Do you have any secret tools in the kitchen, anything that you could never
live without? I try my best not to buy too many gadgets and gizmos, because I
find that I rarely use them and just have to find a place to put them. That said, I do
have a few favorites that I can’t live without, like a mini food processor. It’s great
for smaller tasks, as it saves me from having to pull out the big processor and then
clean it. I make salsas, sauces, and use it to chop onions when I’m in a hurry. I also
love love my Vitamix blender, it can purée anything. And everyone should have
a panini press, I swear I could put anything between two slices of bread, stick it
in there, and it comes out a gourmet creation! Oh, and I forgot about my Breville
juicer for making green juices… hmmm... maybe I have more kitchen tools than I
thought...
If you could change anything about your kitchen, what would it be? Actually, I
don’t think I’d change a thing. I love my kitchen! I designed it and it has everything
I like. I have a butcher block counter on my island, so I can chop directly on it, and
a big six-burner stove and three ovens. I love to cook for a crowd, so having all this
cooking space makes it easier for me. My freezer is too small though, so I had to
buy a big freezer and put it in my basement.
What do you always have stocked in your kitchen? Any specific products you
always want to have on hand? I cook lunch and dinner most days of the week, so
I have a list of items I always keep stocked in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer. In
the pantry, all the baking essentials, different types of pastas and grains, canned
and dried beans, canned tomatoes, canned salmon, nuts, etc. In the refrigerator,
lots of fresh veggies and fruits, salad fixins’, almond milk, condiments (including
this thai chili sauce that I can’t get enough of) and the food that I make for my dog,
Fionula (spoiled!). In the freezer, I keep fruit for smoothies, veggies, fish and shrimp
for quick dinners.
What’s your go-to dish to make at home? I’m obsessed with cooking Mexican
food. I spent a month in Mexico last year researching my novel, Groundswell, and
I got really into the food. I would eat every day at this little stand, where a woman
would cook the most amazing food on just a few hot plates. I asked to spend some
time cooking with her, and I really enjoyed learning dishes like birria and chorizo
with eggs from her. About once or twice a week, I make fish tacos or taco salad,
and I love to make guacamole.
What was your most nightmarish kitchen situation? Any major
catastrophes? The first Thanksgiving that I ever cooked was a complete and total
nightmare. I had just moved into a new house, had boxes everywhere, and for some
reason decided it would be a good idea to invite 15 people for dinner and cook an
overly-ambitious menu. Since I’d never used my new oven before, I had no idea
that it wasn’t properly calibrated, so my poor turkey cooked for hours upon hours
and the breast was completely dry, and the legs still bloody. The homemade rolls
that I had labored over were burned on the top and doughy on the bottom. In my
haste, I managed to drop a searing hot pan on my forearm, so I spent the entire
dinner with a bag of frozen peas rubber-banded around my arm. I still have the scar
as reminder of what not to do when entertaining!
If you could only eat one thing for
the rest of your life, what would it
be? Pizza! But it would have to be really
good pizza. My favorites are Luzzo
and Co., both in New York, Al Forno in
Rhode Island, Da Baffetto in Rome, and
Dante’s in Florence. I’m a sucker for a
thin, blistery crust with tomato sauce
and really fresh buffalo mozzarella. I’m
hungry just thinking about it...
Are there any foods you can’t stand?
I hate, repeat hate, any kind of liver
or organ meat. It totally grosses me
out. And that includes foie gras, I know
it’s supposed to be a delicacy, but I
can’t stomach it. Plus it’s inhumane, so
that is part of my aversion.
What does home cooking mean to
you? Home cooking isn’t just about the
food for me, it’s about the way it makes
me feel, and the way it makes everyone
included feel... it’s a real expression
of love. Cooking in my kitchen, for my
loved ones, is what my makes my house
a home.
Get your
copy of Katie
Lee’s book
Groundswell at
amazon.com.
