Our kitchens are places of joy and discovery
Welcome! I’ll be so happy to get to know you. If what you read here sounds appealing, I think you’ll love being part of this community of friendly, open-hearted, intrepid cooks.
If any of these statements apply to you, this Substack is for you:
I’m an experienced, well traveled cook wanting to expand my culinary horizons
I’m just starting to dive into cooking, and I’m eager, inquisitive and curious
I’m looking for inspiration in the kitchen
I’d like to break out of my kitchen-rut
My rotation of dishes could use some freshening
I want to learn about and dive fearlessly into cuisines that are new to me
I want to find the quintessential versions of classic dishes from around the world
I love to learn about the history of iconic dishes
I want to discover the best cookbooks – new and classic
I care about health, including the health of the planet
Led by two-time James Beard Award-winning journalist Leslie Brenner, Cooks Without Borders has been an exciting voice in international cooking since its inception in 2016.
Our posts build on the spirit and content of the Webby Award-winning international cooking website and give you direct access to what Leslie is marinating, musing and cooking.
Paid Cooks Without Borders subscribers get:
• Weekly newsletter featuring recipes, stories, essays and reviews
• 20% discount on workshops, including Food Writing for Substack (your $60 annual subscription knocks $120 off the price!)
• 20% discount on CWB ebooks (coming soon!)
• Access to the full archive of inspiring Cooks Without Borders Posts
• Community: Members-only chat, invitation to pop-up socials and more
• Invitation to participate in the Cooks Without Borders Cookbook Club
• Exclusive access to the Cooks Without Borders Cookbook Buying Guide
• Pop-up live CWB Food Explorers sessions (with catch-this-later recordings) and ask-me-anything events
• Perspective, inspiration, curation and expertise you can’t get anywhere else
Founding members get all of the above plus:
• Exclusive monthly chats with Leslie
• Package of personalized recipe recommendations four times per year
• Cooking SOS help — with a recipe, ingredient or technique — up to twelve times per year
I also love and appreciate free subscribers!
Free subscribers get half-portions.
• Hungry for more? Treat yourself to all the benefits of a paid subscription.
What Leslie brings to the table
➤ Two James Beard Journalism Awards
➤ Two Webby Awards (the New York Times called the Webbys the “Oscars of the Internet”) — one for Cooks Without Borders Substack, the other for Cooks Without Borders the website
➤ Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cooks Without Borders
➤ Author of six books:
• The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Behind the Scenes at Daniel Boulud’s Celebrated New York Restaurant
• American Appetite: The Coming of Age of a National Cuisine
• Essential Flavors (co-author)
• Fear of Wine: A Guide to the Grape
• The Art of the Cocktail Party
• Greetings from the Golden State: A Novel
➤ Four years as Food Editor of the Los Angeles Times
➤ Nine years as Restaurant Critic and Dining Editor at the Dallas Morning News
➤ Former Contributing Editor at Travel + Leisure
➤ Freelanced for The New York Times, Washington Post, Bon Appétit, Saveur, New York Magazine and many more
➤ Deep experience in professional recipe development
Leslie knows how to help you take your cooking to the next level and derive maximum enjoyment from it.
Come cook with us!
Are you on a fixed income or experiencing distressing unemployment? I’d be delighted to treat you to 3-month paid membership. Email me at leslie@cookswithoutborders.com.
