What is your relationship with the kitchen?
It has always been a place where the people in my life gather. Lately, it has become a harbor for me to not only give myself nutrients and care, but also for me to be able to experiment. A few years ago, I started working out of my tiny kitchen in the East Village and that experience really changed my relationship to the space, as it became more of a studio. I now bake out of a commercial kitchen and it is interesting to define the spaces I cook in, seeing the separation between work and home.
For me, cooking, regardless of where, is about making other people happy, but I still find it more natural to do it in my own home. I like when people sit with me as I cook. I was just in Provence and the house had a little window nook with cushions—a dream feature.
What is the aesthetic of your home kitchen?
My hope is for anywhere that I live to be cozy. I struggle with my love for knickknacks, like little figurines or candle holders, so I cannot help but to have them all around. I try my best to balance them with modern items that are clean and white to keep it light in the house, but I always appreciate a pop of color. I live in Park Slope, so my whole apartment is kind of at an angle and when I drop a little cherry tomato in certain areas in my kitchen, it rolls down to the other side. I kind of like that. If I owned a place, I would design it totally differently, but I chose this apartment because it had a bigger kitchen than my last. My dream design would include more tile, more cabinet space, and a pantry. I hope for lots of copper pans and baskets all over one day.
What are your home kitchen must-haves?
I have this red Frieling magnetic fridge timer that an ex bought me and I thought the gift was pointless at first, but I have become so reliant on it. I use it more than any tool I have in the kitchen.
I always love to have a rice cooker around. Though my mom taught me many tricks for how to cook rice in a pan, why risk not having fabulous rice? It’s a game-changer. When I’m hungry and about to lose it, I eat leftover rice straight from the rice cooker with a spoon. I grab a container of hummus or miso and just spoon it in for next-level satiation. The rice cooker just lives on the counter since I end up using it everyday.
For cookware, it’s funny, but I like small things. Small pots and small spatulas are just more fun to cook with. I use my baby spoon, always, for everything. It makes everything taste better. Everything I own has been collected over my lifetime, so there is a mix of all things, from the Japanese wooden chopsticks I use for frying to a silver German peeler that my boyfriend gave me.
