About this episode

Rochelle Bilow discusses her journey from culinary school to romance writing and her return to ultrarunning.

Rochelle Bilow is a romance novelist, food writer, French Culinary Institute graduate, former Bon Appétit editor, and current kitchen gear expert at Serious Eats, and she just came back to ultrarunning after nearly a decade away from the sport. In this conversation, Zoë and Brendan talk with Rochelle about what she learned cooking on a farm that culinary school never taught her, why she pivoted from heartbreak memoir to romance fiction, and what it's like to balance writing deadlines with ultra training (her answer: ask for a deadline extension). They dig into why romance as a genre gets unfairly dismissed, what makes a great enemies-to-lovers arc, and the trail running romance novel she's currently writing. Plus: the $400 toaster that changed Rochelle's life, the truth about toaster oven air fryers, and the only correct way to clean a cloudy Vitamix. This episode is brought to you by LMNT. Stay on top of your electrolytes all day, not just on the run. Grab a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/UltraSignup. Featured Race: Booneville Backroads Ultra — 10K to 100 miles through the Bridges of Madison County countryside in rural Iowa. New for 2026: a fully marked course…

People in this episode

Hosts: Zoë, Brendan

Guest: Rochelle Bilow

Topics covered

• food writing
• ultrarunning
• romance novels
• cooking
• writing deadlines
• culinary school

Keywords

• Rochelle Bilow
• romance novels
• ultrarunning
• cooking
• Bon Appétit
• Serious Eats
• LMNT
• Booneville Backroads Ultra

Sponsors

LMNT

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Serious Eats, Bon Appétit

Places: Iowa

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