Cookbook Club
Episodes
100: Farewell episode
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for our farewell episode, where we talk about the process of making the podcast and hear from some of our listeners! Thank you all for listeni...
99: Snacks
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Snacks, as Sara says, are a life raft in the chaos of motherhood. Renee has a whole snack system. We have, actually, a lot to say about snacks. Join u...
98: Ottolenghi Simple
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve had listener requests for Ottolenghi books over the years, and we’ve saved him for out last cookbook episode! We talk about his signature fl...
97: Meal Trains 2
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are revisiting one of our favorite topics: meal trains! After Renee’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, we both learned so much more about meal tra...
96: The Book on Pie
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A very ambitious and comprehensive guide to pie — from crust technique to decoration to hundreds of unique and interesting flavor combinations — t...
95: Veggie burgers
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We like veggie burgers, but have we cooked that many? Turns out, this episode sent Sara down a rabbit hole of making veggie burger recipes and they ar...
94: My Everyday Lagos
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My Everyday Lagos is a critically acclaimed cookbook that brings West African cuisine to western audiences. Specialty ingredients, spice mixes and unu...
93: Breakfast for dinner
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Breakfast for dinner is a favorite weeknight hack for our families. You can take it in a hundred different directions, make it dead easy or make it fa...
92: Cravings: All Together
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This book is our first foray into the Chrissy Tiegen food universe, and it was a surprise to us — Renee enjoys Chrissy’s sense of humor and family...
91: Meringue & Pavlova
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We deeply love the magic that happens when you combine whipped egg whites with sugar. Join us as we fall down the rabbit hole of meringue treats, incl...
90: The Woks of Life
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This cookbook brings the unique perspective of an entire family — a collaboration between parents and young adult children with personal stories, fa...
89: Noodles
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked about pasta recently, but in this episode, we dig into noodles. From noodle soups to a range of Asian noodle dishes, we talk about the ...
88: Cooking in Real Life
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lidey Heuck’s recipes are classic — maybe to a fault? For Sara, this book has been a weeknight workhorse, and Renee loves the inventive flavor com...
87: Savory Pies
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We love pie! In this episode, we dig in to savory pies that run a wide gamut of influences and flavors. Sara talks about the tamale pie of her youth,...
86: My Kitchen Year
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This memoir with recipes is an unusual cookbook — it follows the year after the folding of Gourmet magazine, when Ruth Reichl was left reeling and ...
85: Budget-friendly weeknight meals
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the hemorrhage of the holiday season, we are ready to get back to simple cooking in the evenings, with a budget-friendly spin. We focus on cle...
84: Health Nut
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This cookbook from Martha Stewart alum Jess Damuck rides high on crunchy California hippie vibes. Whole wheat baked goods (yikes), smoothies and sala...
83: Foodie Gifts
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By listener request, some ideas for gifts for yourself or the other cooks and foodies in your life. We discuss the best gift exchange gifts we’ve r...
82: Scandinavian from Scratch
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discovered by Renee at Book Larder in Seattle, this book is a baking book celebrating flavors and treats from Denmark, Norway & Sweden. We both l...
81: Thanksgiving Survival Guide
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time again! The super bowl of the cook’s calendar. We talk about not making it a one-woman show, our plans for Thanksgiving this year a...
80: Let's Eat!
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Instagram sensation turned cookbook author Dan Pelosi gave us a gem of a cookbook filled with comfort food, family and fun here. Sara is obsessed wit...
79: Pasta
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A weeknight savior, a delicious favorite for kids and adults alike, and yet we made it to episode 79 before we had an episode about it?! We’re getti...
78: In Bibi's Kitchen
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This James Beard-award winning cookbook features a collaboration between Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen, and tells the stories of many women across ei...
77: Weekday lunches
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The kids are back in school, and you need to get yourself fed during the day. Join us for some strategies for weekday lunches, whether you are at hom...
76: I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Slagle wrote our dream weeknight cookbook in “I Dream of Dinner.” We talk about Ali Slagle’s camper van adventures and the flexibility in th...
75: Mi Cocina
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Martinez brings his warm, fun and exuberant personality to this collection of Mexican cuisine from different regions of Mexico. We love the color...
74: Pie
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pie is wonderful. Dessert pie is the best. And it makes us feel downright patriotic. Join us as we geek out on crust, fillings and baking techniques ...
73: Vegetable Kingdom
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bryant Terry is a visionary in the vegan cooking world, and we tried out this well-known cookbook. We talk about nesting doll recipes, brilliant vega...
72: Quickbreads & Muffins
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to bake — so today, we talk about some favorite recipes for these easy go-to bakes. Sara won a prize for quickbread at the Oregon State Fai...
71: Persiana Everyday
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This book grabbed Renee’s eye over the summer when she was traveling in the UK, so she brought it back and we dove in to this ingredient-focused, ea...
70: Things on Buns
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are very many things you can put on buns. Make your own buns, buy some at the grocery store, make a thing on a bun! We give you a whole list of...
69: Modern Comfort Food
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season three of our podcast and we’re finally cooking from the Barefoot Contessa! We talk about our fabulous cookbook club dinner, and whether we li...
68: Birthday cakes
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We make a lot of cakes! In this episode, we weigh the pros and cons of cake mixes vs. homemade cakes, kid cakes vs. adult cakes and talk about decor...
67: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous cookbooks of all time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking was a revelation at the time, bringing French cuisine to American ...
66: What We're Cooking Now
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are coming off the holidays, entering a new year, battling winter weather and sitting down to share how cooking is going in our homes these days. ...
65: Ever Green Vietnamese
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We loved Andrea Nguyen’s first book, “Vietnamese Food Any Day.” How does her new release stack up for us? Renee and Sara talk about building bl...
64: Weeknight dinners
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The holidays are over and weeknight cooking is back. If you’re like us, maybe you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and worn out on it — in that...
63: Smitten Kitchen Keepers
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re coming back for more Deb Perelman with her newest book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. Are they keepers? How do we like these compared to...
62: Babka
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever made a babka? We tried a number of recipes for this enriched-dough bread with a ribbon of flavor, and we came up with very mixed result...
61: The Grand Central Baking Book
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by a classic Pacific Northwest bakery, this book tells us how to make those beloved treats at home. This week we talk about the bakery and t...
60: New York Times Cooking Roundup
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not a cookbook, but the New York Times Cooking section is a huge source of recipes for both of us. In this episode, we break down some favori...
59: New Native Kitchen
04 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We dig in to Freddy Bitsoie’s ode to Indigenous cuisine and ingredients on this episode, with a recap of a delicious meal we shared together with o...
58: Kitchen organization
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cooking is one thing, but it takes a whole lot of logistics to plan, shop, organize and keep track of the groceries, recipes and cookbooks in our ki...
57: Dinner in One
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We return to Melissa Clark in this episode, to dig in to her one-pan, one-pot, one-skillet, one-sheet-pan wonder. Joined by our friend Kirsten Colli...
56: Pancakes & Waffles
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s talk about pancakes and waffles! They’re a classic breakfast food, but spoiler alert, we eat them for dinner very frequently. We’ll shar...
55: Everyone's Table
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An elevated but health-focused book with a Paleo bent, this cookbook is different from a lot of other books we’ve cooked from, as well as being ex...
54: Season Two Wrap-up
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been two years of Cookbook Club! On today’s episode, we tie up loose ends from the season, talk about what’s coming next and take some li...
53: Indian-ish
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This cookbook feels like an embodiment of Priya Krishna’s sunny disposition, and serves as a love letter to her mom’s “Indian-ish” cooking w...
52: Grilling
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grilling is a laid-back kind of summer cooking where you can sip a cold beverage and cook outside. This week we talk about our favorite things to gr...
51: Colombiana
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This vibrant, beautiful cookbook celebrates Colombia and its flavors, women, music and more. We talk about how beautiful the food is, and whether th...
50: No-cook dinners
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes in the summer, it’s just too hot to bother with applying any heat. This week we share our best ideas for preparing no-cook dinners to ke...
49: Dinner in French
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
French recipes brought to life by our old friend Melissa Clark. Renee thinks this book feels more intentionally complex than others Melissa Clark has ...
48: Camping food
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Camping and cooking go together — but it all gets a little more complicated when we add kids to the equation. Sara and Renee share their camping str...
47: Korean American
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To Eric Kim, these recipes taste like home. We both had tender feelings toward his vulnerability throughout this cookbook, as he writes a very perso...
46: What we're cooking now
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are always looking for new inspiration in the kitchen, and always facing the challenges of everyday life with kids, families and work demands. In...
45: Cannelle et Vanille
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cannelle et Vanille is a comforting and lovely cookbook full of gluten-free recipes that are “for everyone.” Do we agree? Listen to find out. Re...
44: Reducing food waste
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everything is SO expensive right now. We got together to chat about how to reduce our grocery bills by using it all up in creative ways. Join us! Reci...
43: Provisions
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This ingredient-focused Caribbean book caught our attention and stretched our cooking repertoire a bit. We talk about our favorite recipes from the bo...
42: Chocolate Chip Cookies
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The chocolate chip cookie is an American classic, one we threw some shade on back in season one. But let’s talk about them, give some great &n...
41: Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A bold and beautiful book full of bright photographs, this one certainly caught our attention — but how is it to cook from? We take on t...
40: Salad
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s talk about salad! Generally raw, generally cold, but can be defined in a million ways. Join us as we explore some ways to make salad &nb...
39: Japanese Cookbook for Beginners
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A small, humble cookbook that took us by surprise. This Japanese cookbook from Azusa Oda is full of heavy-hitting simple recipes with clea...
38: Instant Pot Round-Up
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a new year, and for us, we’re feeling a draw toward simplicity and ease in our cooking. This week we’re talking about all our favorit...
37: Super Natural Every Day
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re a split vote on this natural, whole foods cookbook from award-winning author Heidi Swanson — it has shown us some new things, bu...
36: Holiday cookies
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Oh boy, how can two ladies have so many opinions about holiday cookies? You’re about to find out. Join us as we dig into our history eat...
35: Nothing Fancy
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Big bold flavors and a big bold personality — Alison Roman brings it all in this book about “having people over” and not “entertaining,”...
34: Holiday breakfasts
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, the big cooking holidays are coming — but before you feed a crowd and get to your oven schedule, what are you eating for breakfast?  ...
33: The Flavor Equation
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sort of like the love child of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Christopher Kimball and Samin Nosrat, The Flavor Equation is a cookbook unlike many others. Join us...
32: Using the Freezer
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We love our freezers — they keep us stocked and ready to cook at any time. In this episode, we share our best tips for freezing raw ingredients and ...
31: Now & Again
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Turshen’s menu-based cookbook has tons going on — seasonal ideas, ideas for repurposing leftovers and even holiday menus. We dig in &n...
30: Pumpkin recipes
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It might be basic, but we don’t care. Bring on the pumpkin spice! In this episode, we wax poetic about pumpkin (it’s thrifty! it’s versati...
29: Smitten Kitchen Every Day
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A big collection of simple recipes from one of our faves, Deb Perelman. Does it live up to the impossible standards of weeknight cooking? Is it ...
28: Season One Wrap-up
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We did it! A whole year of podcasts. It's been so fun for us, so thanks for joining in and listening along with us. In this episode, we tie up some lo...
27: Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This vibrant book is full of Korean recipes, cheerful photos and Maangchi’s signature attitude. Join us as we talk about the amazing meal we ate tog...
26: Ice cream & frozen desserts
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gelato, ice cream, sorbet, granitas and boozy popsicles. It's hot outside and we're dreaming of making ice cream and all kinds of frozen treats at hom...
25: Zahav
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This vibrant, colorful cookbook is a lot of things — a chef-written cookbook, a very personal collection of recipes and a celebration of Israeli foo...
24: Summer berry cakes
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When berries are in season, there’s no higher calling for them than baking them into a cake. The cookbook club has tried a lot of these, and &...
23: Family
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We sit down with Kirsten Collins to chat about this gorgeous anthology of vegetarian recipes, from Australian-Chinese author Hetty McKinnon. From "sou...
22: Cooking on Vacation
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do you cook when it’s time to relax? Renee and Sara dig in to their favorite recipes, hacks and tips for keeping all those mouths fed &nb...
21: The Campout Cookbook
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cooking…in the woods? Join us, along with our pal Rebecca Ringquist, for a deep dive into The Campout Cookbook, which our Cookbook Club te...
20: Cookbooks that teach you how to cook
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some cookbooks are just a collection of recipes. That’s great, but how about cookbooks that take you to the next level as a cook, imparting&nbs...
19: Salt Fat Acid Heat
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chef and teacher Samin Nosrat brings us heaps of advice through her four building blocks of flavor: Salt, Fat, Acid and Heat. Sara and Renee have lear...
18: Vegan & Vegetarian recipes
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meat-free meals are the bread and (vegan) butter of this episode. Both Sara and Renee have lots of experience cooking vegan and vegetarian recipes, an...
17: It's All Easy
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do we really need a recipe for avocado toast? Not really. This book is an easy weeknight cookbook (mostly!) but we aren’t sure about GP’s no-recip...
16: Meal Planning
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Renee puts it, meal planning is annoying because you have to to it every day for the rest of your life. Join us as we share our systems for p...
15: Dinner in an Instant
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a deep dive into Melissa Clark’s first pressure-cooker cookbook. Renee and Sara don’t see eye to eye on this one — is it the &...
14: Making pizza at home
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is it really worth it to make pizza at home? We weigh in and tell you how we do it — including our favorite recipes for crust and sauce, best ...
13: Snacking Cakes
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yossy Arefi’s book hits a high note — casual but delicious, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. In this episode, we talk about our favor...
12: Meal Trains
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meal Trains are a great way to use your cooking skill to care about people in your world going through a life change or a tough time. Eliz Roser joins...
11: Vietnamese Food Any Day
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the holidays, we are very excited to eat something a little lighter. Andrea Nguyen's Vietnamese Food Any Day is full of delicious, accessible re...
10: Favorite Kitchen Tools
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pull out your fish spatulas, your timers, your whisks. Joined by Rebecca Ringquist, we round up our favorite tools that make cooking more satisfying a...
9: 100 Cookies
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we don our aprons and start our holiday baking season with Sarah Kieffer's 100 Cookies. We love the innovative cookie recipes in this...
8: Thanksgiving Greatest Hits
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we share our favorite Thanksgiving traditions and favorite recipes. We hope this episode inspires your holiday table this year. Recip...
7: Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Cookbook Club! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we are gearing up for this ultimate cooking holiday. Kirsten Collins joins us to...
6: Meatballs
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into meatballs! How we make them, how we eat them and our favorite tips and tricks for making great ones. Recipes menti...
5: Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Cookbook Club! This time we are joined by Kirsten Collins, and talking about The Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, by Urvashi Pitre. We love thi...
4: Kid-friendly meals
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about cooking for our kids. We share some of our favorite tips for keeping kids fed, things our picky kids like to eat and ho...
3: Six Seasons
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Cookbook Club! We are diving in to Six Seasons, a huge tome of recipes from “the vegetable whisperer,” chef Joshua McFadden, with Marth...
2: How to start a Cookbook Club
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our second episode, we talk with Kirsten Collins, co-founder of our in-person Cookbook Club, about helpful tips to start your own club. Trust...
1: Small Victories
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Cookbook Club! In our first episode, we introduce ourselves and the podcast. Then we talk about a favorite cookbook -- Small Victories, by ...