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About Rick Rodgers

Through his work as a cookbook author, editor, ghostwriter, and cookbook consultant, as well as a busy corporate recipe developer, Rick Rodgers reaches countless cooks every day.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rick’s culinary consciousness was shaped by the region’s great ethnic restaurants and local farms. He began in the food business during high school, and after graduating with a Theater B.A. from San Francisco State University, Rick moved to New York, where he was instantly immersed in the restaurant and catering world. He never acted again.

His catering firm, Cuisine Américaine, broke new ground when, as a young American chef, he created many events for the Services Culturels of the French Embassy’s offices in New York City. It was there that he initially fed the magazine editors, publishers, and food and beverage executives who would commission his first books and recipe development jobs. Through his work as personal chef to the late Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, he met and catered for many of New York’s show business elite. These relationships paved the way for his career in helping celebrities and chefs tell their own stories.

Several of Rick’s projects have landed on The New York Times Best Seller list or gone on to win Beard, IACP, and Gourmand Awards and nominations. Click here to see the details of his publishing history.

Rick’s combination of down-to-earth humor and unique teaching skills helped make him the winner of the prestigious Bon Appétit Food and Entertaining Award for Outstanding Cooking Teacher. He has also appeared as brand ambassador for top food, beverage, and housewares companies, including Kingsford Charcoal, Grand Marnier, Four Roses Bourbon, and Perdue Farms. He has been on Today, CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, and Food Network Challenge, and other shows in every large local media market, and has been a guest on many podcasts. His recipes can be found online on Epicurious, as well as many other sites. You can also find Rick on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Services
In the world of cookbooks, a freelancer wears many hats. If it has to do with cookbooks, I can do it for you.
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Books
I’ve created literally thousands of recipes throughout my career for a wide range of recipes and client types.
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Recipes
Here is a sampling of some of my most requested recipes to show a little of my reach. There’s not much that I haven’t cooked!
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Rick Rodgers’ Publishing History

Here is a select list of the cookbooks that I helped create.

INFLUENCERS & CELEBRITY COOKBOOKS

Mostly French (Magnolia Channel’s Makenna Held; 2024)

Stacked: Building the Perfect Sandwich (TikTok’s Owen Han; 2024)

You Got This! (Instagram’s Diane Morrisey; 2024)

A Cookbook Named Matt (YouTube’s Matt Broussard; 2025)

The Frankie Avalon Italian Family Cookbook Gourmand Award

The Essential James Beard Cookbook (posthumous collection)

In the Kitchen with Kris (Kris Jenner)

LaBelle Desserts (Patti LaBelle)

Share (Food Network’s Chris Santos)

Simply Divine (Lisa Vanderpump)

Super Tuscan (Cooking Channel’s Gabrielle Corcos and Debi Mazar)

SELF-AUTHORED COOKBOOKS

Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from Classic Cafés IACP Nominee

The Carefree Cook IACP Nominee

Thanksgiving 101/Christmas 101

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen: Chicken/American

Williams-Sonoma: Comfort Food/Breakfast Comforts

The Big Book of Sides

I Love Meatballs

 

Bestsellers & Awards

Back to The Table (Art Smith) NYT Bestseller/Beard Award

The Chelsea Market Cookbook (with Michael Phillips) IACP Award

LaBelle Cuisine/LaBelle Desserts (Patti LaBelle) NYT Bestseller

Skinny Italian/Fast, Fit, and Fabulous (Teresa Giudice) NYT Bestsellers

Restaurants & BAKERIES

The Baker’s Dozen Cookbook

Carrabba’s Grill Cookbook Amazon’s #1 Italian cookbook

Emily: The Cookbook

The Model Bakery Cookbook

Patsy’s Italian Family Cookbook

Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hands to Yours Beard Nominee

Tate’s Bake Shop: Baking for Friends

CORPORATE COOKBOOKS

The All-New Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Essentially Lilly Holidays (Lilly Pulitzer)

Nordstrom: Flavors Around the Family Table Cookbook

Tips Cooks Love (Sur La Table)

Williams-Sonoma (12 titles; see Self-Authored)

Print & Digital

Bon Appétit

Food & Wine

Cooking Light

Fine Cooking

Men’s Health

Epicurious.com

Taste.com

Online cooking classes for Craftsy and coffeeandcake.org.

Work with Me
A collaboration with me will bring your cookbook to fruition. Co-authoring, ghostwriting, creating publisher proposals, project management, recipe testing… I have done it all.
Literary Agent: Susan Ginsburg, sginsburg@writershouse.com
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