Cookbook Fest, a first-of-its-kind book-festival-meets-food-festival, will debut this summer in Napa Valley, bringing together dozens of award-winning cookbook authors, leading food podcasters, and top chefs for a three-day storytelling experience.
Confirmed speakers include Andrea Nguyen, Anna Volyshyna, Brandon Skier, Bricia Lopez, Bryant Terry, Cara Mangini, Chris Cosentino, Dan Pashman, Deuki Hong, Edy Massih, Jessie Sheehan, Josh Scherer, Kate Leahy, Khushbu Shah, Kristin Donnelly, Kristina Cho, Martin Yan, Nik Sharma, Preeti Mistry, Sarah Johnson, Toriano Gordon, Tu David Phu, Tyler Florence, Von Diaz, and more to be announced soon.
The festival is a collaboration between Salt + Spine, the leading cookbook podcast; Feast It Forward, the lifestyle brand of the entertainment platform Feast.Network; and Feed Your People, which creates community-building live food events.
“Cookbook Fest is unlike anything you’ve seen before,” says festival co-founder Brian Hogan Stewart, host and creator of the Salt + Spine podcast. “We are thrilled to be celebrating the people behind cookbooks—from authors to designers to photographers and more—and bringing the stories behind cookbooks to life through various mediums. From live podcast recordings to hands-on conversations in the kitchen, I can’t wait to see the energy and hear the conversations that emerge.”
“From globally-inspired dishes to treasured family recipes, there’s a story and a feast for everyone at Cookbook Fest,” says festival co-founder Katie Hamilton Shaffer, creator of the Feast.Network and Feast It Forward. “I’m absolutely thrilled to bring our festival atmosphere to life as my property provides an energetic playground for national brands to thrive and directly engage with consumers through our network. We’re excited for guests to take a seat at our table by stepping into the kitchen alongside chefs and authors—a full-sensory experience for anyone fascinated by food.”
“At Cookbook Fest, we’re celebrating the ways in which cooking and cookbooks bring us together,” says festival co-founder Leslie Jonath, a veteran publishing professional. “This festival is our chance to put the spotlight on cookbook authors’ talents and celebrate the joy and culture they bring us with their recipes.”
COOKBOOK FEST
On the festival’s main day, Saturday, June 22, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with cookbook authors, chefs, and podcasters in a range of intimate programming, including:
- Live main-stage recordings of top food podcasts including The Sporkful(hosted by Dan Pashman), Everything Cookbooks(hosted by Andrea Nguyen, Kate Leahy, and Kristin Donnelly), Loading Dock Talks (hosted by Preeti Mistry), Copper & Heat (hosted by Katy Osuna), and Salt + Spine (hosted by Brian Hogan Stewart).
- Keynote conversations with visionaries such as Bryant Terry, Martin Yan, and Tyler Florence, and a special live stage event with Last Mealshost, Mythical Chef Josh Scherer.
- “Ingredient Interviews,” the festival’s unique, hands-on culinary demos in the Networkstudio kitchen (hosted by Katie Hamilton Shaffer), exploring the cross-culture nature of ingredients with featured chefs plus tips and tricks for home cooks.
- A featured multi-media storytelling event, “California Headnotes,”which will bring Golden State cookbooks to life through first-person author narratives.
- A “Sweet Shop”featuring bites from cookbook authors Kristina Choand Jessie Sheehan.
- Cookbook-related culinary offerings, including a pizza and salad bar lunch featuring recipes from recent top cookbooks like Khushbu Shah’s AMRIKAN, a cookbook-inspired paella dinner party, and more.
- Book signings by featured authors in the “Book Village,” presented in partnership with Omnivore Books.
- The “Industry Index Salon,” a space dedicated to programming designed for those working in food media and cookbook publishing, along with a party to celebrate cookbook authors in attendance.
Full programming details, additional speakers and sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks. Brands interested in activations and sponsorship opportunities may connect via email katie@feastitforward.com.
Additional festival programming includes:
OPENING ‘GLOBAL FIRE’ PARTY on FRIDAY, JUNE 21
The festival will kick off on Friday, June 21, with a special edition of Chef Brady Lowe’s Global Fire, a live-fire culinary theater in which authors Bricia Lopez, Deuki Hong, Toriano Gordon, Tu David Phu, and Von Diaz will prepare grilled, barbecued, smoked, and charred dishes from the global cuisines represented in their cookbooks, alongside craft beverages and Napa Valley wines, and live entertainment.
PAELLA + PINOT DINNER PARTY on SATURDAY, JUNE 22
Immerse yourself in the communal spirit of Spanish cuisine with an evening devoted to the art of paella inspired by recipes from Spanish cookbook authors and Napa Valley wines. After the feast, grab a seat alongside guest chefs for an unforgettable live show from highly acclaimed Rumbache & Cali Dancers.
CLOSING ‘LIVE WITH TYLER’ & ‘MASTERS OF FIRE’ COMPETITION on SUNDAY, JUNE 23
Concluding the festival on Sunday, June 23 is a Wine Country edition of cookbook author Tyler Florence’s Masters of Fire, which puts local pitmasters head-to-head in a friendly but delicious barbecue showdown. In collaboration with Williams-Sonoma, this event will feature live music, including a performance by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, all-you-can-eat BBQ, and craft beverages. Before the competition, an intimate lunch session will include a live recording of Salt + Spine with Tyler Florence and a special edition of “Riffs & Recipes,” the Feast.Network show that brings together culinary demos and live music.
TICKETS
Tickets are available now at CookbookFest.com, with early bird pricing in effect. Tickets range from General Admission to Saturday’s Cookbook Fest for $120 to “The Works,” an all-weekend, all-inclusive pass for $600.
Charitable partners are featured throughout the festival, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Jacques Pépin Foundation and additional charities to be announced.
