Welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today I have a fun episode called the Ins and Outs for 2025. This episode was inspired by other Ins and Outs lists I’ve heard over the past few weeks. First, what is an Ins and Outs list? The Ins are things I did in 2024 that I want to do again, new stuff I want to try. The outs are things I don’t want to bring forward to the new year that doesn’t serve me anymore or don’t help me get the next version of Maggie that I want to be. I am hosting a LIVE wor...
Jan 23, 2025•23 min•Ep. 333
As many of you know I self-published my Christmas Cookie Baking Guide in November 2024. This was my fifth published cookbook and my first self-publishing venture. It's easy for me to sit here and talk all about the book. And how the book is the fruit of the work I do every year as a Christmas cookie baker, And how I managed my time and myself to write and publish it. That's all true. But it's not the full story...and that’s the topic for today’s podcast. Here's the full quote about being in the ...
Jan 16, 2025•12 min•Ep. 332
In today’s episode, I am excited to talk to you about my least productive year. I want to tell you about how this least productive year started, how I realized that it wasn’t working, and what I did to tweak the “plan” so that I got the results I wanted. Also if you are interested in publishing your book of recipes and stories on Amazon in 2025 there is a link below to join the waitlist. And if you’re interested in learning more about writing, publishing, habits, and writing routines I invite yo...
Jan 09, 2025•30 min•Ep. 331
Happy New Year and cheers to 2025! In today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Heather Bell, lovingly known as Mama Bell. Heather is a mother of eight and a viral cooking and lifestyle influencer. With joy and love, she shares her big family way of life through stories, recipes, and the journeys of her eight children—seven of whom are adopted. For over 28 years, Heather has been a farmer’s wife, partnering with her hardworking husband on their Michigan farm, where they raise 4,000 laying hens, p...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 330
In today’s episode, I am delighted to welcome Heidrun Metzler. Born and raised in Germany, Heidrun grew up surrounded by a family of women who loved to bake—learning from her mother, aunt, and grandmother. After moving to the United States as a young woman, Heidrun missed German baked goods and began creating her baking recipes, blending her German roots with ingredients the best ingredients she could find in the US. Her new cookbook, German Heritage Baking, is the culmination of over a decade o...
Dec 26, 2024•53 min•Ep. 329
In today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Jonathan Stevens, co-owner of Hungry Ghost Bread in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the author of The Hungry Ghost Bread Book . Jonathan approaches sourdough bread with a unique philosophy: sourdough isn’t a style of bread—it is bread. His method revolves around three essential tenets: more hydration, more fermentation, and more heat in the oven. Today on the show: Jonathan’s Philosophy on Sourdough: Why sourdough is the essence of bread, not just a st...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 328
In today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Elana Pearlman, author of With Love and Babka: 50 Sweet and Savory Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Braided Bread. Inspired by her grandmother's love of traditional bread, this book explores the versatility of babka, featuring doughs for every preference—from classic and chocolate to gluten-free. Topics of Discussion: From Cakes to Babka: Elana shares her journey from running a wedding cake business to launching a mail-order babka business. The Publishi...
Dec 12, 2024•43 min•Ep. 327
In today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Sarah Frison, the author of The Festive Belgian Bakery, a delightful book celebrating chocolate, biscuits, cakes, and desserts enjoyed during the holiday season. Sarah shares her insights into Belgian holiday traditions, culinary techniques, and the journey of writing a cookbook. Topics of Discussion: Belgian Holiday Traditions: From St. Nicholas Day in December to Candlemas in February, Sarah walks us through the festive season in Belgium. The Art of ...
Dec 05, 2024•49 min•Ep. 326
In today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Morgan Bolling. Morgan is the the Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country and a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show. Morgan spearheaded the book When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes in collaboration with Toni Tipton-Martin. This compelling book celebrates the ways food has sustained and empowered Southern women throughout history. This episode is a thoughtful dive into: The Intersection of Southern Food and His...
Nov 28, 2024•37 min•Ep. 325
In today’s episode, I welcome Jessie-Sierra Ross. Jessie is a former professional ballerina turned food and lifestyle blogger. She’s the creative mind behind the blog Straight to the Hips, Baby, where she shares her elegant yet approachable style of cooking, cocktails, and home entertaining. We dive into Jessie’s transition from the world of ballet to the arena of home entertaining, discussing: Transition from Ballet to Blogging: Jessie shares her journey from ballet slippers to blogging, detail...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 324
In today’s episode, I interview Erica Walker, one of the four sisters behind Favorite Family Recipes, a blog that has grown from a family recipe swap into a platform featuring over 1,000 recipes and reaching more than 2 million visitors each month. Erica shares insights from their newest cookbook, Most Requested Copycat Dishes: 101 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Restaurant Recipes, along with tips on recreating restaurant-quality dishes at home. About Favorite Family Recipes Founded by Erica...
Nov 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 323
In today’s episode, I’m excited to have an interview with Rose Levy Beranbaum. Rose is a legendary baking expert and author whose books have been translated into multiple languages, including Mandarin, Czech, Russian, and Spanish. Known as the "diva of desserts" and "the most meticulous baker who ever lived," Rose has published thirteen award-winning books, including The Cake Bible, Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, and Rose’s Christmas Cookies. Today, we dive into the exciting release of the 35th Annivers...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 322
In today’s episode, I’m excited to have an interview with Sonja Overhiser, one of the creative minds behind the award-winning blog A Couple Cooks. Along with her husband Alex, Sonja has built a global following for their healthy, plant-based recipes and expertise in cocktails. Their work has been featured in Food & Wine and The Washington Post, and their blog receives millions of visitors each month. We dive into their journey from fast food to cooking from scratch, the growth of their blog,...
Oct 31, 2024•42 min•Ep. 321
Welcome to this special announcement edition of the Cookbook Love Podcast. Do you want to turn your recipes, stories, and memories into a beautiful keepsake cookbook? I am hosting a bootcamp from Monday, November 4th - Thursday, November 7th at 11:00 AM EST called From Kitchen to Keepsake Bootcamp. Don’t wait any longer to create the cookbook you’ve always dreamed of. This bootcamp gives you the structure, support, and tools you need to turn your favorite recipes and stories into a keepsake you’...
Oct 29, 2024•5 min•Ep. 999
In today’s episode, I’m excited to bring you an interview with Jessica Battilana. Jessica is the staff editor at King Arthur Baking company and the co-author of The Big Book of Bread. Along with Martin Philip and Melanie Wanders, Jessica helped write and create their newest book that offers a comprehensive collection of over 125 bread recipes for bakers of all levels. During our conversation, Jessica shares insights into the King Arthur Baking Company, the inspiration behind The Big Book of Brea...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 320
In today’s episode, I’m excited to interview Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin, the duo behind the popular blog Husbands That Cook. Since 2015, Ryan and Adam have been cooking together in their cozy kitchen in Eagle Rock, California, and their blog has earned numerous accolades, including being a finalist for Saveur magazine’s Best How-To Cooking Blog Award and a nominee for Taste Talks’ Best Food Blog Award. Their debut cookbook Husbands That Cook was published in 2019, and now they’re back with the...
Oct 17, 2024•45 min•Ep. 319
Welcome to another episode of the podcast! Today, I’m joined by Kiano Moju. Kiano is a Kenyan-Nigerian American recipe developer, producer, director, video host, and the author of her new book, Afri Cali: Recipes from My Jikoni . Kiano’s culinary identity is a unique fusion of her Kenyan and Nigerian heritage, her upbringing in California’s diverse food culture, and her experiences traveling abroad. You may recognize Kiano from her time as a creative video producer at BuzzFeed’s Tasty, where her...
Oct 10, 2024•50 min•Ep. 318
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Caitlin Prettyman. Caitlin is the creator and photographer behind the popular food blog "Kalefornia Kravings". Catlin loves sharing fun, vibrant recipes that are full of flavor and made with better-for-ingredients. Being a born & raised San Diegan, she is mostly known for her easy-to-follow recipes utilizing fresh local ingredients found on the California Coast. In our conversation today we talked about Cai...
Oct 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 317
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Diana Goldman. Diana Goldman is a chef, food photographer, and culinary educator based in Boston. She is the creator of Beantown Kitchen and author of the new cookbook Plants for You. Diana teaches all about plant-based cuisine and shares her passion for wholesome, flavorful food which shines through in every recipe she makes. In our conversation today we talk all about Diana’s journey writing a cookbook, her s...
Sep 26, 2024•42 min•Ep. 316
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Tue Nguyen. Tue is a Vietnamese chef and one of the fastest-rising stars in the culinary space. Since graduating from culinary school and beginning her content creation journey, Tue has showcased her skills through social media as well as sold-out pop-ups, which led her to partnering with the h.wood Group to open her restaurant DiDi in Los Angeles. In our conversation today Tue and I talked all about her new co...
Sep 19, 2024•45 min•Ep. 315
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Anne Byrn. Anne is a New York Times bestselling food writer and author. Her books include the ever-popular Cake Mix Doctor, A New Take on Cake, Skillet Love and her newest book Baking in the American South. In this beautiful book Anne shares the stories and recipes from bakers all over the South - past and present, near and far, seen and unseen, all to answer the question, what makes southern baking so special?...
Sep 12, 2024•59 min•Ep. 314
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Gerry Romano and Katelin Maidment. Gerry and Katelin are self-published cookbook authors, and graduates of the spring 2024 session of Cookbooks on KDP. Gerry is a retired magazine editor and the author of More Means Merrier: The Romano-Altman Family Cookbook and Katelin is a Registered Dietitian and author of Recipes for Longevity: Over 70 Recipes and a 4-Week Longevity Meal Plan Designed to Slow Cognitive Decl...
Sep 05, 2024•46 min•Ep. 313
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with cookbook author and food writer Yasmin Fahr. Yasmin is a recipe contributor to New York Times Cooking, Food 52, and the Kitchn and is the author of three cookbooks. Her newest book, Cook Simply, Live Fully, is an ode to flexible, flavorful recipes for any mood. During our episode, Yasmin shares her philosophy and recipes for cooking and feeding ourselves well through real life's inevitable ups and downs as well...
Aug 29, 2024•43 min•Ep. 312
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with LeAnna Smith. LeAnna is the owner and executive creative director at Weller Smith Design. She has over 22 years of experience in design and publishing. At Weller Smith, LeAnna helps her clients with branding, publishing, and custom products like websites and cookbooks. During the interview, LeAnna and I discussed the main paths to cookbook publishing, her work in custom cookbook publishing, the benefits of cust...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 311
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with John Kanell. John is a former middle school math and science teacher with a knack for breaking down complicated problems. In 2015 he turned his attention to the kitchen and began creating content that empowers and inspires home cooks with his founding of Preppy Kitchen. Preppy Kitchen is now a nationally known cooking and baking destination where John used his decades of homegrown experience to provide knowledg...
Aug 15, 2024•50 min•Ep. 310
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. But before we get started, I want to talk for a minute for those of you who have recipes that you have collected or written that you want to publish in a book. Did you know that with a few simple tools, you can easily format and publish your book in about 3 months? This is exactly what I teach in my course Cookbooks on KDP. I help food bloggers and recipe collectors learn how to format and publish their recipes in a book using Amazon’s Kindle...
Aug 08, 2024•53 min•Ep. 309
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, on the podcast, I have an interview with Renato Poliafito. Renato is a James Beard-nominated pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, designer, and entrepreneur living in Brooklyn, NY. After a career in graphic design and advertising, Renato traded in his laptop for an apron. In 2005, he opened the Red Hook flagship location of Baked, kicking off a culinary renaissance in the waterfront neighborhood and leading the wave of the new B...
Aug 01, 2024•52 min•Ep. 308
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today is part 2 of Shine Up Your Recipes. I started last week with questions about development, writing, testing, confidence about your recipes being yours and not just repeats, and the number of recipes to include in a book or cookbook submission. Today, I will answer more questions about organizing recipes, photos, and anecdotes, gathering recipes and deciding on a theme for a book, developing a practice for recipe development and writing, ...
Jul 25, 2024•27 min•Ep. 307
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. For the next two episodes, I am going to help you shine up your recipes by answering your most common questions about recipes: development, writing, testing, confidence about your recipes being yours and not just repeats, and the number of recipes to include in a book or cookbook submission. Things We Mention In This Episode Sign up for a complimentary Recipe Refine and Shine Audit...
Jul 18, 2024•15 min•Ep. 306
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today, I have an interview with Georgina Hayden. Much to my excitement, this is not Georgina’s first time on the podcast. We had Georgina on the show back in Episode 222 for her book Nistisima , and this past Lent, I used Georgina’s book as an example of how people eat during Lent in the Orthodox Church during Episode 284. Today, Georgina is here again, and I have the pleasure of talking to her about her newest book, Greekish. Georgina grew u...
Jul 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 305
