Everything Cookbooks

Kristin and Molly speak with journalist and cookbook co-author Korsha Wilson about her experiences in the world of food media. Korsha shares the magazine that sparked her initial interest, her educational approach and a behind the scenes look at some of her projects. She talks about her evolving views on recipes, what her hopes are for her work and how she approaches the research portion of a project. She discusses weaving together the design and content portions of a book, the process of mimicking voices in a collaboration along with establishing her own before sharing some freelancing insights and a peek into her upcoming project, ending the episode with advice she has for aspiring food writers.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella

 
Mentions
Korsha Wilson
Website
A Hungry Society Podcast
Instagram
 
What a Food Trip to Ghana Taught Me About My Black American Identity, by Korsha Wilson
Honeysuckle
Episode 108: Live at Cookbook Fest: Toriano Gordon and Anna Voloshnya
 
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Ghana to the World, by Eric Adjepong with Korsha Wilson
Vegan Mob, by Toriano Gordon with Korsha Wilson

Molly and Kristin speak about merging the physical act of cooking with emotional and spiritual intentionality with Nicki Sizemore, the author of Mind, Body, Spirit, Food. Nicki shares her personal journey and the life changing process she went through that eventually led to this new focus. Battling creative burnout and the uninspired work of writing for the algorithm, Nicki learned to tune into her body, prioritize pleasure and get creative which eventually transformed her blog into a newsletter, podcast and this book. She talks about the thought behind its specific release date, the innovative recipe variations, mindful intentions, design and photography process and her aversion to the word 'wellness'. She then discusses her thoughts on audience outreach, promotion, the power of intentionality and the ripple effect of nourishment before leaving us with some advice.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella

 
Mentions
Nicki Sizemore
Substack
Blog
Podcast
Instagram
 
Storey Publishing
These Cookbooks Explore the Link Between Mindful Cooking and Self-Care by Jamie Feldmar
 
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Mind, Body, Spirit, Food, by Nicki Sizemore
Build-A-Bowl, by Nicki Sizemore
Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, by Nicki Sizemore

Molly and Kate speak with Anna Ansari, a London based Iranian American writer, about her new book Silk Roads and the major career shift that brought it about. A former customs attorney, Anna takes us from her childhood in Michigan to a stint in Beijing where she discovered Uyghur cuisine and how a move to the UK precipitated an interest in cooking and food writing. She shares how she got interested in this particular topic and geographic location, what the research process was like and what went into crafting her writing voice. She explains the thought behind the pitch and proposal, the process of recipe curation and research and why she decided to package the book the way it is before touching on the marketing and promotion strategy and what she is working on next.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella
 
Mentions
Anna Ansari
Website
Instagram
Substack
 
Bibliography for Silk Roads (scroll to the bottom)
MiGrateful organization
Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing, by Anna Ansari
Home Food, Olia Hercules
 
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing by Anna Ansari
Home Food by Olia Hercules

Kristin and Kate get the inside scoop on all things marketing and publicity as they speak to the 'dream team' who worked on Kristin's recent book Turtle Island. Brianne Sperber and Felix Cruz — associate director of marketing for Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press and publicist for the same— discuss their specific roles and approaches to cookbook promotion. They touch on the differences between marketing and publicity, the role events have in promoting a book and share a peek behind the curtain at the decisions, meetings, timeline and teams that go into a project. They share invaluable insights into their thought process, what authors can contribute to a campaign and how they hope to work with them throughout the long game and moment to moment demands of a media blitz. They speak about tailoring messaging to an audience, the cheerleading role they often play and how they approach a collaborative relationship with all the moving parts involved in a book's life span.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella

 
Mentions
Sean Sherman on Daily Show
Episode 36: Celebrating Colombia with Mariana Velásquez
Link in Bio substack
 
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Turtle Island, by Sean Sherman. Kate Nelson & Kristin Donnelly
The SalviSoul Cookbook by Karla Tatiana Vasquez 
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson 
Bread of Angels by Patti Smith
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Revel by Mariana Velásquez

Andrea and Kate speak with Helen Goh about her thirty years of working in the food and hospitality industry and why she chose now to write her first solo book. She speaks about her time working with the Ottolenghi brand, her hesitation at embarking on a solo venture and the pros and cons of working alone or partnered. She's had many evolutions in the personal and professional spheres and talks about finding freedom in her work and her thoughts behind this book; its title, organization and how her psychology background informed its creation. She ends by sharing what baking means to her— its role in rituals and traditions— and ends with her experience juggling both of her careers, the cerebral and the tangible.
Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen
Editor: Abby Cerquitella

 
Mentions
Helen Goh
Guardian Column
Instagram
 
Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show
Baking and the Meaning of Life with Helen Goh
Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh