In this episode, Crystal turns interviewer again — this time diving into Rose’s creative process for developing and testing recipes. From the first spark of an idea to the final polished bake, they explore how intuition, precision, and feedback shape every dish. Rose shares how she works with professional testers, crowdsources testing across regions, and why the voices of home cooks and amateurs are essential to making a cookbook truly universal. Plus: her favorite tools (yes, The Scrivener App makes an appearance) and the quiet alchemy of turning mistakes into something delicious.

We’re heading into a short break for the holidays while Rose heads into the kitchen (and the studio) to shoot the second half of her next book. Kitchen Tape will be back on February 4 with more great guests, deep dives into process, and plenty of stories from behind the oven door.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Scrivener App

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

In this episode, Crystal turns the mic toward Rose for a deep dive into the creative process behind her recipes and writing. They talk about rhythm, ritual, and how words find their way through flour-dusted kitchens and late-night edits. From Bird by Bird and Will Write for Food to Daily Rituals and Ratio, Rose shares the tools, books, and mindset shifts that shaped her approach — plus a few tricks (and traps) for writing when the spark won’t come.

Mentioned in this episode:

Anne Lamott, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life”

Pomodoro method

Mason Currey, “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann, Jane L. Baker, “The Recipe Writer’s Handbook”

Simon Quellen Field, “Culinary Actions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking”

Dianne Jacob, “Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More”

Michael Ruhlman, “Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking”

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

This week, Rose and Crystal talk with Bonnie Ohara, founder of Alchemy Bread Co. and author of Bread Baking for Beginners and Let’s Bake Bread!, a new family cookbook about baking with kids. From her microbakery beginnings to her mission of teaching the art of bread to home bakers of all ages, Bonnie shares the beauty and grounding rhythm of working with dough. The conversation drifts through the books that shaped her craft — Michel Suas’ Advanced Bread and Pastry, Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread, Sarah Owens’ Sourdough, and Martin Philip’s Breaking Bread — and into the broader world of flavor, inspiration, and community that keeps her baking.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kate’s Bread microbakery + Newsletter

Ashley Lima photography

San Francisco Baking Institute

Michel Suas, "Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach"  (SFBI Textbook)

Jeffrey Hamelman, “Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes”

Sarah Owens, “Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More”Martin Philip, “Breaking Bread: A Baker's Journey Home in 75 Recipes”Michael James, “The Tivoli Road Baker”David Leibovitz, “My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories”Tadashi Ono, Harris Salat, “Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond”

Joshua McFadden, “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables”

Rebekah Peppler, Le Sud

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

This week, Rose and Crystal sit down with Samantha Seneviratne — cookbook author, food stylist, and NYT recipe superstar — to talk about craft, curiosity, and the quiet joy of sweets that meet you where you are. From The Joys of Baking and The New Sugar and Spice to Simply Cake and Bake Smart, Sam shares what she’s learned about writing recipes that last and why her 2024 hit Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake became the most popular dessert on The New York Times. The conversation winds through her inspirations — from Diana Henry and Dorie Greenspan to Zoe François, Yossi Arefi, and Jessie Sheehan — and lands, as always, in the kitchen, where tenderness meets technique.

Mentioned in this episode:

Diana Henry, “How to Eat a Peach: Menus, Stories and Places”

yolt.nyc

Regan Daley, “In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion”

Yossi Arefi

Dorie Greenspan

Zoe Francois

Jessie Sheehan

-“How To Write A Cookbook” author unknown 

-Publisher’s Weekly

2024 most popular NY Times Recipe - Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake, Samantha Seneviratne

This week, Rose and Crystal talk with chef, creator, and Make It Japanese author Rie McClenny about bridging cultures through food — and what it means to make “simple recipes for everyone” without losing the soul of home cooking. From her viral BuzzFeed Tasty days and the beloved Make It Fancy series to her new life as a cookbook author, Rie shares how she found her voice in the crowded world of online food. Along the way, the trio swaps stories about Cooking for Mr. Latte and Veg-table, and how cooking — Japanese or otherwise — always comes back to comfort, creativity, and connection.

Mentioned in this episode:

Amanda Hesser, “Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes”

Buzzfeed Tasty - Make It Fancy

Nik Sharma, “Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals”

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

This week, Rose and Crystal welcome baker, author, and She’s My Cherry Pie host Jessie Sheehan for a conversation about joy, nostalgia, and the new golden age of home baking. Jessie shares the story behind her hit cookbooks — Snackable Bakes (one of The New York Times’ Best Cookbooks of 2022), The Vintage Baker, Icebox Cakes, and her newest, Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes — and how she turned her one-bowl, easy-peasy philosophy into a movement. They also swap thoughts on classics like Sweet Enough, The Last Course, and How to Be a Domestic Goddess, tracing the dessert books that shaped them all.

Mentioned in this episode:

Alison Roman, “Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook”

Claudia Fleming, “The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern”

Nigella Lawson, “How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking”

Martha Stewart, “Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook”

“The King Arthur Baking Company's All-Purpose Baker's Companion”

“Baking Illustrated: A Best Recipe Classic”

Lauren Chattman, “Icebox Cakes: Simply Irresistible No-Bake Desserts”

Baked NYC founders: Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Rica Allannic of David Black Agency

Everything Cookbooks Podcast: 137: Being a Cookbook Editor with Sarah Billingsley of Chronicle Books

She’s My Cherry Pie podcast 

NY Times Cooking, “Sheet-Pan Garlicky Chicken With Blistered Tomatoes” by Yasmin Fahr

Sarah Ahn & Nam Soon Ahn, “Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom & 100 Family Recipes” (America’s Test Kitchen)

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

This week, it’s just Rose and Crystal — and the tables are turned. Before we grill more guests about their cookbook journeys, we put each other in the hot seat. The conversation runs from Ben Mims’ Crumbs to Caroline Eden’s Black Sea, from Ina Garten and Cedric Grolet to NOMA and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. It’s part love letter, part confession, and all obsession — about the cookbooks that shaped us, haunted us, and made Rose want to write her own.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Ben Mims, “Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World”

Hailee Catalano, “By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear”

Caroline Eden, “Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes - Through Darkness and Light”

Gabrielle Hamilton, “Prune: A Cookbook”

Ina Garten, “Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home”

Rose Carrarini, “Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery”

Cook’s Illustrated

Christoper Kimball, The Milk Street Cookbook

Cedric Grolet, “Fruit”

William Goldfarb, “Room for Dessert”

NOMA books

Ivan Orkin, “Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint”

Luisa Weiss, “Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen”

Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf, “SUQAR: Desserts and Sweets from the Modern Middle East”

Rebekah Peppler, “Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur”

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play

Lisa Donovan, “Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger: A Memoir”

Justine Doiron, “Justine Cooks: A Cookbook: Recipes (Mostly Plants) for Finding Your Way in the Kitchen”

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

In this episode, Rose and Crystal talk with Amanda Faber author of cult beloved Cake Portfolio, about taking the road less traveled — publishing a cookbook completely on her own. From skipping agents and traditional houses to handling editing, printing, and promotion herself, Amanda shares what she learned (and what she’d never do again). It’s a conversation about creative control, community, and what happens when you decide to bet on your own voice instead of waiting for permission.

Mentioned in this epsiode:

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

The Great American Baking Show

BookWright by Blurb

Now Serving - Bookstore in LA

Quick Copyright Information

Kitchen Tape Season 1: Who owns a recipe? with Rick Robinson

Jeremiah Duarte Bills, Portuguese Baking School

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

This week, Rose and Crystal talk with literary agent Eryn Kalavsky about what really happens between a cookbook idea and a book deal. From crafting a proposal to navigating rejection, Eryn shares what agents look for, how trends shift, and why voice and clarity matter (sometimes) more than follower count. Along the way, they swap stories about Hartwood, Guerrilla Tacos, Small Victories, Tartine, and even The Betty Crocker Cookbook — the books that shaped how we cook and dream on the page.

Books called out in this Episode:

Eric Werner and Mya Henry, “Hartwood: Bright, Wild Flavors from the Edge of the Yucatán”

Wesley Avila, Richard Parks III, “Guerrilla Tacos: Recipes from the Streets of L.A.”

Molly Baz covers

Julia Turshen, “Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home-Cooking Triumphs”

Betty Crocker Cookbook

Elisabeth Prueitt, Chad Robertson, “Tartine”

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

Ever wonder what it really takes to sell a cookbook? In this episode, Rose and Crystal get honest about the long road from idea to book deal — from crafting proposals to finding the right agent. Rose shares that she pitched cookbooks for years before selling one, a reminder that slow doesn’t mean failure. It’s a conversation about persistence, creative heartbreak, and the quiet faith it takes to keep writing when no one’s said yes yet.

Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.