Everything Cookbooks

Hosted by Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, Kate Leahy, Kristin Donnelly

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Episodes

209

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Oct 2026

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About the show

A podcast for curious writers, readers, and cooks. Episodes provide behind-the-scenes information and stories about how cookbooks get made.

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60 recent

October 14, 202650 min

184: When Friends Make a Cookbook with Andrea Nguyen and Pim Techamuanvivit

We're turning the hosting reins over to Charlotte Druckman today to learn about Andrea Nguyen and Pim Techamuanvivit's experience collaborating on their new 'instant classic' cookbook, Cooking Thai. Pim shares her original idea for the book, how it evolved and the mission statement she settled on while Andrea explains why she felt drawn to work on her first collaboration with this project. They speak about recipe testing, the writing process and how they worked together, speaking on task division, communication styles and working through tension to create a product they're immensely proud of. Pim and Andrea each share what they learned from the other, how they challenged each other, the books they were inspired by and how they landed on an approachable yet educational tone before leaving us with some advice and a sneak peak. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Charlotte Druckman Website Instagram Sweethearts Newsletter Pim Techamuanvivit Instagram Andrea Nguyen Website Newsletter Instagram Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Cooking Thai by Andrea Nguyen and Pim Techamuanvivit Dishoom by Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir, and Shamil Thakrar Kitchen Remix by Charlotte Druckman Love in the Afternoon by Charlotte Druckman Cooking without Borders by Anita Lo with Charlotte Druckman

October 7, 202635 min

183: Culture Bending Cookbook Making with Joyce Tang and Soleil Ho

Kate and Andrea speak with cookbook collaborators Joyce Tang and Soleil Ho about their new cookbook, Bake Sum. Joyce shares her journey from project manager to bakery owner to cookbook writer and why she wanted to write this book at this time. She describes how she got connected to Soleil who speaks about how working on cookbooks tends to be a relaxing break from running a media company. They share how they divvied up the work, the decision to include stories and histories in the project and insights behind the cover image. Joyce describes the recipe testing process and the challenge to 'smallerize' recipes while Soleil talks about the book's unique organization before they each share their thoughts on working through an 'Asian Americana' lens. Finally they share the audience they hope the book reaches and the lessons they each learned along the way. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Joyce Tang Instagram Bake Sum Bakery Soleil Ho Website Racist Sandwich Podcast Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Bake Sum by Joyce Tang and Soleil Ho

September 30, 202642 min

182: Cookbook Design with Frances Abrantes Baca

Kate and Kristin speak with Frances Abrantes Baca about her wide ranging design experience in the food media space. The founding design director of the award winning magazine Gastronimica, Frances shares her thoughts about the design elements that go into a cookbook—color, contrast, titles, page numbers, typeface, layout, covers, spines and, don't forget the table of contents. She discusses what catches her eye, what the differences in specific design roles are and where she finds inspiration before revealing what design choices draw her in and which drive her nuts. She talks about her newsletter, her process and leaves us with a few ideas and tips for authors and aspiring designers both. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Frances Abrantes Baca Newsletter Instagram Episode 18: Pro Tips from Cookbook Critic Paula Forbes Episode 11: Understanding Cookbook Design with Alice Chau Episode 91: The UX of Cookbook Design The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst Sasquatch Books Stained Page News What Makes a Cookbook Cover Successful? Don't Sleep on the TOC Bay Area Women in Publishing Mentorship Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Wine Simple by Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill Cookbooking: a Fan's Guide by Debbie Berne The Design of Books by Debbie Berne

September 23, 202644 min

181: Debbie Berne on Cookbooking: A Fan's Guide

This episode is quite special. In fall 2025, Kristin and Kate spoke with longtime book designer Debbie Berne about her work in progress, Cookbooking: A Fan's Guide. She told us about the book in 2024, and we knew back then that it was a book for us. Author Michael Chabon called it a “theme-park ride through Cookbookland" — and he's right: the book is crammed with stories about food fads, hippy cooking, books for dudes, cooking "bibles," and so much more. While Debbie was writing Cookbooking, she was also grappling with a form of incurable brain cancer. We recorded this interview when we did so she could tell us about the book in her own words. She passed away in December 2025, but her indomitable spirt and humor lives on in the pages of Cookbooking. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Debbie Berne Website Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Cookbooking: a Fan's Guide by Debbie Berne The Design of Books by Debbie Berne

September 16, 202642 min

180: What's the Deal with Cookbook Publishing?

Welcome to Season 10! Kate, Kristin, Andrea and Molly discuss the upcoming fall cookbook season and some of their thoughts about the current publishing landscape. They talk about price hikes and cookbook sales, AI recipes and their appreciation for the human touch and some of the obstacles that publishing is currently encountering. They share their thoughts and musings about what they see as the ups and downs in the wider world of books, and within the niche corner of cookbooks, before getting celebrating their new releases and upcoming projects. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Episode 144: The Author-Agent Relationship with Peter J. Kim and David Black Episode 62: Single Subject Cookbooks with Martha Holmberg Episode 178: Comic Book Cookbooks with Sarah Becan Episode 135: The Manuscript is In. Now What? with Martin Sorge Read it and Eat Not so Secret Agent with Sally Ekus Headnotes with Frances Baca Cookbookery Collective with Jenna Helwig Dianne Jacob's Newsletter The Dinner Plan with Maggie Hoffman Has the Restaurant Cookbook Boom Gone Bust? Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Cooking Thai by Andrea Nguyen and Pim Techamuanvivit Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan Simply Tomato by Martha Holmberg Hand Taste by Esther Choi Great Bakes by Martin Sorge

September 9, 202645 min

Live from Cookbook Week

This is a live conversation recorded in April 2026 during the first Cookbook Week in San Francisco, a city-wide event co-founded by Brian Hogan Stewart (of the Salt + Spine podcast), Jodi Liano, and Leslie Jonath. Here, Leslie leads the conversation with Jenny Wapner, publisher of Hardie Grant North America, and Kate Leahy, an author, to discuss all things cookbooks. Jenny and Kate share how they got their start, what their day to day tasks look like and the recent projects that have most resonated with them. They all speak about the frantic, trend-focused nature of publishing, how the current political climate can affect a book and those glorious instances of unexpected success that keep them excited about the industry. The panelists highlight a few of their recent favorite projects and end by taking a few questions from the audience. Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Brian Hogan Stewart Salt & Spine Podcast Salt & Spine Substack Instagram Cookbook Week Episode 65: Podcasting about Cookbooks with Brian Hogan Stewart Episode 145: Eva Kolenko on Photographing Cookbooks Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show My Egypt by Michael Mina with Kate Leahy Hand Taste by Esther Choi Feed your People by Leslie Jonath Elvira's Cookbook from Hell by Cassandra Petersen Full Belly Farm & Kitchen by Jenna Muller and Amon Muller Cookbooking by Debbie Berne The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

September 2, 202636 min

115: Cookbook Trends [re-release]

Happy New Year! Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea take a look at the past year in cookbooks and share their thoughts on the trends they predict for 2025. They discuss how the pandemic affected the cookbook market, how they see production costs and finances changing and share some insights from editors and agents about what publishers are looking for in 2025 (hint: platform!). They talk about speciality markets, single subject expertise, branded and restaurant books before sharing a few teasers of our upcoming season. [Originally aired 1/1/2025] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions 110: Sarah Fennel on bringing an online platform to the page Attention Economy Substack The Dinner Plan Podcast Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Champagne by Peter Liem The Bean Book King Arthur Baking Company The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook The Cake Bible Africali Islas Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen: A Cookbook The French Laundry Cookbook Coastal

August 26, 202651 min

102: Lara Hamilton of Book Larder [re-release]

Molly and Kate speak with Lara Hamilton, the owner of Book Larder Seattle's community cookbook store. Lara shares the motivations behind opening the store, why Seattle was the perfect base and how she sees the connection between food and books. We learn the origins behind the name, location and design of the store as well as some behind the scenes insights into ordering, event planning and curating its unique selection. Lara talks about her thoughts on trends, author platforms and building a space that is a must stop on author tour before revealing her most anticipated Fall titles. [Originally aired 9/25/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Book Larder Website Instagram Podcast YouTube Channel Book Larder Podcast: Molly Stevens Book Larder Podcast: Kate Leahy Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez Easy Wins by Anna Jones What Goes with What by Julia Turshen A Splash of Soy by Lara Lee Chinese Enough by Kristina Cho Sift by Nicola Lamb Bake with Benoit Blin by Benoit Blin My Life in France by Julia Child Butter by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton

August 19, 202646 min

101: Pumpkin Spice and Hot Takes [re-release]

We're back and starting off Season 6 with grab bag of topics with all our hosts. Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea discuss the pros and cons of the (potentially overfull) Fall cookbook season and how to emotionally prepare but keep expectations realistic on pub day while prioritizing celebration. We share our insights and experiences on contracts, printed errors, correction pages and wade into some existential territory as we discuss optional ingredients in recipe writing before diving back into one of our favorite topics, platform. Finally, we talk about the the current cookbook trends we're loving, upcoming releases we're looking forward to and court some potential controversy with our thoughts on pumpkin spice. [Originally aired 9/18/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Monique of Hardcover Cooks The Bojon Gourmet Pumpkin Spice Mix Cookbook Chronicles: The Science and Art and of Recipe Development , by Martin Sorge If Desired , by Joy Manning The Truth About Platform , by Kathleen Schmidt Kristin Donnelly's Newsletter 52: Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts and Letters 100: Advice from Our Listeners and Season 5 Wrap-Up 42: How to Write Recipe Titles 93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up. Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry Banjan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides by Caroline Choe The Chinese Way by Betty Liu

August 12, 202635 min

89: Insights From Cookbook Editor Sarah Kwak of Harvest [re-release]

Molly and Kristin speak with Sarah Kwak, a senior editor at Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins, to find out what the editing process is like. Sarah shares how she ended up at her current role, the focus Harvest has for cookbooks and what authors should keep mind regarding their proposal assembly before submission. She discusses her thoughts on comp titles, overcoming past book sales, multifaceted ways to grow a platform and what compels her to spend over two years working on a specific project. Finally, she talks about trends in the food world, the changes in the economy of publishing and her advice along with the books she is excited to release this year. [Originally aired 5/8/2024] Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen Editor: Abby Cerquitella Mentions Sarah Kwak Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins Episode 09: Cookbook Editing Tips from Jennifer Sit Episode 48: Abi Balingit on Learning as You Go Subscribe to our weekly Substack newsletter for more information about each episode and a peek at what's coming up Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show Mayumu by Abi Balingit The Book on Pie by Erin McDowell Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken by Jacques Pépin Hot Sheet by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine