Molly, Kate and Kristin speak with Martin Sorge, the winner of The Great American Baking Show, about his debut cookbook while he is still in the thick of creating it. Martin talks about getting started on his baking journey, the role the show played in his career and what he's taken away from the experience before diving into the process of developing, pitching, testing and writing his cookbook. He shares specific pain points of the process, his approach and then turns the tables onto the hosts as he asks them for advice and insights as he begins this new venture.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Martin Sorge

• Website
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Substack: Great Bakes

Sally Ekus

Dianne Jacob, writing coach, author and teacher

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

• The Secrets of Cooking by Bee Wilson
• Green City Market Cookbook
• Preservation Kitchen, by Paul Virant and Kate Leahy

Kate and Kristin speak with cookbook author Maria Zizka about writing her solo projects as well as the more than forty collaborations she's worked on so far in her career. They chat about the challenges inherent in collaborations, how Maria got her start in the food world and the role letter writing played in getting her incredible internship—recipe testing alongside Suzanne Goin. Maria shares how she balances collaborations and solo projects, the lessons, systems and habits she's established because of her range of experiences, and the projects she will and won't take on. She talks about the process of switching agents, why she celebrates even the little milestones and the advice she has for aspiring authors.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Maria Zizka

• Website
• Instagram
  

University of Gastronomic Sciences

Episode 32: Co-Authoring Cookbooks with JJ Goode

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

• The Newlywed Table by Maria Zizka
• Boards, Platters, Plates by Maria Zizka
• One-Bowl Meals by Maria Zizka
• Cook Color by Maria Zizka
• The Hostess Handbook by Maria Zizka
• Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
• I Love You: Recipes from the Heart by Pamela Anderson

This episode Molly, Kate, Kristin and Andrea chat all things comp titles, but first they talk about a recent plagiarism controversy that is rocking the cookbook world. They share their thoughts on copyrighting recipes, including attribution and having respect for 'the canon' of cookbooks. Then they move on to the subject of comp titles: what they are, what they are used for, how to identify them, some dos and don'ts and why publishers may come up with a list of their own. The hosts share some examples from their own projects, list a few potential resources to help authors find them and share how the role of comp titles is more important than ever in publishing.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Nagi's statement: When you see your recipes in a $4 million book

Edelweiss

Circana Book Scan

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

Kate and Molly welcome our first repeat guest, blogger and new novelist Adam Roberts, to discuss his foray into fiction. Adam shares what made him turn to fiction, why his first attempt didn't work and his own experience working as a ghostwriter as he shares the process of getting this book out into the world. He explains where the original idea came from, what parts of himself he infused into his characters and why creating the cookbook within the book was vital to the plot. Finally he shares some advice for aspiring novelists and a few sneak peaks into what he is working on next.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Adam Roberts

• Website
• Instagram
• Substack Newsletter: The Amateur Gourmet
  

Episode 26: Blogs, Books and Broadway with Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet

Casey Elsass

Archestratus Books

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

• Food Person, by Adam Roberts
• Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway, by Adam Roberts
• A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, by George Saunders
• Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
• After Taste, by Daria Lavelle
• What Can I Bring, by Casey Elsass

Molly and Kate speak with the self described 'OG Food Creative' Victoria Granof about her vast and varied career in food media. With decades of experience cooking, catering, food styling, writing and directing she is filled with insights, stories and, like her newsletter, delicious tangents as she talks about what she loves about her work, lessons she's learned and a few wild celebrity encounters. She shares what her work looks like today, the origin stories behind both her Sicily books and the writing, research and art direction behind the new book's creation.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Victoria Granof

• Website
• Instagram
• Substack Newsletter: Delicious Tangents
• Creative Coaching

Smashbox Studios, LA

Sweet Sicily, by Victoria Granof

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

• Sicily, My Sweet, by Victoria Granof
• The Ultimate College Cookbook, by Victoria Granof

Kate and Molly speak with Camilla Wynne, a Toronto-based pastry chef, writer and teacher, about her new cookbook Nature's Candy. Camilla shares her unique career trajectory, the book's origin story and why she wanted to write about the niche technique of candying fruit. She explains the challenges and approach to its writing, design, photoshoot, research and recipe testing, along with how she pitched such a specific title to publishers. She talks about why creating an elegant yet approachable, stylish yet whimsical book was important to her and her hopes for this rigorous work to stay evergreen for candy enthusiasts. She leaves us with some wise advice and a sneak peek into her next project.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Camilla Wynne

• Website
• Instagram
• Substack Newsletter
• Band: Sunset Rubdown

Nicola Lamb’s Kitchen Projects

Verlet Chocolate

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

• Jam Bake by Camilla Wynne
• Nature's Candy by Camilla Wynne
• Preservation Society Home Preserves

Kristin and Andrea speak with Rick Martínez about his new book, Salsa Daddy, and his thoughts on the state of Mexican cooking and cookbooks in America today. Rick shares why he wanted to write this specific book, how it changed him as a cook and what he hopes to convey with his work. He reveals a few key editorial differences between working on this and his first book, why he is inspired by other cuisines and what the process was like working with his passionate and skilled collaborators and leaves us with a tease for book 3.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Rick Martínez

• Website
• Instagram

Taste podcast episode

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

• Mi Cocina by Rick Martínez
• Salsa Daddy by Rick Martínez
• Six Seasons by Josh McFadden

Kate and Molly speak with podcast host Sutanya Dacres about her debut memoir, Dinner for One, which was inspired by her podcast of the same name. Sutanya shares how her 'anti-fairytale' led to a show and a book, how she developed her writer's voice and her thoughts on what makes a memoir and why her book is unique to the 'American in Paris' lexicon. She describes how finding the arc of the story lies in choosing the right focal points before sharing the challenges inherent in writing about real events and people and how living in Paris has shifted her approach to life. Finally, she shares some advice for aspiring memoirists and discusses her supper club, restaurant pop-ups and tells us what she has planned for the future.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Sign up for our LIVE! Pitch Slam Session with Sally Ekus on May 21st!

Mentions

Sutanya Dacres

• Podcast
• Instagram

In Writing with Hattie Crisell podcast

Leigh Eisenman

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

• Dinner for One by Sutanya Dacres
• Eat Pray Love with Elizabeth Gilbert