Episode 398: Why Your Cookbook Project Feels Like It’s Not Going Anywhere
Release Date: 04/23/2026
Episode 415: Common Obstacles That Keep Cookbook Writers Stuck (and How to Move Past Them)
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! Before I launched my recent masterclass about how to grow your audience for a cookbook, I sent my email list two questions: what's holding you back from growing your audience, and what do you want answered in the class? In this solo episode, I'm sharing the answers my readers sent in, along with a mindset shift for each one, so you can see whether you're standing in the same gap they are. In this episode, I discuss: Why writing a blog isn't a barrier to your email list, it's one step away from it Why consistency isn't a personality trait, it's a...
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Episode 414: 5 Myths About Your Cookbook Audience
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today we're getting into the myths I hear most often about what it actually takes to grow a cookbook audience. Over the years, I keep hearing the same things repeated as if they're facts, and these are costly. They cost time, momentum, a book deal, book sales, or even the book itself. So today I'm walking through five of the biggest myths about audience growth, what's actually true underneath them, and why clearing them up now (not later) matters so much for cookbook authors. In this episode, we discuss: Why your follower...
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Episode 413: You Don't Have to Dance for a Book Deal
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today's episode is for the chef, the dietitian, the culinary professional who has a cookbook in them, and who has also been told that getting published means getting on TikTok. If you've ever had your teenager laugh at you for trying to "be on camera," or quietly wondered whether your cookbook dream is dead simply because you refuse to perform for an algorithm, this episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss: What publishers actually mean when they say "platform" and why it's not what you think The real difference between...
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Episode 412: Dora Ramirez James Beard Award-Winning Cookbook Author of Comida Casera
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I'm joined by Dora Ramirez. Dora Ramirez didn’t set out to reinvent Mexican cuisine. She wanted to uncover the stories, ingredients, and traditions that were already there. Before we get started: If you’re a dietitian, chef, or culinary professional who wants to publish a cookbook with a traditional publishing house, I invite you to join my upcoming Grow Your Audience masterclass. You’ll learn how to build an audience publishers value — without relying on social media algorithms — by creating a community, sharing...
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Episode 411: Recipes, Hospitality, and Hope in a Time of War with Sarah Trad
Cookbook Love Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today, I'm joined by Sarah Trad, author of A House in the Lebanese Mountains: Recipes and Stories from Beit Trad. Before we get started, I'd love your help. I'm creating a brand-new class for aspiring cookbook authors who want to build the audience publishers are looking for. If you've ever wondered how to grow your visibility, connect with future readers, or strengthen your cookbook proposal before pitching publishers, I'd love to hear what questions you want answered. I've put together a quick, two-question survey, and your...
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Episode 410: About Comedy, Death, and Cookbook Writing with Gus Constantellis
Cookbook Love Podcast
What do comedy and death have to do with cookbook writing? In this episode, Maggie talks with comedian and first-generation Greek American Gus Constantellis about his debut cookbook, My Mom's Greek Recipes. Their conversation explores far more than recipes. It touches on storytelling, vulnerability, family traditions, grief, and the unexpected journey from writing a cookbook without a publisher to signing a traditional book deal. Whether you're writing a cookbook, preserving family recipes, or wondering how personal stories can strengthen your work, this episode offers both inspiration and...
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Episode 409: A Cookbook Korean Night Out with Irene Yoo
Cookbook Love Podcast
What can traditional drinking rituals teach us about writing a cookbook that celebrates culture and community? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Irene Yoo, food writer, recipe developer, and co-owner of Orion Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Irene shares how she translated the vibrant world of Korean hospitality into her James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Soju Party: How to Drink and Eat Like a Korean. Our conversation explores why the most impactful cookbooks do more than list ingredients. They act as visual cultural statements, honor culinary heritage,...
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Episode 408: Bobby Hicks and the Stories That Live Inside Vintage Cookbooks
Cookbook Love Podcast
What can vintage cookbooks teach us about writing a cookbook readers will treasure? Welcome to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I sit down with Bobby Hicks, creator of Retro Recipes Kitchen and author of Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist. Bobby shares how he combined his background as a videographer with his love of vintage recipes to build Retro Recipes Kitchen. This social media brand eventually led to a traditional cookbook deal. Our conversation explores why the most memorable cookbooks offer more than recipes. They preserve culture, spark nostalgia, and...
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Episode 407: From Cookbook Dream to Book Deal: What It Really Costs
Cookbook Love Podcast
What does it really cost to go from dreaming about writing a cookbook to signing a book deal? Many aspiring cookbook authors assume they need a large budget, professional photography equipment, or significant upfront investments before they can pursue publication. In this episode, I break down the actual costs of writing and publishing a cookbook with a traditional publisher and explain why the most important investments are often not financial at all. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why many of the key steps in the traditional publishing process, from writing and pitching a proposal to...
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Episode 406: What Award-Winning Cookbooks Can Teach Us
Cookbook Love Podcast
The James Beard Awards are often called the "Oscars of the Food World," recognizing excellence in culinary arts, food writing, and cookbook publishing. In this episode, we celebrate three remarkable Cookbook Love Podcast guests whose books were honored by the James Beard Foundation this year and explore why cookbook awards matter so much in the culinary world. In This Episode: • Discover what makes cookbook awards such as the James Beard Awards influential in the publishing and culinary industries. • Celebrate Sapna Punjabi, author of Dal Chawal, a James Beard Award nominee whose work...
info_outlineWelcome 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 important when there’s no clear publishing path guiding your choices
If your cookbook feels like it’s stuck in motion but not actually taking shape, this episode will help you see what’s really happening underneath the surface.
You’re not stuck because you’re not working enough—you’re stuck because your work doesn’t yet have a clear direction to move in.
If you want help turning your ideas into a cookbook—and getting paid to do it— join our waitlist for the next cohort of Get Paid to Get Published