Let’s face it: We often tend to like the things we’re good at, because it feels good to be good. This is a fact that that Kelsey Nixon–NYC mom, Cooking Channel star, and now family cookbook author–is well aware of. And it’s why her TV show focuses on “building block” essentials that lead to kitchen confidence, which just so happens to be the title of her debut book.
But Nixon is the first to admit that she’s not a kitchen goddess who whips up three meals a day for her son Oliver, who’s a year and a half, and her husband. In fact, her belief in why homecooking is so important stems from a period of bad eating habits in her own life. “Before we had Oliver, I was making dinner four or five times a week on a regular basis–then we flip-flopped that scenario where we were ordering in four or five nights a week,” she says. At some point, she realized that eating differently had a very tangible, physical ramifications on the entire family. “That’s what made the biggest difference for me, knowing the physical effect of putting something good in your body to keep yourselves running.”
These days, she does her best to aim for five homecooked meals a week, between filming her show and working on other web projects like “First-Time Mom,” a docu-series that chronicles various firsts for moms. Here, she chats about how to make it all work when you have a full schedule and more about the inspiration behind Kitchen Confidence. Don’t miss the three delicious recipes at the end!
We want to know: How do you manage to juggle your various projects and still cook for your family?
When it’s a filming day, it’s pretty tough–but the one thing that really works for me is that I’m very lucky and blessed to have a sister here in the city. She manages my social media, so she can bounce between work employee and help with Oliver. I feel very lucky to have that set-up…I’m sure if I had a nanny I would feel like the nanny was family and it would probably be fine, but while we have the opportunity to use family, we’re taking advantage of it.
More generally, do you have any shortcuts or tips for making the cooking process easier and less daunting?
Sitting down and writing down a meal plan, whether you do that for the month or for the week or the next couple of days, eliminates part of the stress of “What am I making for dinner tonight?” Then you can make one shopping list, whether you order FreshDirect or go to the grocery store and get all of the ingredients for all those meals. That is the biggest help you can do for yourself.
What does Oliver like to eat?
Every month as Oliver gets older, we’re introducing more and more food, so it’s getting more fun to feed him. He loves edamame–it’s a really great snack for him, and a great way for me to feel like I’m feeding him a healthy snack. The other thing he’s been really digging lately are green smoothies. He was really great at eating broccoli and carrot, then all of the sudden he decided he didn’t like that…with a green smoothie I can get in some fruits and veggies in his diet every day. Other things I do for Oliver: we do lots of chicken, lots of filled pasta, like ravioli and tortellini. It’s such a good way to get protein, like little prosciutto pockets at Trader Joe’s. Those also have good, fattening calories–Oliver was born three months early, so we’re constantly trying to pack on the pounds, in a healthful way.
What about your new cookbook is different from what’s already on the market?
I wanted to write a book filled with recipes that I truly felt like everyone homecook should have. You’ll find familiar recipes–things like lasagna, roast chicken, pot roast, chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake–but I’ve taken those classic recipes and reinvented the flavor profile. For example, my roast chicken has a Moroccan spice rub (but it’s made with spices that’s in any old pantry), or my lasagna’s got butternut squash and parsnips and sausages. So you’ll learn techniques and methods that any great homecook should know. Or maybe you do already know how to make lasagna, but this book still provides further insight on unique and interesting insights on recipes that you’ll already loved for so many years.
Speaking of which, tell us more about the “building blocks” at the center of Kitchen Confidence.
On “Kelsey’s Essentials”–my book was written kind of as a companion to the show — we always focus on an essential tip, tool, or technique. And the idea is that once you get that down, you learn how to use the knife, you learn how to use chicken or lasagna, then you have a little bit more freedom in the kitchen. So in my book you’ll see some suggestions for variations, with the idea being that if you’ve made the roast chicken and you love it but want to switch it up, you can use different ingredients and flavors to once again reinvent it. And I think that when people start to do that, they gain kitchen confidence. They feel more comfortable in their kitchens, and hopefully as a result they’ll enjoy cooking more.
If a parent were to master one ultimate dish that’s very versatile, what would it be? What would be good twists for that dish?
There’s a recipe in the book for lemon-scented chicken thighs. It’s a one-pot meal–which I think is music to any parent’s ears–and they incorporate not only proteins but also potatoes, vegetables, even bread. You start it out on top of the stove and you finish it in the oven. In 30 minutes, you’ve got a meal that’s bright and colorful, super delicious, and satisfies all of those food groups. The reason I think it’s a dish that every parent should know how to make is that you can swap ingredients in and out. Maybe instead of the carrots, you have parsnips or beets; instead of a regular Yukon potato, you can use sweet potato. Once you’ve made it once and you understand the process, you can get creative.
Anything else that’s key to confidence in the kitchen?
I think that equipping the kitchen with the right equipment is most definitely the way to kitchen confidence. Sometimes when that rice burns, it’s not your fault, it’s the fact that you’ve been using the same pan you got in college that cost $6.99 at the college bookstore. II always say: don’t run out to the nearest big box store and buy the 50-piece kitchen set with the plastic spatulas…In the book, I go into specific recommendations, and also talk about how to stock the pantry so you have one or two meals at all times. If that’s just spaghetti and marinara sauce, that’s fine–you’ve got a back-up option.
What are some fresh spring and summer dishes that you love?
There’s a recipe for a bean, peas, and radish salad in the book that is so fantastic. You’ll start to see English peas pop up in the grocery store (or Trader Joe’s sells them all the time) and I think kids love them, so I like to utilize those when spring comes around. Another recipe that comes to mind is a grilled veggie panzanella, which is essentially a bread salad, and it’s got a nice zingy vinaigrette.
What’s your take on dressings or dessert that has a little alcohol in it for children?
In my book you’ll see recipes with half a cup of wine here and there, to enhance the flavor, but when it comes to kids, if something’s not being cooked and it’s beyond vanilla extract (which is technically alcohol-based), I would stay away from it myself. But if it’s going into a sauce, for example, as long as that’s cooked off, that’s absolutely fine.
A TASTE OF KITCHEN CONFIDENCE
Moroccan-Spiced Roast Chicken With Creamy Cilantro Sauce
Grilled Veggie Panzanella With Mozzarella And Basil
Banana Split Icebox Cake
