Cooking The Books

Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon When Arkady Martine sets out to do a thing, she does it completely and thoroughly. That’s true whether she’s running an academic conference on Byzantium or creating an entirely new universe and an exquisitely intricate space opera to go in it. A Memory Called Empire is just such a narrative within such a universe, and we’re delighted that Arkady was able to join the first Cooking the Books of the year to discuss everything, from the menus (along with food reviews) to the poisons she constructed for the Teixcalaanli Empire. We hope you’re strapped in tight for this month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #042: Edible Flowers and Occasional Poison : Cooking the Books with Arkady Martine contains: poison (duh) so much space politics in spaaace a very new ambassador assassination (character and otherwise) edible flowers the most overthought steak sandwich And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #042: Edible Flowers and Occasional Poison : Cooking the Books with Arkady Martine

Alexander London‘s first young adult novel, Proxy, blew me away. His middle grade books are wonderful. Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound And now the newest addition to the London library, Black Wings Beating hits the Cooking the Books crew right in the feels with its giant murderbirds and amazing world building! (PS: what made this interview especially exciting was the gargantuan feat of not getting distracted by the adorable Baby London… who you might hear cooing in the background. It was difficult, but Aliette and I saw our way through, because it is important to know what to feed a murderbird, right? Exactly.) To prepare yourself to face such birds, or immensely cute babies, or both, please hasten to your nearest bookstore or library to acquire Black Wings Beating. And enjoy our discussion of all things falconry and food, including what to pack for a bird hunt! Do give a listen on Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (Check out Alex London’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers… including the pokemon answer!). This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #041: Candied Ginger and Ghost Eagles: Cooking the Books with Alex London contains: murderbirds giant ghost eagles (aka murderbirds) lots of feathers siblings magic queer romance and boys kissing the world audio debut of the most adorable baby London candied ginger possibly a little bourbon only a few torn off faces (murderbirds, for real) chocolate and beef jerky — not together! — okay a little together. Gross, right? shoutouts to many wonderful books falconry (ie: murderbirds) And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #041:Candied Ginger and Ghost Eagles – Cooking the Books with Alex London

Author Lauren Teffeau’s Implanted debuted just before worldcon in San Jose, and she’s been journeying far and wide to talk about her high-tech science fiction novel. (confession: Lauren keeps me and my hatch green chiles habit happy, plus I blurbed Implanted, so I’m a little biased about this book and this author. Both are fantastic.) My co-host Aliette and I finally found time to sit down and talk with Lauren about all things near future — from food in dome cities to ways to stay motivated. We’re so glad you can join us, and stick around to enjoy Lauren’s recipe, below. PS Keep an eye out for Lauren at Mile-High Con this October! This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #040: Secret Messages: Cooking the Books with Lauren Teffeau contains: training montages brie quesadillas more training montages and hidden cravings ways to feed your writing cooking and writing retreats various opinions (good, accurate ones) about okra shout outs to Kelly Lagor, Tor.com science columnist, to the Critical Mass writers group, and to writing groups everywhere. And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…)

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng arose earlier this year from Angry Robot Press and my Cooking the Books co-host Aliette de Bodard and I have been working to catch the author ever since. We’re so glad to have found a time to do so — the conversation took place over three continents, in between several major conferences, and it ranges all over. We hope you enjoy the banquet of topics set forward – from masquerades to vast wastes of ice and frozen holidays; from the familiar to those things that are not often discussed. Luckily, Under the Pendulum Sun is the kind of book that can host all of these topics within a very tasty plot. Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository | Angry Robot One of my favorite parts is the discussion about engaging with gothic texts like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre — do give a listen on Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (Check out Jeannette’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). In addition to Jeannette’s brownie recipe below, she also answered two reader questions from twitter – those of Joseph Brassey and Tade Thompson. This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #039: A Taste of Light: Cooking the Books with Jeannette Ng contains: creepy food the unseen a disconcerting bowl of blood sun physics frozen grapes alternate allegories how one approaches condiments forbidden foods nursery rhyme research a shoutout to Emma Newman’s Split Worlds series and the Split Worlds Ball. And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #039: A Taste of Light: Cooking the Books with Jeanette Ng 

What Mary Robinette Kowal brings to the Cooking the Books table is no fewer than seven novels, two short story collections, more than 70 short stories, a blog that boosts other writers with My Favorite Bit, advocacy and volunteering, the Writing Excuses Podcast AND Cruise, the Futurescapes Writing Workshop, and an unfortunate attachment to okra, although she explains to me frequently that I’ve just not had it cooked properly.  There’s a lot more as well (audio recordings, puppetry, a serious dedication to both fashion and typewriters…) Mary is an outstanding cook and has been visiting NASA often for research on her latest books — part of the Lady Astronaut of Mars series — The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky, the first of which is out July 3 CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON THE LAUNCH PARTY. (the second appears August 21). So of course we asked her about space food. It’s all for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Chelsea’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!).She joins Aliette de Bodard and me for Cooking the Books this month (in our 65th interview & 38th podcast episode!) to dish on all the details. This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #038: Rocket Fuel – Cooking the Books with Mary Robinette Kowal contains: Thoughts on jiffy pop and early math the taste of tinned beans MANY ROCKET INNUENDO chess pie and biscuits What the food at Nasa is like potential ROCKET INNUENDO VALENTINE CANDY a make your own macaroni & cheese bar Astronaut Kibble That point at which we lose it over space food puns And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #038: Rocket Fuel – Cooking the Books with Mary Robinette Kowal

Chelsea Polk‘s glorious debut novel, Witchmark, from Tor.com Publishing and Tor Books is almost here. Still time to preorder! In Witchmark, an alternate post-War world has magic and sibling rivalries, a beautiful romance, and so many bicycles. It’s also filled with food — apples in particular, but other foods as well. So when Chelsea Polk was able to speak with us for Cooking the Books from her home in Alberta, Canada, I was delighted. She also answered questions for the Booksmugglers! Chelsea will be at 4th Street Fantasy in June, and celebrating the launch of Witchmark soon after, but you can hear her here first! It’s all for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Chelsea’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #037: How to Feed Magic – Cooking the Books with Chelsea Polk contains: Energy-replenishment Guidelines After Magic Use The food you eat with friends LGBT Romance Recs (along with some adult recs) Improper substitution of fountain pens for food by Aliette Pen Bodard The best way to cook steak and pasta A few thoughts about post-war PTSD Cookies And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (Thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound I’ve walked so many of the paths in The Girl And the Grove (Flux Books, May 2018)  from Fairmount Park to Kelly Drive and now I’m slightly disappointed I’ve yet to see either an owl or a dryad. That’s because this YA novel is filled with the people and places of my hometown. So I was thrilled when Eric Smith found time to join us for Cooking the Books this month and talk about his latest novel, his anthology Welcome Home, nurturing kids, and… what dryads eat. Yes, you heard right. Stay tuned for the answer (BTW that was a Booksmuggler’s question because they’re brilliant). But wait, there’s more: Eric’s thoughts about coffee shops, brewing perfect coffee at home, and the writing process are ALSO brilliant. It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Eric’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!).   This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #036: All the Dad Jokes – Cooking the Books with Eric Smith contains: Dad Jokes (we warned you) Several best friends One excellent Corgi Cameos — SO many cameos, including a Park, a number of Eric’s friends, author Jon McGoran, and the wonderful The Monkey and The Elephant Coffeehouse. The perfect cup of coffee The best name for an owl And much more. Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?)

John Scalzi: Man of international mystery, burritos, and pie? OR fleet-footed author of over thirty books on writing, spaaaaace, and the future? Either guess is correct. What do you win? You win the latest episode of Cooking the Books, an interview with John Scalzi — where co-host Aliette de Bodard and I talk with him about writing during tough times, the importance of lawn care equipment, and burritos, bacon, and pie. It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out John’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #035: Schadenfreude Burrito – Cooking the Books with John Scalzi contains: Bacon A lot of bacon. Bacon is always there for you. A shout out to this excellent essay by Kayla Whaley (@punkinonwheels on twitter): “The Difference a Meal Makes: On Losing the Ability to Eat Solid Food” The true meaning of Schadenfreude Pie The many foodways of the JoCo Cruise That time Scalzi’s phone started playing “Rock You Like a Hurricane” all on its own. HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE OPINIONS ABOUT POTATOES And much more.

Of Mangoes and Radium: Cooking the Books with Brooke Bolander Macmillan | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound Brooke Bolander first captured our attention with the gorgeous short story “Her Words Like Hunting Vixens Spring” (2012, Lightspeed) and she hasn’t let it go since. Now with vivid short stories like And You Shall Know Her By Her Trail of Dead, Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies, and Sundogs (to name a few) under her belt, Brooke’s novella, “The Only Harmless Great Thing” has arrived in glowing fashion. It’s a stunningly mesmerizing work and we’re so pleased to have Brooke with us to talk about elephants, radium girls, Coney Island, alternate histories, and dreamscapes. It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Bo’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #034: Of Mangoes and Radium – Cooking the Books with Brooke Bolander contains: An elephant hotel The terrifying effects of radium poisoning Coney Island and Luna Park attractions The Truth About Edison How words feel in the mouth A few insights into beverages Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…)

Carmen Maria Machado‘s short stories and essays grab the heart and the ear, the eye and the brain. They seam and sing. They steam.  Her first short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties (Greywolf Press 2017) is out this week, already making All the Lists, and Aliette and I feel so lucky to have Carmen visit to talk about food and fiction today! It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Carmen’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #033:  The Stitch of Story – Cooking the Books with Carmen Maria Machado contains: Olives Kidneys… sort of Unexpected pantsuits Feminist Dinner Parties The oppressed body The way books smell Liminality and Interstitials New Podcast mentioned! – Racist Sandwich Instructions On Not Disappearing Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #033: The Stitch of Story – Cooking the Books with Carmen Maria Machado

This is the podcast in which we try not to fangirl. We failed. (Ok I failed. Aliette asked excellent, competent, brilliant questions from her berth as an instructor on the Writing Excuses cruise and I just … well, you’ll see.) Yoon Ha Lee’s first collection, Conservation of Shadows, and his short stories at Tor.com, Lightspeed, Beneath Ceaseless Skies and more, have been favorites for a long time. When Ninefox Gambit came out last year, I was hooked, and Raven Strategem has come through even stronger. On the heels of his second Hexarchate novel, he stopped by to discuss tangerines, researching the history of kimchi, and the complexities of characters including Jedao. It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Yoon’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). Read Yoon’s earlier Book Bite over here too! This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #032:  The Importance of Tangerines – Cooking the Books with Yoon Ha Lee contains: Kimchi A Terrible Sweet Tooth A Ghost’s Whisky Tangerines The cruelty of the Hexarchate in a tarot deck Enough Green Tea Cookies to Scare You A very dangerous tarot deck Pocky (you are surprised, why?)

Our fabulous friend Malka Older found time between busy moments at BEA to talk with co-host Aliette de Bodard and me about her relief work in Japan after Fukushima, writing the data-driven, sf stunners Infomocracy and Null States (out soon from Tor.Com Publishing!) and telling us what foods go away first in an infomocracy universe. It’s all  for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Malka’s Booksmugglers Bonus answers!). Haven’t read Infomocracy yet? Now’s the time — so you can get caught up for Null States! (and read Malka’s earlier Book Bite over here too) This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #031:  Lines of Supply – Cooking the Books with Malka Older contains: One half dash, procrastination Three heaping spoonfuls of prognostication A possible pigeon A handful of social programming A touch of poetry Only the best picadillo Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) And visit additional Cooking the Books content over on the The Booksmugglers! (thanks as always to our friend Paul Weimer who helps clean up the CtB kitchen after we destroy it…) Podcast #031: Lines of Supply – Cooking the Books with Malka Older

Read excerpts at Tor.com | Buy at : Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieboundRuthanna Emrys joins us for Cooking the Books this month, both here and at the extension kitchen over at The Booksmugglers! (check out Ruthanna’s answers to the bonus questions they asked!). My co-host Aliette de Bodard looked forward to talking with Ruthanna about how she uses food to evoke memory in Winter Tide, her Deep Ones novel out recently from Tor.com publishing. What we didn’t realize is that we would also be talking about revising the Lovecraftian recipe, and exploring monster digestion. This podcast contains so much salt. Also a heads up about Ruthanna’s book party with her blog co-host Anne M. Pillsworth at Wiscon in a few weeks! Are you going? Pick up a Honeyed Salt Cake for us. Or try the recipe yourself, below… This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #030: A Taste of Salt – Cooking the Books with Ruthanna Emrys

For the second Cooking the Books of 2017, we’re joined (a few minutes into the podcast, be patient) by my new co-host for the show – the wonderful Aliette de Bodard. More exciting things are coming soon for Cooking the Books as well! Stay tuned. With that in mind, we concocted a fairly rowdy (ok it’s really rowdy) Cooking the Books session with agent & foodie Barry Goldblatt, which ranges all over the place but eventually comes back around to food and books. Since Barry’s my agent, Aliette’s in charge of asking most of the tough questions (thanks to the wonders of twitter, our friend Dongwon Song tossed in one from the peanut gallery as well…). This podcast contains a LOT of candy, as fair amount of nourishing things, and a great list of books coming out in the spring & summer of 2017. Delicious, yes? YES. This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #029 is On the Hot Seat – Cooking the Books with Agent Barry Goldblatt

For the first Cooking the Books of 2017, we’re delighted to have Mur Lafferty, author of Six Wakes (Orbit, 2017) and Laura Anne Gilman, author of The Cold Eye (Saga Press, 2017) visit to talk about scarcity, intestinal distress, and things that can go wrong on a journey… … really, these are good things! Gilman and Lafferty also talked with Cooking the Books about feeding the creative mind during tumultuous times and chocolate, so this podcast has layers, friends. Both authors are repeat visitors to Cooking the Books, and you can catch up with previous interviews here and here. Their latest books are gaining acclaim (check out The Cold Eye at Library Journal & Six Wakes at NPR) and these two are absolutely authors to watch going forward, with Gilman just announcing a new deal with Saga, and Lafferty’s first series, The Shambling Guide to New Orleans slated for production with Netflix. Delicious, no? This month’s Cooking the Books Podcast, #028: Double Trouble – Cooking the Books with Mur Lafferty and Laura Anne Gilman contains: Food printers Jerky Chocolate Ph? Clones A deal with the Devil A live pig, sort of An unexpected journey A nod to The Diamond Age Several moments of hilarity & sidetracking Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) Podcast #028: Double Trouble with Mur Lafferty and Laura Anne Gilman

Cooking the books features interviews with authors, editors, and agents about food and fiction. This month’s guest is Nisi Shawl.

Indiebound | Amazon | B&N Let’s face it. Chuck Wendig practically owns Cooking the Books (actually he’s been charging me for the knock knock jokes and I had to put the podcast in hock to pay for it, so he kind of does).  Sometimes he lets me play on his blog, Terribleminds, too. But as I’m still cleaning up from all the ants he sent over to celebrate the launch of Invasive – the companion novel to Zeroes, which I loved last year – we have to work out of the Cooking The Books kitchen today because ANTS.

Space Weevils: Cooking the Books with David Levine Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Powell’s | Indiebound Award-winning author, David D. Levine‘s first novel, Arabella of Mars, is a science-fantasy that takes you to the stars! Here’s the publisher’s lead: Since Newton witnessed a bubble rising from his bathtub, mankind has sought the stars. When William III of England commissioned Capt. William Kidd to command the first expedition to Mars in the late 1600s, he proved that space travel was both possible and profitable. Now, one century later, a plantation in a flourishing British colony on Mars is home to Arabella Ashby, a young woman who is perfectly content growing up in the untamed frontier. But days spent working on complex automata with her father or stalking her brother Michael with her Martian nanny is not the proper behavior of an English lady. That is something her mother plans to remedy with a move to an exotic world Arabella has never seen: London, England. However, when events transpire that threaten her home on Mars, Arabella decides that sometimes doing the right thing is far more important than behaving as expected. She disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of the Diana, a ship serving the Mars Trading Company, where she meets a mysterious captain who is intrigued by her knack with clockwork creations. Now Arabella just has to weather the naval war currently raging between Britain and France, learn how to sail, and deal with a mutinous crew…if she hopes to save her family remaining on Mars. Arabella of Mars, the debut novel by Hugo-winning author David D. Levine, offers adventure, romance, political intrigue, and Napoleon in space! We’re thrilled David could join us to talk about Arabella of Mars, scurvy, space weevils, gravity, and more!

Last fall, I was invited to the Tea & Jeopardy podcast for … you guessed it: tea. Along the way, I engaged in Mild Peril and was sung to by chickens.The delight didn’t end there, for I had the distinct pleasure of getting to know author Emma Newman, the host of Tea & Jeopardy. Now it’s my great pleasure to have Emma over to this side of the ocean, in order to discuss, among other things: tea, masked balls, community, outrage, activism, and cake. We do break a few dishes at the outset, and discuss a few recent events (the recording was made before the Brexit referendum), but then we put the kettle on and talk about Emma’s books, the exquisite Planetfall (Roc, 2015) and the upcoming After Atlas (Roc, November, 2016), as well as her upcoming novella for Tor.com publishing, the LARP of the world of her split worlds books, as well as the masked ball she threw last year, what Lord Poppy would eat, and much more. Buy Planetfall Order After Atlas The ingredients for podcast #24 ~ I’ll Just Put the Kettle On: Cooking the Books with Emma Newman ~ include: a kettle (naturally) cake (ditto) a tea mug hierarchy a short digression into the finding of authors who happen to be female the Earl-Grey Hot problem An elegant ball Rudimentary fan language Men wearing red lipstick and eyeliner Fanfic Total despair mixed with gelatin, poured into the shape of a bunny rabbit Questions from Twitter Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) Podcast #024: I’ll Just Put the Kettle On: Cooking the Books with Emma Newman

Amazon | Powell’s | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound |Goodreads I heard Ada Palmer before I met her. One of the primary singers and songwriters for the a capella group Sassafrass, Palmer has performed at SFF conventions for many years. At my first (and – sob – last) Farthing Party, I got to see members of Sassafrass perform live, and I continue to make every effort to hear them at every occasion. As compelling as that was, that same weekend, I also heard Palmer speak eloquently on a range of literary and historical topics, and I was forced to conclude that this was A Brilliant Person and I needed to know more. Along with her teaching duties as a professor at the University of Chicago, Palmer supplies an endless opportunity of more (more knowledge, more delightful recipes, more insights into things I didn’t know I needed to know). She hilariously co-hosts the auction at Vericon. Occasionally appears in brilliant formal dress at one’s table at the Nebulas. And has now written one of the books that will stick with me for a long time — her first book —Too Like the Lightning (Tor 2016) with the next book soon to follow. But what you really want is to hear Ada yourself, on topics of food and enlightenment! So please do pull up a chair, and bring your appetite. (You know how in The Phantom Tollbooth Milo & Tock go to the Word Market and tastes all the delicious words? This podcast is going to be like that.)   The ingredients for podcast #23 ~ The Kitchen Tree: Cooking the Books with Ada Palmer ~ include: multiple servings and preparations of gelato pasta, being the best of all foods porto-vino intense worldbuilding methodology hard truths about enlightenment-era dining one Pope hat dumpster diving the aforementioned kitchen tree 100% more flying cars   Ready? Subscribe to the Podcast here! Or on iTunes! Or click play below: (and consider supporting us on Patreon, hmm?) Podcast #023: The Kitchen Tree – Cooking the Books with Ada Palmer