How OG Food Blogger Adam Roberts Deals With Dinner Overwhelm

Plus: The Amateur Gourmet’s number one rule for hosts.

Aug 01, 2025

Food Person by Adam Roberts is a wild romp of a novel—but anyone who has worked in the food world may find some uncomfortably familiar moments in its pages. Maybe that’s because the author has been around for it all: back when it started in 2004, Adam’s The Amateur Gourmet (now on Substack) was one of the first food blogs I ever read.

I’ve always loved the open way that Adam writes about his life and his cooking, disasters included. (Let Adam serve as a reminder to never cook pasta barefoot!)

So I was thrilled to have him in the studio a few weeks back to chat about how he deals with cooking overwhelm—and the hosting lessons he’s gleaned over many, many dinner parties.

Adam reflects on the books that shaped his path to food writing, the value in letting go of the perfect meal, and some of the smartest cooking techniques he’s picked up over the course of his career.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

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Adam mentioned:

Old story by Maggie interviewing Adam on Serious Eats
Pasta with Peas and Ricotta from Amateur Gourmet
Nicole Rucker’s Brown Butter Hazelnut Banana Bread
Farm to People CSA box (use code DINNERPLAN25 for $25 off your first Farm Box)
eGullet forum
The Best Broccoli of Your Life
Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune: A Cookbook (Bookshop here)
Margot Henderson’s You’re All Invited
Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte (Bookshop here), especially the almond cake
The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
Nancy Silverton’s Mozza at Home (Bookshop here), especially the eggplant lasagna with za’atar
Nicole Rucker’s Fat and Flour (Bookshop here)
Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Bookshop here)
Meera Sodha’s Dinner (Bookshop here)
Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons (Bookshop here). McFadden’s new book here.
Ina Garten’s Shrimp Salad in buttered, toasted buns
Lidia Bastianich’s Cavatappi with Sundried Tomatoes and Cannellini Beans
Burlap and Barrel Za’atar
Massimo Bottura’s Balsamic
Espresso machine: Breville Barista Pro
Go-to olive oil: Frantoia
Eggplant Salad from Roast Chicken and Other Stories (AbeBooks here)
Fennel Gratin (Serious Eats)

From the ad break:

Made In Cookware: use code DINNERPLAN (all one word) for 10% off your purchase of the carbon steel griddle or any other regularly priced item.

Maggie mentioned:

Calabrian chile spread
Dan Souza on The Dinner Plan
Detroit-style pizza pans
Cometeer frozen coffee (my favorite so far is the Ethiopia Bombe Natural from Bird Rock Roasters)
John Birdsall’s What Is Queer Food? (Bookshop here)

From the listener call-in:

Guelaguetza’s black mole starter

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