpaleggia
   

Kristin and Kate speak with food columnist and author, Sandra Gutierrez, about her career path and her newest cookbook Latinísimo, an almost 600 page tome about the cuisines of 21 Latin American countries. She shares her love of challenges, what its like working with a university press and why she wanted to write this specific book. She discusses behind the scenes experiences of proposal writing, recipe creation, research, photography, unexpected hiccups and more before sharing some final advice for aspiring writers.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella
 

Mentions

Sandra Gutierrez

• Instagram
   

Episode 31: Catch an Agent's Attention with Sally Ekus

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Latinísimo by Sandra A. Gutierrez
• Savor the South: Beans and Field Peas by Sandra A. Gutierrez
• Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina by Sandra A. Gutierrez
• The New Southern Latino Table by Sandra A. Gutierrez

Kate and Molly discuss all things self-publishing with writer, tour guide and (new) publisher, Katie Parla. She shares what motivated her to do some data investigation into her previous cookbooks and ultimately how she decided to start her own publishing company for her newest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands. She talks about lessons learned, experiences with finding and working with her self assembled team and what is next for Parla Publishing. Listen for her thoughts on touring smaller cities, her recipe development process and why she encourages aspiring authors to nerd out on the numbers.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Katie Parla

• Website
• Instagram
• Podcast: Gola
• Food of the Italian Islands
• Parla Publishing
• Katie Parla Shop

Maersk Shipping

Ingram

Zando Books

Zibby Books

Kitchen Arts and Letters

Now Serving Bookstore

The Vanity Project

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill
• Food of the Italian South by Katie Parla

Kate, Molly and Kristin speak with fellow podcaster Brian Hogan Stewart, of the Salt & Spine podcast. They chat about his career path, the origins of the show and how it has evolved since it began. Brian shares how his journalistic background and love of cookbooks led him to podcasting, how he learned the technical side of things and how he fits it all in his busy schedule. Finally, he describes what goes into a good interview, shares some advice for aspiring podcasters and also what kind of shows he hopes to hear in the future.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Brian Hogan Stewart

• Salt & Spine Podcast
• Salt & Spine Substack
• Instagram

The Civic Kitchen

Competition Kitchen Game

Whetstone Radio Collective

Milk Street Radio

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

We are kicking off Season 4 with an episode dedicated to listener questions. Molly, Kate, Andrea and Kristin share their insights on everything from time management, "the cool kids club", design planning, building brand awareness and their love for librarians. 

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Publishing Confidential Substack

Episode 38: Finding Your People with Carla Lalli Music

Episode 49: Cookbook Media Coverage with Bonnie Benwick

Episode 55: Making a Documentary-Style Cookbook with Matt Rodbard

Episode 11: Understanding Cookbook Design with Alice Chau

Bad on Paper Podcast: How Libraries Work

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Today all four hosts sit down to discuss the realities of rejection. They share their own experiences with being turned down along with advice and tips on how to turn that into a learning strategy. They talk about what to keep in mind while waiting for responses, the pain of silent rejections and how they deal with negative comments and bad reviews. Finally, they encourage writers to know their "why", ask questions, build community and to become experienced instead of embittered (with a dash of rejection revenge!).

Everything Cookbooks will be back in October with more episodes!

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Episode 19: Do Cookbook Awards Matter? | Charlotte Druckman

Substack

Jane Friedman

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• No Meat Required by Alicia Kennedy

Molly and Kate talk with Martha Holmberg, author and former publisher and food editor, about writing single subject cookbooks. She describes her career journey, how she decided to write her first cookbook and what the greatest job of her life was. She shares how her voice and style has evolved, how to make a deep dive into a subject feel complete and the way she switches from editorial brain to writer brain. Finally she talks about the experience writing solo vs. as a co-author and the tip she wants each home cook to do.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Martha Holmberg

• Website
• Instagram

Puff

Modern Sauces

Plums Short Stack
 

Fifty Shades of Pâté: New Cookbooks

Michael Ruhlman: The Art of the Single-Subject Cookbook

Accused, Yes, but Probably Not a Killer by Harold McGee

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Simply Tomato by Martha Holmberg
• Crepes by Martha Holmberg
• Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg
• Grains by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg
• The Bar Book by Jeffery Morgenthaler and Martha Holmberg