arts
Hosted by Gilly Smith · arts · EN · 342 episodes
Cooking the Books is about all of life through the prism of food, from climate change to culture and politics to people. It's for foodie book lovers who want to hear something more profound about the way we live, making the link between delicious food and the impact of food production on the land, all through four food moments from the books of our favourite food writers. Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith is the winner of The Guild of Food Writers' Best Broadcast or Podcast Award 2022, and was shortlisted for Fortnum and Mason Best Podcast 2022 and 2024. Hear how A-lister food writers have changed the conversation about food as Gilly talks through their four chosen food moments from their lat
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Signup to Generate a PitchCooking the Books is about all of life through the prism of food, from climate change to culture and politics to people.
Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith is hosted by Gilly Smith. The show has published 342 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Charlotte Wood: Love and Hunger" (15 October 2026, 30 minutes), "Karen Newby: The Post Menopause Method" (1 October 2026, 31 minutes), and "Hodmedod's: Whole Food" (24 September 2026, 30 minutes).
Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 30 minutes across 342 episodes.
Booking probability for Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith is 37%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith's contact route on record: verified email.
Gilly Smith hosts Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith, an arts show with 342 episodes published.
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Episode #7
This week, we're with the award-winning Australian novelist, Charlotte Wood and her ode to cooking and food, Love and Hunger. To Charlotte, cooking is 'creativity in its purest form', but it’s taken nearly 15 years to...
Episode #5
Ahead of BrightonFoodStory , the food festival on October 3rd that Gilly is producing in her home town aimed at changing the conversation about the way we eat, we’re meeting some of the speakers on the various panel...
Episode #4
This week, we meet Nick Saltmarsh and Josiah Meldrum of Hodmedods to talk about the magic of beans in their debut cookbook Whole Food. Now, Hodmedods has long since become the byword for beans in Britain, and can claim...
Episode #3
This week we’re with former editor of the Good Food Guide, Andrew Turvil and his book, Blood, Sweat & Asparagus Spears: The Story of the 1990s Restaurant Revolution. Like Andrew, Gilly was right in the...
Episode #2
This week, in an extended episode, we’re with one of the most important voices in British food writing, Jeremy Lee with Kitchening , his follow up cookbook to the 2022 multi award winning Cooking . Jeremy has taken his...
Episode #1
This week, we’re celebrating Back To School and Uni season with Claire Thompson and her latest book, Dear Grace. This is a book unlike any Claire has written before. She wrote it while her heart was breaking as her...
Episode #13
This week, we're with an absolute legend in food writing, Anissa Helou and her culinary celebration of Lebanon . Listed by Arabian Business magazine as one of the "500 Most Influential Arabs" and "100 Most Powerful...
Episode #12
This week, we are live in Brighton on the hottest day of the year so far with Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, aka Honey and Co. to talk about their new book, Honey and Co.Daily. Against the sound of a massive fan at...
Episode #11
<p>This week we're with author, journalist and broadcaster, Rebecca Seal and her deep dive into the world of allergies in Irritated</p><br><p>She's spent 20 years writing about food, not least as the deputy editor of...
Episode #11
This week we're with author, journalist and broadcaster, Rebecca Seal and her deep dive into the world of allergies in Irritated She's spent 20 years writing about food, not least as the deputy editor of Observer Food...
Episode #10
This week we're with Danish food writer, restaurateur and campaigner, Trine Hahnemann and her latest cookbook, Midnight Sun . This is a book about long lazy summer days - cycling to the beach, stopping off to buy...
Episode #10
<p>This week we're with Danish food writer, restaurateur and campaigner, Trine Hahnemann and her latest cookbook, Midnight Sun.</p><br><p>This is a book about long lazy summer days - cycling to the beach, stopping off...
Episode #9
This week, we’re with the WORD on Turkish food and heritage, Ozlem Warren to dig into her latest book, Istanbul. We’ve followed Ozlem on Cooking the Books through her writing career, from Ozlem’s Turkish Table which...
Episode #9
<p>This week, we’re with the WORD on Turkish food and heritage, Ozlem Warren to dig into her latest book, Istanbul.</p><br><p>We’ve followed Ozlem on Cooking the Books through her writing career, from Ozlem’s Turkish...
Episode #8
This week, Gilly is with the author of The Smallest Restaurant in Paris , Rachel Khoo Now, you may know her as the author of The Little Paris Kitchen and the star of the BBC’s cooler original...
Episode #8
<p> This week, Gilly is with the author of The Smallest Restaurant in Paris, Rachel Khoo</p><br><p>Now, you may know her as the author of The Little Paris Kitchen and the star of the BBC’s cooler original version of...
Episode #7
<p>This week, we're with travel and food writer, Sudi Pigott to Consider the Anchovy.</p><br><p>Part memoir, largely a travelogue, this is a deep dive into the story of a big hitting little fish. Stuffed with maverick...
Episode #6
<p>This week, we're with Ella Risbridger and The Kitchen Book</p><br><p>Now, we know Ella intimately through her memoirs, Midnight Chicken and The Year of Miracles, both of which blended grief, joy, love and loss with...
Episode #5
<p>This week, we're with three of the judges from this year’s World Food Photography Awards which took place earlier this week at The Mall Galleries in London.</p><br><p>The competition, first known as the Pink Lady...
Episode #4
<p>This week, we’re off to lunch with Chetna Makan, the Bake Off semi finalist who has become one of our national treasures with her massive YouTube channel, Food with Chetna. Her latest book 5 Ingredient Indian is yet...
Recent guests on Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Head of Southeast Asia & Middle East, Steez Jiu Jitsu Club
author of Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind)
Baker, Cookbook Author and star of GBBO, Food Foundation
Author of the Guardian's "How to Cook the Perfect..." column, New Statesman columnist and cookbook author
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