Radio Cherry Bombe

Jenna Helwig

October 26, 2026·47 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Today’s guest is Jenna Helwig, the food director of Real Simple, cookbook author, and creator of The Cookbookery Collective Substack. Jenna joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her debut novel, “The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife,” a murder mystery set in postwar Paris in 1949, inspired in part by Julia Child’s life in France.They discuss Jenna’s transition from writing cookbooks to fiction, the challenges of writing a novel while balancing a full-time career and family, and why she loves a good murder mystery. Jenna also shares the story behind her popular Substack, her thoughts on the cookbook publishing industry, and her tips for building a newsletter audience. Plus, she reveals how she created National Buy a Cookbook Day, taking place November 1st, and why Dorie Greenspan is her desert island pick.Thank you to Whole Foods, Haven Well Within, and Barilla for supporting our show. Get $25 off  your Haven Well Within order with code CHERRYBOMBE. Valid 10/21 to 11/15.The new issue of Cherry Bombe MagazineSign up for our free Radio Cherry Bombe newsletter at cherrybombe.substack.comFollow Jenna on InstagramFollow Kerry on Instagram

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