Kristin and Molly speak with writer Ella Quittner about her new book, Obsessed with the Best, and the work and intent behind it. They get right into the nitty gritty details of the book; its origins, proposal, the research and testing involved and its unorthodox release date and promotional experience. Ella talks about blending personal stories and journalistic research, the vast testing process and how it was organized and a peek at her cookbook collection and its own organization. She takes listeners through the photography and design choices, the editing and formatting decisions and finally leaves us with how the experience of commodifying herself has led her to a more thoughtful, intentional approach to future projects.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Ella Quittner

• Website
• Instagram

Taste podcast interview with Ella Quittner

Cherry Bombe Radio interview with Ella Quittner

Milk Street Radio interview with Ella Quittner

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

• Obsessed with the Best, by Ella Quittner
• More than Cake by Natasha Pickowicz

Molly and Kristin invite our very first copy editor to the show, Melissa Haskin. Melissa talks about getting started in the editing profession, her love of food writing and how her experience working with magazines like Cooking Light informs her work now. The hosts share some of their personal experiences and thoughts about copy editing and Melissa shares her own process and approach— the tiny details she looks for, the red flags she knows to avoid and the programs she uses to work. She discusses what it takes to be a good editor, what she's learned running her own freelance business and the projects she does, and does not, take on. Finally she tells us her favorite parts of the job and what led her to create an entire course on recipe editing.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Melissa Haskin

• Website
• Recipe Editing 101, 6-week course

Reedsy

PerfectIt

Susan McWilliams

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

• Single Thread, by Kyle and Katina Connaughton

Molly and Kate speak with Tanya Bush, the author of Will This Make You Happy, about her cookbook/memoir mashup and how the pandemic contributed to her decision to marry a personal story and a technical text. Tanya shares some the life experiences behind the book, her impetus to create and the themes she wanted to explore as well as the process of getting an agent, earning an MFA and how the project shifted since its origins. We get into her thoughts on why she wanted to write this particular blend of genres, how the recipes, the book's design and her real life experiences fit in and how important critical distance and play are to her voice. Finally she hits on her hopes for the work, the audio version and potential adaptations and a few thoughts on her print magazine, Cake Zine.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Food Friends Podcast Newsletter

Episode 162: The one in which we issue an apology and answer listener questions

Tanya Bush

• Website
• Instagram
• Cake Zine
• The Little Egg Restaurant

Why We Can't Stop Reading — and Writing — Food Diaries, Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker

Clare Mao, agent

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

• Will This Make You Happy by Tanya Bush