You first heard Katie Parla on our show a couple years ago when we recorded a live episode at Omnivore Books (hi Celia!) in San Francisco to discuss her then-newest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands . [ Listen to that chat here. ] Now, Katie’s back with her 11th cookbook and it’s a deep-dive into Roman history and cuisine. Born in New Jersey, Katie has called Rome home for more than two decades and she’s been obsessed with uncovering the city’s culinary—and non-culinary—history the whole tim...
Jan 22, 2026•46 min
After more than four decades in professional kitchens—including twenty years as chef-owner of Portland's beloved Nostrana— Cathy Whims has published her first cookbook. The Italian Summer Kitchen captures the essence of Italian summer cooking through the lens of the Pacific Northwest, featuring simple, ingredient-driven recipes and beautiful watercolor illustrations. This conversation was recorded in Bologna, Italy, at Sette Tavoli, one of Brian's favorite restaurants. We discuss Cathy's journey...
Dec 11, 2025•45 min
Fashion designer Peter Som joins us to talk about his new cookbook Family Style, the Cantonese grandmother who taught him that food is love, and why entertaining should feel effortless. Plus: char siu bacon cheeseburgers, quick scallion pancakes, and an apple cake that will become your new holiday staple. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe...
Nov 19, 2025•53 min
Hi there, happy Thursday! Recording this week’s episode with John Bersani reminded me why I started Salt + Spine in the first place: to sit down with a cookbook author and glimpse their world. We’re often recording in studio—or more often these days, virtually—and it’s easy to miss the small details that make these conversations so alive. But there’s something grounding about being welcomed into someone’s home kitchen, hearing their stories as the dog runs past or a family member checks in to as...
Oct 09, 2025•43 min
Hi there, happy Thursday! What I’m Reading… * Food photographer extraordinaire Eva Kolenko (who’s shot more than 50 cookbooks) has a new Substack and she’s pulling back the curtain on her work . (Eva joined us in our Behind the Spine series back in 2022.) * Cookbook author Marian Burros died at 92 this week. NYT obit. While she authored a dozen-plus cookbooks in her career, the strongest remembrances are around her iconic plum torte, which she published in the Times in 1983 and has remained one ...
Sep 25, 2025•48 min
Elizabeth Poett reads from 'The Ranch Table' about cattle herding and the rhythm of ranch life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe
Sep 16, 2025•4 min
It’s been over a year since I traded my life in California for one in Italy. And while I’ve easily fallen into daily life here, I still crave the way California marked the seasons—not always with weather (hello, San Francisco), but with food. For the eight years I lived in the Bay Area, food was always the signal of change: Early Girl tomatoes in the summer; Dungeness crab and citrus brightening the winter. This week’s guest brings us a taste of that California seasonality. Elizabeth Poett is a ...
Sep 09, 2025•45 min
Makenna Held reads from 'Mostly French' about a life-changing purchase and personal discovery. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe
Sep 02, 2025•3 min
Mostly French with Makenna Held Host Brian Hogan Stewart is joined by his guest, Makenna Held, on the latest episode of Salt + Spine' now part of the Heritage Radio Network. McKenna shares her journey from a background in consulting to becoming a culinary educator after buying Julia Child's former summer home in France. She discusses her bold pivot into the world of food and explains her cooking philosophy, which focuses on improvisational and seasonal cooking rather than strict reliance on reci...
Aug 26, 2025•53 min
Live from Cookbook Fest with Tyler Florence In this episode of Salt and Spine, host Brian Hogan Stewart interviews acclaimed chef Tyler Florence live from Cookbook Fest in Napa. Tyler shares his inspirational journey from a childhood filled with severe food allergies to becoming a renowned chef and television personality. Growing up in South Carolina and cultivating a deep love for Southern cuisine, Tyler's path led him to culinary school and eventually to New York City's culinary scene. He disc...
Feb 26, 2025•55 min
Enjoy this excerpt as Viola Buitoni reads from Italy by Ingredient . As Viola recounts, one vivid memory stands out from her childhood. It was a late September day when her mother took her to a fishmonger in Orbitel, nestled by the southern Tuscan coast. The experience, accentuated by the salty breeze of the lagoon and the familial presence, introduced her to bottarga—a cured fish roe delicacy—that has lingered in her kitchen and heart for fifty years. Viola fondly recalls stepping into the cour...
Feb 13, 2025•5 min
Exploring Italy by Ingredient with Viola Butoni In this episode of Salt and Spine, host Brian Hogan Stewart welcomes Viola Butoni to discuss her first cookbook, "Italy by Ingredient." Viola delves into her rich Italian culinary lineage, tracing back to the Butoni pasta and bocce chocolate. Growing up surrounded by fresh, homegrown produce and moving to New York, she transitioned from restaurant kitchens to owning a food shop, and eventually becoming a beloved cooking teacher. Viola's cookbook in...
Feb 11, 2025•50 min
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe
Feb 04, 2025•3 min
Episode 168: Sohla El-Waylly This week, Sohla El-Waylly joins us to #TalkCookbooks! I was so thrilled to have Sohla join us in studio for a chat about her career and her debut cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook . In this episode, we hear from Sohla about her childhood, growing up in the San Fernando Valley and watching her mother prepare elaborate, multi-course Bengladeshi dinners for dozens (sometimes hundreds) at a time. And despite a phase as a picky eater, Sohla re...
Jan 28, 2025•48 min
This week, Lara Gilmore joins me to discuss Slow Food, Fast Cars , the latest book from her and her husband, chef Mossimo Bottura . The book tells the story—through photography, essays, and of course recipes—of Casa Maria Luigia , the boutique inn ( albergo) opened by Lara and Mossimo in 2019. Once here, a restored 18th-century villa offers a dozen guest rooms, uniquely decorated with art from Lara & Massimo’s personal collection. From there, the property unfolds: meticulously landscaped orc...
Oct 15, 2024•55 min
Episode 166: James Park This week, James Park joins us to discuss his first cookbook, Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings. James is a seasoned recipe developer and food writer who has been published in outlets including Eater, Food52, BuzzFeed, and Chowhound. After moving from Korea to the American South when he was 13, James began to navigate two cultural identities and continued to turn to food as a medium. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you ...
Apr 18, 2024•36 min
Well, hello there! It’s been a minute. The Salt + Spine team has been busy taking some much-needed rest—and, of course, planning for an inspiring year ahead. What’s in store? Amazing podcast episodes, naturally, and all the typical goods: exclusive recipes, cookbook giveaways, and behind-the-spine content you won’t find anywhere else. But there’s more brewing. Big stuff! I can’t spill all the beans yet—but stay tuned for a cookbook lover’s dream, coming this summer. Woo! I hope your 2024 is off ...
Feb 13, 2024•57 min
Hi there, I hope those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving had a relaxing and delicious moment of gratitude. Or maybe you went hard like I did ? By the way: I’m so thankful for all of you, the Salt + Spine community. After six years, it’s incredible to continue to hear from you all—what you’re cooking, something in our interviews that stood out to you, and getting the chance to meet you at our events and live shows. 🍪 COOKIE SWAP! Speaking of events… our annual Cookie Swap is just around the cor...
Nov 30, 2023•42 min
Hi there. First today: We’re remembering beloved photographer Aubrie Pick , who tragically passed away last week after a battle with cancer. Aubrie’s work was stunning and personal, and she was a visionary creative force in the Bay Area. Elana Kadvany writes in the San Francisco Chronicle : Pick’s images — vibrant and charismatic, like the photographer herself, collaborators said — have left an indelible mark on the national food scene, and particularly in the Bay Area. Pick photographed numerou...
Nov 10, 2023•43 min
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe
Nov 02, 2023•3 min
Hi, long time! Phew, October is always the wildest cookbook month—it’s even officially dubbed National Cookbook Month—and we’ve been a bit quiet around here. With two little ones running around the house, germs have been rampant, and my voice just hasn’t been cooperating. So we’re catching back after falling a bit behind on our fall release schedule and thrilled to share today’s chat with Hetty Lui McKinnon with all of you. And now, somehow, it’s Oct. 31 - Halloween! I’m a sucker for anything fa...
Oct 31, 2023•55 min
Hi there, happy Thursday! We’ve got a great chat with Smitten Kitchen herself (aka Deb Perelman) this week, so let’s cut right to it: Episode 161: Deb Perelman In this week’s episode, deb perelman of the smitten kitchen digest and I discuss: * Her initial foray into blogging—from her short stint chronicling her dating life in New York City and shifting the focus to cooking; * How she approaches cookbook writing, from her initial reluctance to write a cookbook to what makes “keeper recipes;” * Wh...
Oct 05, 2023•40 min
Happy Friday folks! This week’s episode is a wee bit late because it’s a live show (!!!) which means the audio gave us a slight technical run-around. But it’s a fun one, for sure, in which we chat with Katie Parla in front of a live audience at our beloved Omnivore Books in San Francisco. First — last week, I shared the New York Times profile of B. Dylan Hollis, and this week the NYT is back (via Salt + Spine friend Priya Krishna) with a full feature on TikTok stars and how they’re changing the ...
Sep 22, 2023•40 min
Hi there, fellow cookbook lover. I’m here with great news: We’rrrreeee bacccckkkkk, baby! Season 13 (but who’s counting?) of Salt + Spine starts right here, and we’ve got an awesome line-up of conversations headed your way this fall. Plus, loads of new featured recipes, bonus content, events, and more. We’ve got Deb Perelman. Dan Pelosi. Katie Parla. Hetty McKinnon. AND MORE! Like I said, “we’re bacccccckkkk, baby!” If you’re not yet a paid subscriber to Salt + Spine, I’d love to extend a specia...
Sep 14, 2023•47 min
Episode 158: Vicky Bennison In this week’s episode, Vicky and I discuss: * Growing up for several years on a farm in Kenya, where her father was working in agricultural development, and how she formed a relationship with food at an early age; * Her nearly-decade-long project, Pasta Grannies, to document the time-honored techniques and recipes passed down through generations of nonnas , the Italian grandmothers; * The diversity of regional pasta and cooking styles around Italy, and the stories be...
Jun 02, 2023•34 min
Episode 157: Noah Galuten In this week’s episode, Noah and I discuss: * His early interest in both food television (Lidia Bastianich, Ming Tsai) and cookbooks (Marcella Hazan, Edna Lewis), * How he fell into opening up new locations of Bludso’s BBQ and then teaming up with Kevin Bludso to co-author Bludso's BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul … and then with chef Jeremy Fox to write On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen , * The pandemic-inspired “Don’t Panic Pantry” vide...
May 23, 2023•35 min
This week, Maren Ellingboe King joins us to #TalkCookbooks. But first… In today’s episode, Maren and I discuss: * How her upbringing in the Midwest influenced her decision to pursue a career in food. * Her work at food media outlets like Food & Wine and Sunset magazine as well as culinary events companies like Just Add Salt . * The inspiration behind her first cookbook, Fresh Midwest , including how a collection of family recipes compelled her to tackle the project. Plus, as always, we put M...
May 04, 2023•33 min
The Chat! In today’s episode, Danny Bowien and I discuss: * Growing up in Oklahoma after being adopted from his birthplace of South Korea, and a lingering nostalgia for Olive Garden. * His journey to becoming a chef, from an early job at a pizza shop to culinary school to winning the Genova Pesto World Championship. * The process of opening Mission Chinese Food and how he handled being catapulted to a new level of fame. * The inspiration behind his latest cookbook, Mission Vegan , and some of th...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Hi there! Our Spring 2023 season of the Salt + Spine podcast kicks off right here, right now, with a marvelous returning guest: the delightful Claire Saffitz . In today’s episode, Claire and I discuss: * How she’s worked to create dessert recipes that speak to everyone—from sweet to tart, simple to complex. * The impact of the pandemic on her creative process as she embarked on writing book No. 2, What’s for Dessert . * Which cookbook authors inspire Claire, and which books she turns to time and...
Apr 18, 2023•46 min
Episode 153: Uliks Fehmiu Uliks Fehmiu is a co-founder of the beloved bakery Pain D’Avignon , which sprang up on Cape Cod over three decades ago. But the story of the bakery begins back in Uliks’ childhood and his early friendships in war-torn Belgrade. What Uliks calls an “improbable journey into baking” is shared, for the first time in this format, with his recent cookbook: The Pain d'Avignon Baking Book: A War, An Unlikely Bakery, and a Master Class in Bread . The book offers an in-person acc...
Jan 23, 2023•53 min
