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 Da ..read more

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, c ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 pumpki ..read more

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, of 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. H ..read more

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 ..read more

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 f ..read more

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 C ..read more

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” video series, which went onto become the concept for his first solo cookbook, * And the chef’s favor ..read more