Jill Robinson

Writer, Photographer, Adventurer

culinary books

A Year of Books

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In the past couple years, I’ve worked on three book projects, all of which were published in 2023.

I co-authored Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure with 60 Recipes from Around the World. Gordon and his team wrote the recipes and I wrote all the rest. The book was published by National Geographic in April.

I contributed to Great Outdoors U.S.A.: 1,000 Adventures Across All 50 States. Along with 9 other outdoor writers, I covered some of the best outdoor experiences across the country (my states were North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The book was published by National Geographic in August.

I wrote San Francisco Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for San Francisco’s Hidden Treasures. Follow along through 19 different neighborhoods to solve more than 300 rhyming clues highlighting the city’s classic and quirky sites. The book was published by Reedy Press in September.

Join me at any of my upcoming book events in October and November.

Wednesday, October 18
San Francisco Past and Present with Alec Scott
6 p.m.
Mechanics’ Institute, 77 Post St., San Francisco

Thursday, October 26
Book Talk and Signing
7 p.m.
Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco

Sunday, November 19
Book Talk and Signing
2 p.m.
Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco

More events to come…

Renewed Focus

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One thing I started just before the pandemic, in early 2020, was to reframe the kinds of stories I wrote about. It was always flattering when someone said that I was a prolific writer, but focusing on the sheer number made me feel like something was missing. Instead of pitching stories to get work, I decided to pitch pieces that I genuinely cared about.

Here are a few recent examples:

In Polynesia, tattoos are more than skin deep for National Geographic. As we consider the difference between honoring and appropriating a culture, how should travelers who aren’t part of that culture get a tattoo respectfully?

Three Perfect Days: The Islands of Tahiti for Hemispheres. Trying to write a 3-day guide to Tahiti travel was challenging, but I’d do it again in a second.

A Grammy-nominated New Orleans Trumpet Player Talks Mardi Gras, and What Music Means to the Crescent City for Travel + Leisure. Right before Mardi Gras, I talked with Branden Lewis about one of my favorite cities in the world.

Redwood National and State Parks Guide: The Best Tree-Lined Hikes, Camping, and Cycling Routes for Conde Nast Traveler. Together, these four parks protect nearly half of the world’s old-growth coast redwoods.

British Columbia’s Best-Kept Secret for AAA Explorer. Slowing down to appreciate nature and Nuxalk culture in the Bella Coola Valley—a remote region in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

In book news, I co-authored Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure with 60 Recipes from Around the World. Gordon and his team wrote the recipes and I wrote all the rest. The book was published in April.

Stay tuned for more article and book news soon!