Episode 385: Being a Cookbook Writer: Uplifting Indigenous Culture & Traditions with Pyet DeSpain
Release Date: 01/22/2026
Episode 398: Why Your Cookbook Project Feels Like It’s Not Going Anywhere
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I talk about why your cookbook can feel like it’s not going anywhere, even when you’re actively working on it—and how a lack of direction underneath the work creates hidden costs that most people don’t see at first. In this episode, I talk about: • Why recipe writing, organizing, and planning can still feel like you’re not making progress • The hidden costs of working without a clear direction for your cookbook • How lack of direction affects time, money, momentum, and decision-making • Why everything feels...
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Episode 397: The Rhythms That Help Me Think, Write, and Cook
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. In this episode, I’m sharing something personal. There’s a lot of conversation right now about AI. How to use it, how to move faster, how to generate more. And while I do use it in certain ways, I’ve found myself coming back to something very different that is not faster or more. In this episode, I walk you through the rhythm I’ve developed to support how I think, write, and cook. These are simple practices I return to every day and every week, not as a system, but as a way of staying connected to my work. Over time, this...
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Episode 396: Southern Roots and the Life That Shaped It with Spring Council
Cookbook Love Podcast
In this episode, I’m joined by chef, author, and vintage curator Spring Council to talk about her beautiful new book Southern Roots. Spring spent over 50 years working in her family’s restaurant, Mama Dip’s Kitchen, where she learned firsthand how food creates connection, community, and lasting memories. In our conversation, we talk about how that experience shaped her cookbook — from the stories she tells to the recipes she creates — and what it really looks like to bring a book like this to life. In this episode, we talk about: What “Mama Dip’s University” taught her about...
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Episode 395: How Hannah Dasher Turned Visibility into the Stand By Your Pan Cookbook
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I'm excited to have an interview with Hannah Dasher. Hannah is a country music artist, creator, and author of Stand By Your Pan. Hannah built a loyal audience during quarantine by sharing nostalgic, personality-filled cooking videos—and has now turned that visibility into a cookbook rooted in Southern food, storytelling, and style. In this conversation, we talk about how her online presence shaped her book, the recipes and traditions behind it, and the practical techniques that bring her cooking to life. In this episode, we...
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Episode 394: The Cookbook Idea You Think You Shouldn’t Write (But Maybe Should)
Cookbook Love Podcast
What if your cookbook idea doesn’t match your profession? In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most common and costly questions I hear from aspiring cookbook authors, especially experts like dietitians, chefs, and health professionals. Many people assume their cookbook needs to match their credentials. That it should sound serious, clinical, or highly technical to be taken seriously. But publishing doesn’t work that way. Publishers are not buying credentials alone. They’re looking for ideas readers care about and that often comes from something much more personal. In...
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Episode 393: Why Followers Alone Don't Get Cookbook Deals
Cookbook Love Podcast
Many aspiring cookbook authors believe they need a huge social media following before a publisher will take them seriously. But in traditional publishing, follower count alone is not what gets a cookbook deal. In this episode, I talk about what publishers are really looking for when they ask about your platform. They want to know whether you have real relationships with people who know you, trust you, engage with your work, and are likely to buy your book. I also share why writing, conversation, and proof of engagement matter so much more than chasing random followers. In this episode, I...
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Episode 392: 25 Unexpected Benefits of Writing a Cookbook
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Most people think the outcome of writing a cookbook is the finished book, but I’ve seen something much bigger happen along the way. In this episode, I explore what really happens when we choose a meaningful creative challenge like writing a cookbook. Many cookbook writers I work with are already successful professionals: chefs, dietitians, coaches, and entrepreneurs who decide to write a book not because they have to, but because the work matters to them. I share the unexpected benefits I’ve seen from writing a cookbook, including...
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Episode 391: Baking and the Meaning of Life: A Conversation with Helen Goh
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I’m excited to share a conversation with Helen Goh, the author of the beautiful new cookbook Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes. Helen is widely known for her work as a recipe developer with Yotam Ottolenghi, co-authoring the New York Times bestselling books Sweet and Comfort. In this episode, we talk about her debut solo cookbook and the deeper meaning behind baking. Helen brings a unique perspective to the kitchen. In addition to her acclaimed baking work, she also maintains a psychotherapy practice....
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Episode 390: From Guesswork to Clarity: The Path to a Traditional Cookbook Deal
Cookbook Love Podcast
Many aspiring cookbook authors believe they need to finish writing their book before pitching it to publishers. It sounds logical — but it often leads to years of uncertainty, backtracking, and stalled momentum. In this episode, Maggie explains why traditional cookbook publishing is a process, not a guessing game, and how clarity — not a finished manuscript — is what leads to a book deal and an advance. You’ll learn: • why publishers buy concepts, positioning, and authors — not finished manuscripts • how lack of clarity creates hesitation for agents and editors • the hidden...
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Episode 389: From Yacht Chef to Global Kitchen — Abby Cheshire’s Passport to Flavor
Cookbook Love Podcast
Today I’m excited to have an interview with Abby Cheshire. Abby is a private chef, culinary educator, and content creator best known for her social media presence as @abbyinthegalley. With experience cooking on luxury yachts and for private clients, Abby shares what it’s really like to work as a chef from high-pressure yacht kitchens to immersive dinner events while teaching accessible global recipes and telling stories through food. Before we get started, I want to share a quick invitation. If you are a food, nutrition, or culinary expert — a chef, dietitian, food blogger, culinary...
info_outlineToday on the Cookbook Love Podcast, I am honored to welcome Pyet Despain, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe, award-winning global private chef, and the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s groundbreaking competition series Next Level Chef. Pyets’s life and work are rooted in Indigenous fusion cuisine, where she weaves together the food traditions of her Native American and Mexican heritage. Through her cooking, storytelling, and travel, Pyet is dedicated to uplifting Indigenous culture and honoring the traditions passed down through generations.
Originally from the Osage Indian Reservation in Kansas City, Kansas, Pyet now resides in Los Angeles, California, where she continues to share her culinary voice with the world. Her beautiful new book, Rooted in Fire, reflects her journey, her heritage, and her deep respect for food as a cultural and spiritual expression.
In today’s conversation Pyet shares:
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The story behind Rooted in Fire, who the book is for, and what inspired her to bring this project to life.
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Her journey from idea to finished book, the message she hopes cooks and bakers will take away, and how her work connects food, identity, and tradition.
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The book's structure, including its table of contents, key themes in the chapters, and several recipes you can try at home, allows you to experience the flavors and stories of Indigenous cuisine in your own kitchen.
Things We Mention In This Episode:
Rooted in Fire and Pyet’s Plate.com
Columbiana by Mariana Velasquez