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 orchards and vegetable gardens supply the casual kitchen, led by Osteria Francescana alum Jessica Rosaval, and the on-site restaurant, Francescana at Maria Luigia, where Rosaval and team offer a nightly tasting menu showcasing nine of Massimo’s most iconic dishes. Nearby is the “playground,” where you’ll find a pool table, a gym, and most visibly Massimo’s collection of cars and motorcycles.

And Casa Maria Luicia breathes the region, down to every detail: guests staying on the property will find hunks of Parmigiano Reggiano and bottles of Lambrusco greeting them in their rooms.

This dichotomy of fast/slow appears often in Massimo’s work. Perhaps most known is his dish, Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano, which has been an evolving presence at Osteria Francescana for decades. “It’s about celebrating the slow passing of time,” he tells Forbes, “with a fast and contemporary mind.”

In Slow Food, Fast Cars, you’ll find recipes like:

Gnocco Fritto, the classic Emilian fried dough, in this case topped with mortadella, whipped ricotta, and extra-aged balsamic vinegar. (“Once you join the fraternity of gnocco fritto,” the authors write, “it is very hard to turn back.”)

Smoked Beef Short Rib, a less traditional way of addressing the short rib cute in Modena, but one that at Casa Maria Luigia is paired with a sauce built from smoked fresh apricots and marigold vinegar.

Tiramisu, an “untouchable classic” that the team serves in small, individual-sized glass jars to guests.

An ML Pantry section that offers infused waters (Fennel Water!), preserved fruits (Amarena Jam!), and other conserves, oils, vinegar, liqueurs, and salts.

🎙️ | We had a great chat with Lara—and of course, we put her to the test in our signature culinary game! Find this episode here on Substack and anywhere you get your podcasts.

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 know chili crisp has been having a ~moment~ in the United States. While the condiment has become trendy in the US, its roots are deep in Asia and became a more steady consumer product when Lao Gan Ma began producing containers of chile crisp in China’s Guizhou province in the late 1990s. A slew of American brands have emerged with chili crisps and chili crisp-inspired products, with Cathy Erway chronicling the “cult of spicy chile crisp” for TASTE. Just this month, David Chang’s Momofuku brand drove chili crisp headlines after going after (and then backing off) companies using their trademarked term “chili crunch.”

So when James went to write his first cookbook and narrowed his focus on chili crisp, it was in sync with the zeitgeist. Though he considers himself an “unofficial chili crisp ambassador,” James didn’t discover the condiment until later in life, which allowed him to see how he could incorporate it into recipes in creative and unexpected ways.

“Chili crisp opened the door of connections with other Asian cultures for me,” James writes in Chili Crisp. “The more I tasted chili crisp, the more I appreciated it and was proud to be a part of it. It even became my pickup line when making new friends. Do you know about chili crisp? Do you like chili crisp? What's your favorite way of enjoying it? Do you want to try my chili crisp?”

In Chili Crisp, James presents recipes like:

* Kimchi Quesadilla with Chili Crisp

* Savory Morning Oats with Jammy Eggs and Pork Floss

* Chili Crisp Bucatini Carbonara

* Beef Short Ribs Ragu

* Fiery Spaghetti and Meatballs

* Chili Crisp Biscuits with Honey-Butter Glaze

* Chili Crisp Ice Cream Two Ways

* And more!

We’ve got a great chat with James—and of course, we put him to the test in our signature culinary game! Find this episode anywhere you podcast.

Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings by James Park

If you already love chili crisp, this book is for you. If you're new to it, this book is for you. With more than 50 recipes, Chili Crisp is here for you, wherever you are on your spicy life journey.

Packed with chili crisp inspiration to take your love of this spicy ingredient to the next level, Chili Crisp provides dozens of no-recipe recipes (like potato chips and chili crisp, a match made in snack heaven) and a handy build-your-own chili crisp formula to inspire you to create your very own version. Soon all your family and friends will be clamoring for a jar.

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 to an excellent start. Can you believe we’re already six weeks in? I blinked and it’s Valentine’s Day. And now, I’m so thrilled to be back with all of you to launch our 14th season (!!!) of Salt + Spine.

By the way… It’s a new season of Salt + Spine, and if you love what we do, we would be so grateful if you shared the word! Click below to share this episode with a friend who might want to #TalkCookbooks with us, too.

Before we get to this episode…

🎧 What I’m Listening To

* Absolutely loving this new mini-series from Sohla El-Waylly and Ham El-Waylly in collaboration with The Sporkful team. Episode 1 starts with murder and ends with tamale-inspired soup. Start at the beginning. (Psst, stay tuned for my chat with Sohla soon, too!)

📖 What I’m Reading

* Lots of (very, very deserved) love for The Zuni Cafe Cookbook lately in Eater and TASTE. If you write about TZCC, I will read it.

* I just finished Less and, whew, adored it. I’m late to the party, and it sat on my shelf for several years. But I picked it up recently and couldn’t put it down. I also just finished the behemoth Wellness by Nathan Hill (who’s both an alum of my university and of my college newspaper!) Loved his first novel, The Nix, and Wellness was just as captivating and satisfying.

Episode 165: The State of California Cuisine with Reem Assil, Tanya Holland & Sara Calvosa Olson

Alright, we’ve got some fun conversations in store this season, and we’re starting by letting you into one of our recent, incredible live events. A hearty crowd joined us in the fall at the stunning Mill Valley Public Library, nestled in a great forest of California redwoods, for a chat we called “The State of California Cuisine.”

A lofty title, I know! But we knew just who could bring the modern, representative views of what’s happening in Cali cuisine today: our friends Sara Calvosa Olson, Tanya Holland, and Reem Assil.

* Sara is a Karuk home cook whose first cookbook, Chími Nu’am: Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen, “reimagines some of the oldest foods in California for home cooks today.” Think: acorn crepes, blackberry braised smoked salmon, wild boar pozole, peppernut mole chicken. Sara bills the book as an “accessible entry for people beginning their journey toward a decolonized diet.”

* Tanya is the award-winning chef and restauranteur behind Oakland’s beloved Brown Sugar Kitchen (no current brick & mortar location), and a well-known culinary personality. Today, the “Top Chef” alumna chairs the James Beard Foundation’s Awards Committee (and sits on the foundation’s Board of Trustees). Her third cookbook, Tanya Holland's California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West, showcases 80 seasonal recipes rooted in the “key ingredients, techniques, and traditions that African Americans brought with them as they left the South for California, creating a beloved version of soul food.” Alongside recipes, Tanya shares stories of Black Californian food-makers, from farmers to coffee roasters.

* Reem is a Palestinian-Syrian chef-activist based in Oakland, CA, who spent a decade as a labor and community organizer before turning to restaurants and opening Reem’s California. Reem brings her social justice lens to the restaurant industry, pushing for more just economic and labor practices. The La Cocina alumna’s debut cookbook, Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora, “shares stories of the power of Arab communities to turn hardship into brilliant, nourishing meals and any occasion into a celebratory feast.”

We’ve got a great chat with a lively, engaged live audience. And of course, with these three incredible cooks in one room, we had to put them all to the test in our signature culinary game! Enjoy.

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of these books via Bookshop:

Coming up this week: Paid subscribers to Salt + Spine will receive three recipes from this week’s featured books:

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipe—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

This Week’s New Cookbook Releases

Catching up with 2024 books here, so these include January releases, too!

* Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson

* The Farm Table by Julius Roberts

* Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time by Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen

* 5 Ingredients Mediterranean: Simple Incredible Food by Jamie Oliver

* Eat More Plants: A Chef’s Journal by Daniel Humm

* 15 Minute Meals: Truly Quick Recipes that Don’t Taste Like Shortcuts by Ali Rosen

* Come Hungry: Salads, Meals, and Sweets for People Who Live to Eat by Melissa Ben-Ishay

* Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun by Kate Ashmore

* The Complete Beans and Grains Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide with 400+ Recipes by America's Test Kitchen

* Après Ski: 100 Cozy Drinks to Warm Up Your Winter by Cider Mill Press

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 corner! For those of you in the Bay Area, I look forward to seeing you on December 10 for cookie demos, cookie sampling, glasses of bubbles, and of course swapping your baked goods with others! It’s always a blast. As in prior years, this event supports our friends at La Cocina and tickets are available here.

🎧 What I’m Listening To

* It’s that time of year and I’m thrilled to for the fifth year to join my friends Stacie & Meghan at Didn’t I Just Feed You to share some of my favorite cookbooks of the year. Give it a listen here!

📖 What I’m Reading

* Mayukh Sen’s wonderful profile of Madhur Jaffrey, 50 years after An Invitation to Indian Cooking was published. Knopf reissued the book, one of 20 she’s written, this year. “You’d be mistaken if you were to perceive Jaffrey, now 90, primarily as a cookbook author. ‘I’m an actress,’ she stated matter-of-factly. ‘And I do parts. One of the parts is playing a food writer.’” Read more in The Washington Post.

* I love a Cuban sandwich. The New York Times offers an illustrated history looking at the sandwich’s origins.

🍳 What I’m Cooking

* Nothing to report this week! Finally wrapping up on Thanksgiving leftovers and lots of meals out. A deserved break from cooking after last week.

Hey there, do you love Salt + Spine? We’d love if you shared this email with a friend who might want to #TalkCookbooks with us, too:

Episode 164: Dan Pelosi

In this week’s episode, Dan Pelosi and I discuss:

* His path to “Grossy Pelosi,” from cooking alongside his family as a kid (yuck cakes!) to how his background in design and marketing set the stage for his pivot to working in food full time,

* How his viral recipes—vodka sawce—take off and whether he’s tired of making them,

* Why he declines potluck dinner party invites and what he asks guests to bring when he’s in control of the menu.

Plus, as always, we put Dan to the test in our signature culinary game.

Let's Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home by Dan Pelosi

GrossyPelosi is your best friend in the kitchen--actually, he's family.

In his debut cookbook, larger-than-life personality Dan Pelosi offers up a warm hug of home cooking, sharing both comfort food and connection with 101 of his nearest and dearest Italian American recipes. Some have been passed down through his family, and others have been cooked up from scratch--but all are made with love and accompanied by fun, meaningful stories to warm your heart while filling your belly. Read how Bimpy (the 100-year-old grandpa the internet loves to love!) smuggled homemade subs into Yankee Stadium, then craft your ultimate Big Italian Sandwich. Relive the memory of Dan learning how to make his friend's mom's stuffed chicken cutlets in their Jersey Shore house (and getting himself adopted into their family), then level up with Prosciutto & Mozzarella-Stuffed Chicken Parm. Learn how Dan's mom would spring him out of school before the final bell (just to preheat the oven), then make your own Early Dismissal Pot Roast. And rewind to the beginning of Dan's relationship with his boyfriend, Gus, then recreate the Zabaglione (and the romantic Cheesecake Factory ambiance) that inspired their first "I love you."

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Let’s Eat here:

This week, paid subscribers will receive two featured recipes from Dan’s Let’s Eat—the classic Italian Holiday Cookies with “an elusive and unique flavor profile that’s somewhat hard to nail down,” and a crowd-pleasing Baked Brie Bread Bowl that’s perfectly “Peak Pinterest Mom.”

Both recipes are hitting inboxes shortly so make sure you’re subscribed today:

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipe—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

See you next week!

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 numerous high-profile cookbooks, from celebrity chef Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” and Bay Area chef Tanya Holland’s “California Soul” to Andrea Nguyen’s “Vietnamese Food Any Day.” Her photos were featured on the covers of Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines. She captured Chez Panisse owner Alice Waters in her Berkeley backyard, and caught the light falling just so across a set restaurant table. 

There is an ongoing GoFundMe to support Aubrie’s husband Erik and 2-year-old daughter Romy here.

📖 What I’m Reading

* Julia Moskin spent over a year working to lock in an interview with Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard, who has become a polarizing figure in the cookbook industry—so much so that Moskin notes most of the sources she contacted wouldn’t go on the record. Gerard’s early viral success built her a massive online following, and her books sell quite well—but, as Moskin writes, she has “also become an unwilling lightning rod for controversy, entangled in issues that have galvanized the food world in the last decade: cultural appropriation, intellectual property, body shaming, privilege and racism.” A fascinating piece that prompts many discussion questions. Read more in the New York Times here.

🎧 What I’m Listening To

* 🎙 This week, I adored this conversation with Andrea Nguyen and her mother, Clara, who makes her podcast debut on The Bittman Project. Have a listen:

🍳 What I’m Cooking

* 🦃 It’s almost T-Day! This year, I’m hosting a small pre-Thanksgiving dinner party that’s “Thanksgiving-inspired” and built around cookbooks. A new twist and I’m excited to share the menu with y’all soon!

Episode 163: John Finger + John Ash

This week’s episode was recorded *live* at Hog Island Oyster Co. on the shores of Tomales Bay in Northern California. I’m joined by Hog Island co-founder John Finger and revered chef John Ash for this conversation, which took place while our audience enjoyed a spread of dishes from the new Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood.

In the show, we discuss:

* The history of Hog Island Oyster Co. and oyster farming in America, and the introduction of Hog Island’s Sweetwater oysters;

* How sustainable aquaculture practices have evolved over time—and what’s on the horizon;

* And the wide-ranging new Hog Island cookbook, in which John Ash pulls in recipes and techniques from around the globe.

Plus, as always, we put our guests to the test in our signature culinary game!

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood: Culinary Treasures from Our Waters by Chef John Ash, with a Foreword by Stuart Brioza

Featuring favorites from the kitchens of Hog Island Oyster Bars and other talented chefs who have embraced the company's sustainability ethos, this authoritative compendium showcases over 250 dishes from cuisines around the world, including regional favorites like San Francisco cioppino, Southern crayfish étouffée, and New England clam chowder. Presenting a wide variety of cooking methods--such as steaming, roasting, grilling, pan-frying, and curing--along with illustrations for techniques like shucking oysters, opening clams, and filleting fish, this comprehensive cookbook will guide you through the basics of seafood preparation. And the extensive list of sauces, butters, and seasonings will help you turn your choice of seafood into a stellar dish.

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood is a master class from a chef who shows home and professional cooks how to bring culinary gifts from the water to the table at their peak of perfection.

We 💚 local bookstores! Pick up your copy of The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood here:

This week, paid subscribers will receive two recipes from The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood: a perfect-for-Thanksgiving Cornbread Oyster Stuffing with Thyme and Fennel … and a classic Grilled Oysters with Four Sauces (we’re talking Chipotle-Bourbon Butter! Harissa Butter! Mendocino Miso Butter!)

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipe—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

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 fall. We’re in a judgment-free zone, of course, so I’ll readily admit that I’m happily ordering pumpkin-spiced lattes. I made chili as soon as the temps dipped a bit after our recent heat wave. I broke out my extra warm sweaters, put them away (see: heat wave), and broke them out again.

Tonight, I’m making a big batch of Eric Kim’s Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese, which keeps it simple with cheddar and Velveeta. It feels equal parts crowd-pleasing (we’re talking actual toddlers here) and nostalgic. (Usually, for holidays, Martha Stewart’s baked mac is my trusted go-to.)

Ah, and costumes. How fitting that we’re talking with Australia-born Hetty today as my family prepares to transform into the animated, hilarious Australian sheepdog family of Bluey, Bingo, Chili, and yours truly, Bandit. Wish us luck on the trick-or-treat streets!

📖 What I’m Reading

* Kristin Jensen writes about the publication of Butter Boy, the new cookbook from Paul Flynn, “the beloved chef at the Tannery in Waterford and the Irish Times food writer,” wondering: Is a cookbook without photos so retro it's radical?

🎧 What I’m Listening To

* Self-promo: I was so honored to share the origin story of Salt + Spine on the Everything Cookbooks podcast with friends of the show Kate Leahy, Molly Stevens, and Kristin Donnelly. This trio (plus fourth co-host Andrea Nguyen) really ask great questions and it made for a fun and engaging chat. Listen here or wherever you podcast!

🍳 What I’m Cooking

* You already know the Halloween menu: Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Eric Kim [New York Times]

Episode 162: Hetty Lui McKinnon

In this week’s episode, Hetty Lui McKinnon and I discuss:

* The loss of her father when she was a teenager, and the impact his passing had on her relationship with her family and with food. “As a child,” Hetty writes in Tenderheart, “I didn’t see living among cartons of fresh produce as anything but normal. … My memories of my father are suspended in time, a disrupted dream without an ending. Every memory I have of him is through the lens of a child. He was tenderhearted—generous, caring, affectionate, kind, and playful.”

* Her path to writing Tenderheart, her fourth and most personal book to date. Hetty first wrote about her father’s passing in an essay for Peddler, her self-published journal on food and culture.

* How Hetty approaches recipe development and her “deep obsession” with vegetables, which leads to recipes in Tenderheart like Cabbage Carbonara-ish, Chocolate-Eggplant Brownies, Tingly ‘Cacio e Pepe’ Snow Peas with Rice Noodles, Lazy Butternut Squash Tiramisu, and—on of my new favorite lunches—an egg salad in which Hetty swaps out the egg for roasted Brussel sprouts. Genius! (By the way, in addition to Hetty’s cookbooks, she publishes recipes regularly with The New York Times and on her Substack, To Vegetables, With Love .)

* Plus, as always, we put Hetty to the test in our signature culinary game!

For more great listening, our 2021 episode with Hetty is here:

Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon

Heritage and food have always been linked for Hetty Lui McKinnon. Tenderheart is a loving homage to her father, a Chinese immigrant in Australia, told in flavorful, vegetarian recipes. Growing up as part of a Chinese family in Australia, McKinnon formed a deep appreciation for her bicultural identity, and for her father, who moved to Sydney as a teenager and learned English while selling bananas at a local market. As he brought home crates full of produce after work, McKinnon learned about the beauty and versatility of fruits and vegetables.

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Hetty’s Tenderheart here:

Hetty’s previous cookbooks include Neighborhood, Community, Family, and To Asia, With Love.

This week, paid subscribers will receive two featured recipes from Hetty’s Tenderheart—a stunning eggplant dish that gets a classic char siu treatment, and a “carrot-laden ramen” that draws on the smell-memory of satay. These are dropping on Thursday, along with an excerpt of Hetty reading from Tenderheart.

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipes—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

This Week’s New Cookbook Releases

* Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Sohla El-Waylly

* Big Heart, Little Stove by Erin French

* Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Jon Kung

* Hungry As Hell by Michelle Davis + Matt Holloway

* Preserved: Condiments Darra Goldstein, Richard Martin, Cortney Burns

* Preserved: Fruit Darra Goldstein, Richard Martin, Cortney Burns

Psst, we were quiet the past couple of weeks, so catching up on a bunch of other new releases I hope you didn’t miss!

* Just Eat by Jessie James Decker

* More is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen by Molly Baz

* Rintaro: Food and Stories from a Japanese Izakaya in California by Sylvan Mishima Brackett

* The Global Pantry Cookbook by Ann Taylor Pittman + Scott Mowbray

* Chocolate All Day by Steve Hodge

* Fish Butchery: Mastering the Catch, Cut, and Craft by Josh Niland

* Joshua Weissman: Texture Over Taste by Joshua Weissman

* Let's Bake Bread! by Bonnie Ohara

* Let's Eat Paris! by François-Régis Gaudry

* The Encyclopedia of Cocktails by Robert Simonson

* ScheckEats―Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science by Jeremy Scheck

* Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park by Andrew Rea

* Bread and Roses: 100+ Grain Forward Recipes featuring Global Ingredients and Botanicals by Rose Wilde

* Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone by Rie McClenny

* Maman & Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family by Roya Shariat

* My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora by Yewande Komolafe

* Polish’d: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland by Michal Korkosz

* The Chutney Life: 100 Easy-to-Make Indian-Inspired Recipes by Palak Patel

* Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma

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;”

* Where she finds inspiration, including which cookbooks she turns to.

Plus, as always, we put Deb to the test in our signature culinary game.

Hey there, do you love Salt + Spine? We’d love if you shared this email with a friend who might want to #TalkCookbooks with us, too:

Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics For Your Forever Files by Deb Perelman

In her third book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files, Deb Perelman gives us 100 recipes (including a few favorites from her site) that aim to make shopping easier, preparation more practical and enjoyable, and food more reliably delicious for the home cook.

What's a keeper?

* a full-crunch cucumber salad you'll want to make over and over again for lunch

* a tomato and corn cobbler that tastes like summer sunshine

* an epic deep-dish broccoli cheddar quiche that even quiche skeptics love

* a slow-roasted chicken on a bed of unapologetically schmaltzy croutons

* a butterscotched apple crisp that will ruin you for all others

* perfect spaghetti and meatballs, better than ever

* Deb's ultimate pound cake, one to redeem all the sleepy ones you've eaten over the years

These are the fail-safe, satisfying recipes you'll rely on for years to come--from Perelman's forever files to yours.

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Smitten Kitchen Keepers here:

This week, paid subscribers will receive a recipe for Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup, the first recipe she worked on for this book and “the definition of a keeper.”

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipe—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

New Cookbook Releases*

*from this week and last week, as we’re behind! 😊

* The Ranch Table: Recipes from a Year of Harvests, Celebrations, and Family Dinners on a Historic California Ranch by Elizabeth Poett

* Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers by Tiffani Thiessen

* The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp: Spicy Recipes and Stories from Fly By Jing's Kitchen by Jing Gao

* Always Hungry! by Laurent Degenais

* Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking by Monica Lee and Tien Nguyen

* Jacques Pépin Cooking My Way: Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking by Jacques Pépin

* The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen by Bee Wilson

* Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert

* Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours: More Than 100 Recipes Made with Love for All Occasions by Lidia Bastianich

* The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi

* Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden by Nichole Accettola

* Unwind: A Devotional Cookbook for the Harried and Hungry by Aarti Sequeira

* The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories by Jason Hammel

* Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day: A Year's Worth of Favorite Recipes for Festive Occasions, Big and Small by Amy Emberling, Lindsay-Jean Hard, Lee Vedder, Corynn Coscia

* A Man & His Kitchen: Classic Home Cooking and Entertaining with Style at the Wm Brown Farm by Matt Hranek

* Slow Drinks by Danny Childs

* Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster

* The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Classic, Creative, and Must-Try Recipes for Every Kitchen by Katie Jacobs

* Now & Then: A Collection of Recipes for Always by Tessa Kiros

* Natasha's Kitchen: 100+ Easy Family-Favorite Recipes You'll Make Again and Again by Natasha Kravchuk

* Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America by Sandra A. Gutierrez

* Familia: 125 Foolproof Mexican Recipes to Feed Your People by Marcela Valladolid

* Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many by Jeremy Lee

* Diner: Day for Night by Andrew Tarlow

* Cook Clever: One Chop, No Waste, All Taste by Shivi Ramoutar

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 name of the cookbook game. “[Hollis] is one of several TikTok creators, many of them with little or no professional cooking experience, who have gone from tinkering in their home kitchens to topping best-seller lists in a remarkably short time. In the process, they’ve shot a jolt of energy into a sagging cookbook market.”

Now, let’s head to Italy…

* Hey there, do you love Salt + Spine? We’d love if you shared this email with a friend who might want to #TalkCookbooks with us, too:

Episode 160: Katie Parla

In this week’s episode, Katie joined me in front of an audience at Omnivore Books in San Francisco to discuss:

* The cuisines of Italy’s islands—which involve less fish and seafood than you might think;

* Her decision to self-publish her latest cookbook, Food of the Italian Islands—and why she’ll keep self-publishing in the future;

* What she wishes she knew when she first moved to Italy 20 years ago.

Plus, as always, we put Katie to the test in our signature culinary game.

Food of the Italian Islands by Katie Parla

A transportive cookbook inviting readers through Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy’s lesser-known island destinations so you can sink your teeth into the secrets of their rustic, romantic dishes. Katie Parla will take you through the streets of Palermo where her great-grandfather was born, across the caper fields of volcanic Pantelleria, into the kitchens of Sardinia for lessons in ornate pasta making, and to the pristine waters of Ponza to dive for sea urchins. And no island adventure with Katie would be complete without a jaunt through the Venetian lagoon on her fishing boat Laura!

But Food of the Italian Islands isn’t just an island journey with your favorite Jersey girl. There are also over 85 recipes, both original and reimagined, that showcase the allure of the islands, including pane frattau featuring Sardinia’s beloved flatbread; bigoli in salsa, a party pasta popular in Venice; coniglio all’ischitana, braised rabbIt in the style of Ischia; torta caprese, Capri’s flourless chocolate-almond cake; and an array of pesto sauces from Pantelleria, Trapani, Linsoa, and Carloforte that will have you asking, “pesto genovese who?”

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Katie’s latest book here:

This week, paid subscribers will receive a recipe for Pesto Pantesco, the regional recipe from the island of Pantelleria, a speck south of Sicily, which employs tomatoes and the “wonderful, savory flavor of Pantelleria’s most famous export, salted capers.” Yum!

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipe—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.

This Week’s New Cookbook Releases

* Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation by Clarissa Wei

* Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen by Pierre Thiam with Lisa Katayama

* Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes from the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters by Hillary Dixler Canavan

* A New Way to Bake: Re-imagined Recipes for Plant-based Cakes, Bakes and Desserts by Philip Khoury

* Crave: Bold Recipes That Make You Want Seconds by Karen Akunowicz

* Les Dames d'Escoffier New York Cookbook: Stirring the Pot by Silvia Baldini and Sharon Franke

* Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share by America’s Test Kitchen

* Every Season Is Soup Season: 85+ Souper-Adaptable Recipes to Batch, Share, Reinvent, and Enjoy by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel

* Skinnytaste Simple: Easy, Healthy Recipes with 7 Ingredients or Fewer by Gina Homolka and Heather K. Jones R.D.

* Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts: Wholesome Everyday Recipes Made With Love by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer

See you next week!

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 special offer of 20% off monthly or annual subscriptions for up to a year. Act fast - this is only valid for the first week of our new season!

A few fun things I’ve been reading lately…

* B. Dylan Hollis (if you have TikTok, you’ve seen his vintage recipes) has one of the breakout cookbooks of the year with “Baking Yesteryear.” He talks to the New York Times (B. Dylan Hollis is Bananas for Vintage Self-Published Cookbooks) about his growing collection of community cookbooks:

* “Community cookbooks come from the church ladies and bridge clubs of the United States. They are the menus and the recipes of everyday folks. They’re a treasure trove of information,” Hollis said. He makes an excellent point: “You’re not going to find Velveeta fudge in an Anthony Bourdain cookbook.”

And now, onto this week’s show with guest Frankie Gaw:

Pssssssst. Hey there, do you love Salt + Spine? We’d love if you shared this email with a friend who might want to #TalkCookbooks with us, too:

Episode 159: Frankie Gaw

In this week’s episode, Frankie and I discuss:

* How growing up in a Taiwanese-American family in Ohio shaped his relationship with food, and how he felt pulled toward a career in food media while working in tech,

* The loss of Frankie’s father, which led to a period of self-reflection that pushed Frankie to re-evaluate his priorities and purpose,

* A winding path—through Skyline Chilis and his grandmother’s recipes and a design-related career and a successful food blog and Instagram—that ultimately led to his debut cookbook, First Generation.

Plus, as always, we put Frankie to the test in our signature culinary game.

First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home by Frankie Gaw

In First Generation, Frankie Gaw of Little Fat Boy presents a tribute to Taiwanese home cooking. With dishes passed down from generations of family, Frankie introduces a deeply personal and essential collection of recipes inspired by his multicultural experience, melding the flavors of suburban America with the ingredients and techniques his parents grew up with.

In his debut cookbook, Frankie will teach you to master bao, dumplings, scallion pancakes, and so much more through stunning visuals and intimate storytelling about discovering identity and belonging through cooking. Recipes such as Lap Cheong Corn Dogs, Honey-Mustard Glazed Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Bolognese, Cincinnati Chili with Hand Pulled Noodles, Bao Egg and Soy Glazed Bacon Sandwich, and Lionshead Big Mac exemplify the stunning creations born out of growing up with feet in two worlds.

Through step-by-step photography and detailed hand-drawn illustrations, Frankie offers readers not just the essentials but endless creative new flavor combinations for the fundamentals of Taiwanese home cooking.

We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Frankie’s First Generation here:

This week, paid subscribers will receive two recipes from Frankie’s First Generation: First up, his Lap Cheong Corn Dogs, “a dream pairing of cornbread batter and Chinese sausage—destined to be together in the mind of a young Asian American kid from suburban Ohio.” Plus, Frankie’s Stir-Fried Rice Cake Bolognese. “I can trace my love of Bolognese all the way back to third grade,” Frankie writes, “when my best friend, who lived across the street, introduced me to what would become one of my favorite meals: SpaghettiOs with Meatballs.”

These recipes will drop into paid subscribers’ inboxes in the next 48 hours! To get these and hundreds more featured recipes, become a subscriber today.

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. If you love cookbooks, what are you waiting for?

This Week’s New Cookbook Releases

Fall is hereeeee! It’s officially cookbook season. And here’s what is fresh this week:

* I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-Ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day by Jake Cohen

* [🎙 Jake on SALT + SPINE: Jake Cohen on Jew-ish cuisine, reinventing recipes, and becoming the ‘gay Ina Garten’]

* The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope by José Andrés (Longer Tables with José Andrés), World Central Kitchen, and Sam Chapple-Sokol

* Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It by Meryl Feinstein of pasta social club

* Simply Symon Suppers: Recipes and Menus for Every Week of the Year by Michael Symon and Douglas Trattner

* The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table by JJ Johnson and Danica Novgorodoff

* Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking: Memories and Stories from My Family's Kitchen by Emiko Davies

* The Food of Sicily: Recipes from a Sun-Drenched Culinary Crossroads by Fabrizia Lanza

* Comfort and Joy: Irresistible Pleasures from a Vegetarian Kitchen by Ravinder Bhogal

* Pasta et Al: The Many Shapes Of A Family Tradition by Alec Morris

* Restaurant Gordon Ramsay: A Story of Excellence by Gordon Ramsey

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 behind these recipes;

* Her cookbooks, including her debut award-winning Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook that has now been translated into six languages, and her latest, Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking.

Plus, as always, we put Vicky to the test in our signature culinary game.

Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison

"Heartwarming and deliciously comforting." - Stanley Tucci

Who better to take inspiration from than Pasta Grannies who have spent their lifetimes plating up comfort and connection. Vicky Bennison, the author of the bestselling Pasta Grannies cookbook, brings you more heart-warming recipes and stories from our favourite Italian grandmothers in this easy-to-follow, crowd-pleasing recipe book that shows you how to make authentic Italian food that everyone will enjoy.

We 💚 to support local bookstores!

This week, paid subscribers will receive two recipes from Vicky’s latest cookbook: Anna Maria's Ziti alla Genovese (Pasta with Stewed Beef from Naples) and Nini's Arancini (Sicilian Deep-Fried Rice Balls)

Salt + Spine is supported by listeners like you. For this week’s recipes—plus exclusive content and hundreds of other featured recipes—become a paid subscriber today.