Kitchen Confidential with Chef Mary Moran

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Welcome to Boulevard Beat, the podcast where design meets the
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rhythm of everyday life. I'm Megan Bloom, founder of Megan
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Bloom Interiors, joined by my co-host, Krista Rossbund, style and
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design editor at Traditional Home Magazine. Each week, we explore
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timeless design, what's shaping the way we live today, and
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how to create a home that feels as good as
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it looks. Through conversations with designers, creatives, and tastemakers, we
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believe great design isn't just seen, it's felt.
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Let's get into today's episode. Today, we are heading into the.
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Kitchen with Chef Mary Morin for a conversation that brings
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together so many things we love on Boulevard Beat. Beautiful design,
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great food, and gathering around the table. We're talking about
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what a chef really wants from a kitchen, the tools
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worth investing in, gaining confidence as a home cook, and
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how to entertain without spending the entire evening stuck in
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the kitchen. Mary also shares some wonderful thoughts on holiday traditions, tablescapes,
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and why food is ultimately.
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About creating an experience. So pull up a seat.
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Well, Mary, we like to begin each episode with the
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same couple questions. Please tell us about the street that
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you grew up on.
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Oh, man. I lived on this wonderful street in Oklahoma City,
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and my neighborhood was filled with kids, and the streets
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were super safe. And so it was kind of pandemonium
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running back and forth to different houses, popping in, getting snacks, etc.
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just playing so much play.
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And play is such a good thing to do. And
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what you do today, even as a chef, you get
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to play around with different foods, which is great. Some
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of our guests on the podcast come to creativity naturally.
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Others kind of come from a career path from another stint.
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Tell us how you grew to the role of chef.
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You know, my path to being a chef was one
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of kind of discovery. It was something that was not
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necessarily something that I did early on, but it was
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something that came to me in my early 20s. My
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mom was an amazing cook, and she had a few
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different businesses when I was growing up. So I watched
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her cook, and I participated and helped her as best
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I could, but I kind of was uncertain that that
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was going to be my career path until it just was.
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Kind of part of your soul growing up definitely and
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I think that's really interesting too because you know food
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really does shape us from very early days that food
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experience can affect relationship with food as an adult what
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are some of your experiences with food as a kid
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we'd love to share some memories as well with your
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mom in the kitchen.
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I have this really wonderful memory of my mom and
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I working together. My mom had a gingerbread house business
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when I was growing up, and it was before the
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Trader Joe's gingerbread house kits that we see today. She
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was kind of one of the people that created this
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early on, and she would also create gorgeous, beautifully decorated
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gingerbread houses that people would purchase and have in their homes.
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And so I have these really great memories as a
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kind of a mid-teen. It would be late into the
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night and we would be making candy packages, Christmas trees
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made out of ice cream cones and frosting and decorating them.
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with different candies and piping the different gingerbread houses. So
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my love for cooking, I think, came with beauty first.
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I really loved that decorating element. I really loved creating
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something out of nothing and making it just so joyful
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and so beautiful and really loving the excitement of from
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the recipient.
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So fun.
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I absolutely love gingerbread houses. It's a tradition in our
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house as well, too. Do you continue that tradition with
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your kids?
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I do, except for with my boys. It's kind of
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like who can make the most disgusting.
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Or ugly gingerbread house.
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Typical boys.
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It's not that beautiful... wonderful, nostalgic gingerbread house that you
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see in a magazine. It's like, how much candy can
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we shove on one side of the house?
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Well, Mary, a common misconception that people have about chefs
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is that every night they're making this gourmet dish and
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eating like that for all of their meals. I myself
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feel that way about chefs. What's a day of food
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and cooking look like for a chef mom with a
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husband and two kids?
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It is such a misconception that we eat beautifully every
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night or have this gourmet meal. I think there are
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elements of gourmet within our daily cooking, but it doesn't
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take over the meal. We as a family have staples
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that we turn to. And right now with my cooking school,
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I'm getting home late. And so it's really about, you know,
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what have we pre-made that we can pull out and reheat?
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So tacos is a staple in our house. Sometimes I'll
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have salmon or shrimp. And so then I'll mix it
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up and do shrimp tacos or salmon tacos. But really,
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it's about having great ingredients that are available for me
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so I can just whip something up, just sticking to
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the things that my family will eat. So we have
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a collection of recipes, tacos, meatballs, all those kid-friendly things,
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spaghetti that we turn to on a weekly basis. We
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try and do something a little more elevated on either
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Saturday or Sunday night. Friday nights are always my night
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off for cooking. So the kitchen is fully closed. So
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we usually order in. And then Saturday and Sunday, we'll
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try and do something a little more fancy.
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So Mary, not only do you cook for your own family,
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but you've been a personal chef before as well. Tell
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us what that looks like. And when you are making
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food for other families? Are you playing the role of
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dietitian as well to sort of guide them towards healthier choices?
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Or do you allow them to take the lead?
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It's such a great question. The role of a personal
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or private chef, we make sure that we have the
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person in mind what their goals are. And then we
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ask them, you know, what are their likes? What are
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their dislikes? What are their comfort foods? What are the
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foods that they stay away from? And what ingredients do
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they like? What ingredients do they dislike? And then from there,
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the job is creating menus, weekly menus, and providing them
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with meals that fit their goals. So if let's say,
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for instance, it's an athlete and they're in season, then
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we've got to make sure that they're carb loaded and
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that they have tons of protein, lots of lean meats
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and good healthy fats so that they're fueling their body
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with everything they need in order to do their job.
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I've also had different people who I've cooked for, their
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goal is to be super healthy. And in that respect,
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you know, we create a menu that is very specific
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to their goals. So lots of vegetables, not as many fruits,
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because they have sugar in them, lots of lean meats
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and fish, because you want to get those omega threes
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and omega sixes in their body. So the challenging part
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is people usually don't know what they want. So as
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a private chef, you have to come up with the recipes,
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you have to come up with the menus, and they
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just give you information. And it's your job to figure
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out what they do and don't like.
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But they're, they're regularly giving you feedback.
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Yes. You know, it just depends. You know, a private chef,
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you're in their kitchen. And in today's world, usually you're
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feeding the person in front of you and they're eating
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in front of you. So you can see whether or
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not they like the food that you've just presented. You know,
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we're not living in a 1950s world where the chef
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is in the kitchen and the person is in the
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dining room. They're usually sitting at the kitchen counter because
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that is how kitchens are built these days. And so
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they're hanging out with you, talking to you and they're
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giving you direct feedback. And if they're not giving you
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direct feedback verbally, you can certainly see if somebody's pushing
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something around on their plate.
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That was a perfect segue to our next question, because
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now we're going to talk about kitchens for a minute
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and hover over the kitchen. I have to brag on
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Megan for a moment because she's a super, she's skilled
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all around as a designer, but her kitchens are rather fabulous.
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So one of the reasons we're especially excited to have
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you is because we're interested to talk about kitchens from
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a chef's perspective. So from the idea of practicality, what
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are must-haves in a kitchen and what appliances or tools
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are overrated? Because there's a kitchen tool for everything. I
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know I've gotten suckered into buying them at one time
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or another. So tell us about your favorites and then
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some things that you're like, eh, could let that go.
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In my kitchen right now, it was an updated, it
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was a newly modeled kitchen. It's 10 years old and
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I have white countertops. They are so dirty all the
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time and they have stains and it is so challenging.
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So I'm You know, initially, I love the white countertops.
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I love that fresh look. But now living with them
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for 10 years, I'm so over my white countertops. So
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I think as a chef, that is something I've learned
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is even though that fresh white look is so beautiful
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and so tasteful, it's much more challenging to be a
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chef within, you know, that. The important things for me
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are plugs. I think plugs in the kitchen are so necessary.
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I want them in every corner so that I have
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the ability to put an appliance, plug it in, and
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then not have a cord that's draping across the counter.
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So that's extremely important to me. as far as appliances go,
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I love a coffee maker. Give me any coffee maker.
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That's a number one. Uh, number two is a blender.
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I always find need for a blender. A toaster is
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a must. Those are kind of my musts. Everything else, it,
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it just depends on the person and what they cook
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all the time. Um, So if you're somebody who, you know,
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your regular weeknight meal is rice, then a rice cooker
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would be a great addition to that. If you are
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somebody who uses the air fryer, and that is your
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go-to appliance every night, then that is your go-to thing.
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But maybe you don't have the rice cooker. Maybe you
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don't have, you know, the RoboCoo or the Cuisinart blender.
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But You know, so you take into consideration what you're
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making regularly, and that is your specific tool. Something that
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is used occasionally, those are the things that you can
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find workarounds.
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My rice cooker was gifted to me by my grandparents
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as a Christmas gift my freshman year of college, and
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it still works today. It's Black & Decker, and I
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suspect it costs $ 19. 99.
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That's incredible. But what a great tool. It works.
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It's so simple. So now I want to talk about
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money for a second, because Mary, as you know, you've
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attended the kitchen shows and you've seen all of the
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kitchen appliances tools from budget-friendly to the most luxurious and high-end.
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Is there a point at which the luxury doesn't matter anymore? Meaning,
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I know that you've cooked in very elaborate kitchens, but
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I imagine that at some point or another, you've cooked
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in a very small kitchen that was a galley-style kitchen,
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where maybe it didn't have all of the bells and whistles.
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How big of a difference do you notice as a
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chef from the quality of tools, appliances, et cetera, at
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a certain point? At a certain point, does it not
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matter anymore? Or are you like, no, this fancy piece
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is all the thing?
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So that's a great question. I think what you're looking
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at really is longevity, right? The more expensive a product,
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the longer you're going to have it. And if you
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want a showpiece in your kitchen, So for instance, a
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KitchenAid mixer, it is a standout, beautiful piece of kitchen equipment.
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It always looks good. And so that's something that you
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can put in your kitchen that has kind of that
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designer look and feel, right? Or Smeg, you know, their
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appliances are really fantastic, but also they're a beautiful piece
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that can sit on a counter and, um, look as
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if it's a design piece, right? And you're purchasing it
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and it's going to have that longevity that maybe some
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of your Hamilton Beach products are not going to have.
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So what I always recommend is whenever you're wanting to know, hey,
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am I going to use this product? Is this something
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that is going to be an important piece in my cooking?
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Go with the cheaper version first. See if it works.
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See if it's something that you're going to use on
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a regular basis. And if it is, then go to
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the more expensive brand because you know that you're going
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to be using it and it will give you years, right?
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I've had my KitchenAid mixer, I think my first one
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I had for 25 years before it finally gave out.
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And I think KitchenAids are meant to last even longer
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than that. There's nothing worse than having this really wonderful,
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expensive kitchen equipment. Like I had a Wolf slow cooker,
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but I never used it. So now I have this
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very expensive product that is really awesome and I don't
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use it. And so, you know, again, I think test yourself,
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buy a less expensive version of See if it's something
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you use on a regular basis. It'll probably have a
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six month to two year lifespan, depending on how much
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you use it. And then once you figure out if
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you're using it, then you know whether you're going to
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invest in a more expensive product, which ultimately will be
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a better investment, or whether it's something that like, well,
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it's done. I didn't use it. I'm so glad I
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didn't spend so much money on it.
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Okay, that's that's thank you for that answer. Because we've
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all seen those Look, we're all presented with all of
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this really fantastic-looking product, especially at the high-end level now
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that's available. But for us people versus for you versus
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somebody who's cooking all the time, you know, you see
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the chef who's like, I use this one pan for everything.
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And we've all seen those TV shows where it's like
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I use this one knife. So– Is that how you
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are too? Do you have a whole array of different
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things where you are like, I like this from this
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brand and this from this brand? Or do you just
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have your favorites that are your go-tos?
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It's a little bit of both. I love a new product.
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I love a new pan. I, I feel like pans
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are great, but they sometimes don't have the, especially non-sticks.
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They don't have the lifespan that we want them to have.
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So again, like talking about Hamilton beach, but I love
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some of their products. I love kind of the, that quick, easy,
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lightweight product. It's, you know, sometimes that is so desirable.
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Then like, you know, pulling out some of the heavy
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equipment because I am in a situation where I have
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a very small kitchen. So a lot of my appliances
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have to live under my countertop because the majority of
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my counter space is an island and I don't have
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a lot of wall space in my kitchen. And so
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lugging super heavy equipment is a pain in the neck. So, yeah,
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it's it's kind of a mishmash. And I find that,
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you know, the one thing I've noticed when I go
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into homes to cook is that people don't replenish their
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cooking supplies. So they'll have their spatula or their offset
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spatula and I'll be 20 years old and halfway melted and,
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you know, a little like just. burnt on one side
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and that's it. And I think replenishing and keeping our
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tools fresh is something that we need to encourage more of.
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That's really good advice because I think, I mean, gosh,
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I think my mom, my parents have been married for
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58 years and I think she still has some of
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her wedding Gifts that she uses for certain things, you know,
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and they're still fine. But it's like, okay, maybe let's
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replace that mom. Like, let's get something. Let's get some
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new ones. Okay, what about cooking itself? So let's let's
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get into the food part of it since you are
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a chef. Some people love it. That would be me,
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as you know, because I've called Mary with food emergencies
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on occasion. Some people find it really tasking and are like,
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let's do takeout all the time. But we have to eat.
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So you have to find a solution one way or another.
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For those who are intimidated to cook and be in
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the kitchen, what advice do you have? And I think
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that there is an intrigue with cooking and food and
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wellness when it comes to what we're putting into our
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bodies now, but even just cooking. And I think that's been,
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you know, ignited by all of these fun cooking shows
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that we've all in a whole food network devoted to
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only that. So talk to us a little bit about
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for those who are intimidated and, and how do you
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encourage people to get into the kitchen?
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Cooking is so stressful. First of all, uh, especially for
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the new, the new cook who's coming into the kitchen
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and Because there's the pressure of I'm making this thing
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and then I have to eat this thing. And this
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is what I'm eating for the day because I've purchased
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the ingredients. I took the time to make it. And
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now this is what I'm eating. The benefit of that
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is that it does. force you to get into the kitchen.
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But the other side of it is, is it creates
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a lot of pressure around the actual process of cooking
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and the pressure around having to eat what you make.
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Now this may sound strange and confusing, but one of
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the things that allowed me to freely be in the
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kitchen in culinary school was the lack of pressure around
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eating it. That sounds so wild, but I knew I
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wasn't a great cook in the beginning. I knew that
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there was a really big chance that it wasn't going
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to taste that great. So it was about the process
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and the experience without the pressure of having to love it,
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like it, eat it.
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So it really was more about the artistry of cooking.
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Correct. And the learning, the skill. And I think, you know, again,
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budget is important. Finances are important. Repetition of cooking is
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really important for the new cook. Every time you make it,
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you get a little bit better. But I honestly feel
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like have a backup plan. Like here's what you're making.
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Maybe it's something new. Maybe it's something different. So maybe
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let's say you're grilling steaks for the first time, right?
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And you're not great at it. So you're grilling a steak.
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That's part one of the plan. And part two of
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the plan is is you are really great at making
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pasta with Parmesan. And you could actually make an entire
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meal out of pasta with Parmesan. So if the state
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goes south, which it probably will, you still have something
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that you can eat that will fill you up, make
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you feel good, you know, without that pressure of, This
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is my steak. It has to be perfect. I'm going
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to cook it and then I'm going to eat it
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and I have to like it, you know? So just
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remove that pressure. So make one thing that's new and
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exciting and one thing that's familiar and easy.
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That's so smart. I never thought of it that way,
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but it's like, I guess if you're a painter or anything,
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like you may try it and if it's not working,
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you may do it differently the next time.
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So yeah.
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Yeah.
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And really, yeah. thinking about it as learning rather than
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you know I'm making for dinner yeah yeah.
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Yeah that's a really great tip and I mean I
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know it's so frustrating you know you spend four hours
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trying to make homemade cinnamon rolls and then you burn
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them and the frustration that comes along.
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With that that is a that is a really hard one.
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Certainly Well, Mary, the holidays, they are just right around
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the corner. And with the holidays comes traditions and the
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food of traditions that comes along with the holidays as well.
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But there can also be battles between families on whether
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to be stick to the appropriate traditional aspect or to
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try a new dish. What's your opinion on holiday meals?
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I love a holiday meal with a combination of both.
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I love family favorites. So normally if I'm cooking for
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my family for Christmas. I will talk to everybody starting
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in about October, November. And I'll say to my kids,
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what is Christmas to you? What does that Christmas meal
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look like? And my one son says baked macaroni and cheese.
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It screams Christmas Eve because he had it when he
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was younger. And so now that's kind of become his
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You know, wonderful tradition. And if I talk to my husband,
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he's Italian and he loves seven fishes. Even though we
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don't go to the extent of all seven fishes, we
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try and include three or four different fish dishes. And
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that really screams Christmas Eve to him. And then my
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other son, you know, he is struggles with food a
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little bit. And so curly French fries says Christmas Eve
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for him. And so that kind of gives me my foundation. Okay.
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For my husband, you know, it's fish this year, it's
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macaroni and cheese and it's French fries. So now what
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else can I add into that meal? That's a little
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bit outside of the box. And that's usually how I,
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I plan all different holiday meals. I will say though,
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you know, over Easter last year, you know, I always
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do a regular Easter brunch, as we all do with
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quiches and ham and bacon and asparagus, you know, all
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those classic dishes. But last Easter, everybody was kind of busy.
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And so they started coming around like one o'clock, two o'clock.
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And I decided to do a hamburger bar instead. And
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I included none of the familiar foods. And what I
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found out was everybody loved it and had such a
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great time because it was something new and it was
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something different.
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So I, again, I think putting.
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Familiar favorites into the mix is always a great way
401
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to create a wonderful meal. And, you know, change up
402
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is lovely too. And I think We're scared of change
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because we are told to do it one way. But
404
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I think those new dishes bring a lot of excitement
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to the table.
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Megan, I'm going to chime in here for one second
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because I have the most stubborn family in the history
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of families. But we have happily welcomed several Chef Mary
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recipes to our Thanksgiving. Her turkey, which is just next level.
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That's been for the last many years. And then also
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her beef tenderloin, which is what we enjoy every Christmas,
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every Christmas day.
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So I had no idea. You made my day, Krissa. Yeah,
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it was incredible. Yes.
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Sounds delicious. You'll have to share the recipe.
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There are a couple of sides, too, that you that
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we are we are committed to and not and not
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going away from. So, yeah.
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Well, Mary, let's move the conversation to entertaining. It's such
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an important part of the complement of food. And we
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all love a full house of people. What is your
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secret for making guests feel comfortable and welcome? And are
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there any entertaining rules that you think people follow? should
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stop worrying about?
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Yes.
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I have so many ideas on this. So many different thoughts.
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First of all, you know, I, I think offering either
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a mocktail or a cocktail or a glass of wine
429
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immediately when somebody walks in your door is such a
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wonderful way to welcome them into your home. Something that's
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a little bit special and elevated, which is why I
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say a mocktail or a cocktail rather than like a
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soda or a sparkling water, just kind of elevating that
434
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level of entertaining just right off the bat is really
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fun and shows your guests that they're really special. And this, again,
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is not for somebody like your neighbor who's just popping
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over for a quick you know, catch up, but rather
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like really entertaining and showing somebody like, you know, thank
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you for coming. Thank you for being a guest. Second
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of all, making items ahead of time is crucial to
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having a stress-free event. So one of my favorites favorite
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00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:07.880
events was at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen.
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And there was a room full of people and we
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were watching, I think it was Bobby Flay. And he
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was the guest chef that was demoing how to make,
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I think it was beef tenderloin or some kind of
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large piece of beef. And He told the audience, oh,
448
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I cook this before my guests arrive. Like, I'm only
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finishing it off in the oven when my guests arrive.
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And there was this, like, just like this overwhelming, like, wait, what?
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You're going to pre-cook this meat? And he was like, yeah,
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I want to be with my guests. I want to,
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you know— I want to be a part of the experience.
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I don't want to be locked away in the kitchen
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or outside on the grill by myself. I really want
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to be a part of things. And so his takeaway
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was to pre-cook as much as possible so that really
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all you're doing is putting things together. And that's really
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what a restaurant does as well. You know, everything is, um,
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00:29:20.950 --> 00:29:24.539
we call it meased, but mise en place out where
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00:29:24.599 --> 00:29:27.740
it's all in different compartments and you're just pulling different
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ingredients together and putting it together to make a dish. Um,
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so I think that those two things are the most
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important part of entertaining is that when you have somebody
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over you want to make sure that you greet them
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right away with something special that you really think about
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your meal and make it so that a majority of
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it can be made ahead of time so that you
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can really enjoy the experience with your guests.
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And also, you.
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Know, think about, you know, what would be fun with
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your guests, you know, if, let's say, you're somebody and
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you really love an elegant salad, so it has lots
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of different items together. Well, maybe you and your friend,
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00:30:27.099 --> 00:30:29.779
that would be a really great time to be next
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to each other and you're working on the salads together, right?
477
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That's part of the experience. So those things are what
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would make a really great evening successful.
479
00:30:40.509 --> 00:30:42.849
Those are really great tips, but I do have to ask,
480
00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:45.089
if you don't have a warming drawer, how do you
481
00:30:45.549 --> 00:30:47.130
recommend keeping all that food warm?
482
00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:50.960
I don't have a warming drawer either. Yeah. I just...
483
00:30:51.289 --> 00:30:54.049
you know, have the oven ready to go. And so
484
00:30:54.069 --> 00:30:57.950
then the oven is hot. And sometimes if I have
485
00:30:58.130 --> 00:31:00.779
things that need to be warm, I'll just keep them
486
00:31:00.859 --> 00:31:03.779
on top of my stove and cover them with foil
487
00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:08.539
or drop the oven temp down to, you know, 200
488
00:31:08.539 --> 00:31:12.180
or whatever the lowest setting is and place it in
489
00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:15.420
the oven. And sometimes I'll even turn the oven off
490
00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:20.400
so that there's not direct heat, but there's insulation. So
491
00:31:22.140 --> 00:31:27.289
You know, or like if you were grilling a large
492
00:31:27.420 --> 00:31:31.730
beef tenderloin, you know, take it off the grill and
493
00:31:31.789 --> 00:31:35.829
then right before you need to serve it, pop it
494
00:31:35.890 --> 00:31:38.700
in the oven, finish it off. and pull it out
495
00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:39.339
to serve.
496
00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:42.799
Well, Mary, we both love a gorgeous table setting because
497
00:31:42.859 --> 00:31:46.559
it's just another opportunity to show off design, have some fun,
498
00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:49.680
creativity with it. And tablescapes can be just so stunning,
499
00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:53.710
but I'm guessing chefs have a little different opinion. They
500
00:31:53.730 --> 00:31:58.309
might prefer a little more simpler aesthetic than showing off
501
00:31:58.569 --> 00:32:00.910
all of the beautiful dishes, showing off the food. Give
502
00:32:00.970 --> 00:32:03.369
us your opinion of a super layered table. Does it
503
00:32:03.470 --> 00:32:04.539
overwhelm the food too much?
504
00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:08.480
Being a contributor to traditional home for so many years
505
00:32:09.400 --> 00:32:15.119
and having a mother that really took deep dives into
506
00:32:15.180 --> 00:32:19.619
making her tablescape so beautiful, I say knock yourself out.
507
00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:23.299
Make it a conversation piece. So not only... are the
508
00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:25.160
guests going to be able to talk about the food?
509
00:32:25.220 --> 00:32:27.319
But as soon as they sit down to a table,
510
00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:31.819
you know, it's engaging and it's exciting. And it creates again,
511
00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:35.960
that feeling of like, wow, somebody took the time to
512
00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:41.490
do something really beautiful. One of my favorite memories as
513
00:32:41.509 --> 00:32:47.130
a child was my mom. It was, oh gosh, maybe
514
00:32:47.190 --> 00:32:50.809
my ninth birthday. And we had a fifties party. And
515
00:32:50.890 --> 00:32:55.680
so my mom was, went in and got my Barbie
516
00:32:56.140 --> 00:33:02.099
Corvette and dressed Barbies in poodle skirts and created this
517
00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:07.859
whole tablescape of like toys and decorative items from the 50s.
518
00:33:08.789 --> 00:33:13.990
And that's always been kind of where my feelings about
519
00:33:14.049 --> 00:33:20.259
tablescapes are, is it just created just this incredibly special moment.
520
00:33:20.390 --> 00:33:24.170
So again, I'm I love beautiful food. I think food
521
00:33:24.609 --> 00:33:28.839
is part of the conversation and is important, but it's
522
00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:34.859
the experience. It's the entire experience. And sometimes, you know,
523
00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:40.109
especially watching Chrissa over the years, create just stunning tablescapes and,
524
00:33:40.529 --> 00:33:45.369
you know, find all kinds of beautiful items to put
525
00:33:45.470 --> 00:33:51.069
onto the table, whether it's jars or vases. It, It
526
00:33:51.109 --> 00:33:53.150
just is so special.
527
00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:55.799
Okay. Well, that's good because sometimes, you know, when you
528
00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:58.259
go to restaurants, I feel like everything's very modern and
529
00:33:58.319 --> 00:34:00.900
pared down and a black plate or a white plate.
530
00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:03.940
And that's how the chefs like it. But I'm glad
531
00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:04.660
to know that it's.
532
00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:05.799
Okay for us. Is that okay?
533
00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:07.240
Do you want me to go the other direction?
534
00:34:07.259 --> 00:34:12.489
No, no. We like this direction for sure. Mary, when
535
00:34:12.510 --> 00:34:15.250
you're passionate about a subject, you want others to, at
536
00:34:15.289 --> 00:34:17.710
the very least, know about it as well. And we
537
00:34:17.789 --> 00:34:21.590
know that you have some teaching in your background. So
538
00:34:21.690 --> 00:34:26.420
tell us about your cooking classes and what that's about
539
00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:26.840
right now.
540
00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:30.559
Teaching cooking has taken over my life in the best
541
00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:38.389
way possible. And giving people confidence and creating experiences for
542
00:34:38.449 --> 00:34:45.039
them has... become a profound part of my life. Right now,
543
00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:49.760
the most popular classes that I teach are pasta classes,
544
00:34:49.880 --> 00:34:56.409
cinnamon roll classes, and sushi classes. And there's something so
545
00:34:56.489 --> 00:35:01.050
rewarding for both myself and my guest who is taking
546
00:35:01.090 --> 00:35:05.750
my class when they cut their cinnamon roll and expose
547
00:35:05.829 --> 00:35:09.969
the swirls for the first time. And my excitement truly
548
00:35:09.989 --> 00:35:17.159
is watching the person get excited about that moment. And
549
00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:20.960
when I was in culinary school, one of my favorite
550
00:35:21.019 --> 00:35:25.199
chefs told me that a leader is somebody who can
551
00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:27.710
take you to places you couldn't get to on your own.
552
00:35:28.190 --> 00:35:32.750
And that's truly something I've taken on as a teacher
553
00:35:32.769 --> 00:35:39.030
and instructor, that I love supporting people And and just
554
00:35:39.150 --> 00:35:42.690
having that confidence that I will be able to teach
555
00:35:42.789 --> 00:35:45.909
them and take them from the start of the recipe
556
00:35:46.030 --> 00:35:47.420
to the finish of the recipe.
557
00:35:47.719 --> 00:35:50.920
That's fantastic. I wish I lived closer because I would
558
00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:53.699
sign up for some classes. That's for sure. And I
559
00:35:53.800 --> 00:35:56.719
had the great privilege of going into your space earlier
560
00:35:56.780 --> 00:35:59.760
this year. And that was just so much fun. It's
561
00:35:59.780 --> 00:36:00.559
a great space.
562
00:36:00.909 --> 00:36:05.429
Thank you. Yeah, we've we've we've really loved being there.
563
00:36:05.710 --> 00:36:10.530
And it's just it's very cozy and it's very rustic.
564
00:36:10.909 --> 00:36:16.469
It gives that kind of that farm ask feel with
565
00:36:16.550 --> 00:36:20.769
kind of exposed wood and and a little bit modern
566
00:36:20.809 --> 00:36:21.489
feel as well.
567
00:36:21.570 --> 00:36:24.170
It's very personable. It doesn't feel too scary.
568
00:36:25.099 --> 00:36:25.400
No.
569
00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:29.619
So we know that you can check the box off
570
00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:34.510
for memorable cooking classes. And oh, can you talk a
571
00:36:34.570 --> 00:36:38.090
moment about, because you don't only teach adults, you teach
572
00:36:38.230 --> 00:36:40.409
little ones. So talk a moment about that.
573
00:36:40.710 --> 00:36:47.030
Teaching kids has changed the way that I cook. And
574
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:53.070
that's because First of all, kids are so loud and
575
00:36:53.110 --> 00:36:57.869
they're so vocal and they're so opinionated. Adults have been
576
00:36:57.949 --> 00:37:01.630
trained not to have loud feelings and loud opinions, but
577
00:37:01.670 --> 00:37:05.289
a child will just be very vocal if they don't
578
00:37:05.389 --> 00:37:09.480
like something. And so, you know, one of my favorite
579
00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:13.500
moments with traditional home, I talk about this all the
580
00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:18.929
time with my classes, with kids. And One of the
581
00:37:19.050 --> 00:37:22.690
scariest moments when I first started writing recipes for traditional
582
00:37:22.730 --> 00:37:24.829
home is when you would get your camera out and
583
00:37:24.869 --> 00:37:27.530
you'd be like, Oh, I'm going to take test photo.
584
00:37:27.730 --> 00:37:29.900
I'm going to take photos of what the test kitchen,
585
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:34.079
you know, did with your food. And, and I would say,
586
00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:37.179
Oh my gosh, you know, for months, it would feel
587
00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:41.780
so scary to actually see my recipe made by somebody else.
588
00:37:42.659 --> 00:37:49.519
But that segued into what I do now with kids is, And, um,
589
00:37:50.219 --> 00:37:54.699
when I write a recipe, I see it 30 times
590
00:37:54.940 --> 00:37:58.159
in front of me. So if it, if it, the
591
00:37:58.199 --> 00:38:02.159
recipe doesn't work, it's not going to work just once.
592
00:38:02.400 --> 00:38:06.139
It's going to not work across 30 kids and 30
593
00:38:06.139 --> 00:38:09.880
kids recipes that don't work. That is a classroom. I
594
00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:13.480
do not like that is such a stressful time. Um,
595
00:38:15.900 --> 00:38:19.480
just a quick story. But last year I had a
596
00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:23.969
chef assistant and she purchased Plugra butter, which is a
597
00:38:24.010 --> 00:38:28.610
very high fat content butter instead of just a traditional
598
00:38:28.690 --> 00:38:32.190
fat butter like a Land O'Lakes or a Challenge. And
599
00:38:32.329 --> 00:38:34.420
because I couldn't take the butter back and I didn't
600
00:38:34.460 --> 00:38:39.440
have time to change or test the recipe. So what
601
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:45.110
happened was I ended up having 30 sheet tray cookies.
602
00:38:45.750 --> 00:38:50.150
So the cookies completely flattened, none of them held shape
603
00:38:50.489 --> 00:38:53.269
and they all were bad and they all had to
604
00:38:53.309 --> 00:38:57.530
go in the trash. It was awful. So kids have
605
00:38:57.670 --> 00:39:00.989
really taught me how to write recipes well.
606
00:39:01.329 --> 00:39:03.030
I think kids teach us a lot more than we
607
00:39:03.050 --> 00:39:06.610
give them credit for sometimes. So Mary, we are almost
608
00:39:06.869 --> 00:39:12.039
done with this, with this really wonderful interview. So Before
609
00:39:12.059 --> 00:39:14.280
we get to the fun rapid fire questions and the
610
00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:17.039
last couple of questions, what is next for you?
611
00:39:17.059 --> 00:39:22.570
Well, right now I am continuing my cooking classes, which
612
00:39:23.010 --> 00:39:26.849
are so wonderful and so excited. And right now I
613
00:39:27.690 --> 00:39:31.179
am in the submission process to publish with my cookbook
614
00:39:31.239 --> 00:39:35.449
that I am so passionate about and I'm really excited
615
00:39:35.570 --> 00:39:39.110
and I'm so hopeful to get to reach the finish
616
00:39:39.150 --> 00:39:42.420
line on it. It's been a 20-year dream and I
617
00:39:43.449 --> 00:39:44.449
we're very close.
618
00:39:44.889 --> 00:39:46.949
Well, we wish you all the luck in the world
619
00:39:47.090 --> 00:39:48.989
with that. And I think that, I think that good
620
00:39:49.030 --> 00:39:50.030
food dreams will come.
621
00:39:49.909 --> 00:39:51.349
True for sure.
622
00:39:51.429 --> 00:39:53.869
So, okay, let's get into some rapid fire. So this
623
00:39:53.909 --> 00:39:56.280
can just be quick, quick. What's the strangest thing in
624
00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:56.800
your kitchen?
625
00:39:56.820 --> 00:39:59.050
A ruler. A ruler.
626
00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:01.599
Okay. That doesn't seem super strange because don't you have
627
00:40:01.619 --> 00:40:04.960
to measure pie crust or something? I'm making stuff up.
628
00:40:04.980 --> 00:40:05.500
You do.
629
00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:06.320
And you're right.
630
00:40:06.420 --> 00:40:10.320
It's not a strange, it's not a strange tool except
631
00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:14.469
for it is, you know, it's like, You don't walk
632
00:40:14.550 --> 00:40:18.670
into a majority of the kitchens and find rulers. Okay,
633
00:40:18.710 --> 00:40:19.690
fair enough, fair enough.
634
00:40:20.090 --> 00:40:22.329
What kitchen tool do you have too many of?
635
00:40:22.849 --> 00:40:24.639
Oh, spatulas, rubber spatulas.
636
00:40:24.659 --> 00:40:27.679
Okay, well, that's because we brought this up on our
637
00:40:27.699 --> 00:40:30.179
podcast several times before that meme that says, you know,
638
00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:32.980
you're an adult when you have a favorite spatula. Yes,
639
00:40:33.320 --> 00:40:34.579
that's me. Okay, so you have a lot of spatulas.
640
00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:38.320
What are five, and you don't have to hit five,
641
00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:41.469
maybe three or four or five key ingredients to always
642
00:40:41.550 --> 00:40:43.829
have on hand other than salt and pepper?
643
00:40:44.690 --> 00:40:54.869
Great. Honey, basil, oregano, tomato paste, and I love paprika. Paprika.
644
00:40:54.929 --> 00:40:57.210
Okay. And I'm just going to throw in too, because
645
00:40:57.670 --> 00:40:59.809
when you said honey, that reminded me, you just did
646
00:40:59.909 --> 00:41:03.789
a post recently about hot honey. And anybody who's listening
647
00:41:03.809 --> 00:41:07.820
should go follow Chef Mary and you do wonderful little
648
00:41:08.510 --> 00:41:11.599
basic cooking tidbits. I love them and I've learned a
649
00:41:11.639 --> 00:41:15.360
lot through them. So, okay, what is one simple meal
650
00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:18.360
that everyone should know how to make or if they
651
00:41:18.820 --> 00:41:21.280
haven't started cooking yet would be a good, easy staple
652
00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:22.079
thing to know how to make?
653
00:41:22.579 --> 00:41:27.019
I think a grilled chicken breast is so great because
654
00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:31.210
cooking it in a pan isn't always as aesthetically pleasing.
655
00:41:31.699 --> 00:41:36.159
I think a roast chicken is so great. And I
656
00:41:36.219 --> 00:41:39.570
think a really good salad dressing. You know, we always
657
00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:44.369
go towards bottle dressings, but I think homemade salad dressings
658
00:41:44.389 --> 00:41:47.610
are so much better than bottle dressings. So I think
659
00:41:47.650 --> 00:41:49.889
that's a really good one to keep in your repertoire.
660
00:41:50.030 --> 00:41:54.480
They're way better. And as a avid but novice cook,
661
00:41:54.659 --> 00:41:57.420
I will say I have no bottle dressings in my fridge.
662
00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:02.500
I love, I only make, I try my best. I'm still... learning,
663
00:42:02.579 --> 00:42:06.659
but okay. What is your food guilty pleasure? And we
664
00:42:06.699 --> 00:42:09.139
want you to give us something good and juicy here. Like,
665
00:42:09.889 --> 00:42:14.130
like really naughty, not just, not just pizza in general.
666
00:42:14.170 --> 00:42:17.250
We want Oreo cookies, glazed donuts. Like what, what is your,
667
00:42:17.510 --> 00:42:18.110
what's your thing?
668
00:42:18.550 --> 00:42:23.539
I'm obsessed with tortilla chips and jarred salsa, but it's
669
00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:28.349
so bad. It's, and if we're going the sweet direction and,
670
00:42:29.210 --> 00:42:33.469
I'm obsessed with Trader Joe peanut butter cups in chocolate
671
00:42:33.570 --> 00:42:37.550
ice cream with marshmallows. I mean, oh, really indulgent.
672
00:42:37.869 --> 00:42:40.409
OK, that's a good one. That's a good one. Thank you.
673
00:42:40.789 --> 00:42:42.070
Who would you love to cook with?
674
00:42:42.469 --> 00:42:43.050
Ina Garten.
675
00:42:43.989 --> 00:42:45.309
Yeah, that's a good one.
676
00:42:45.329 --> 00:42:47.510
I would love that, too. Yeah.
677
00:42:47.809 --> 00:42:47.929
Yeah.
678
00:42:47.989 --> 00:42:52.170
Her easygoing cooking is just it's legendary.
679
00:42:53.219 --> 00:42:54.280
She makes it look so natural.
680
00:42:54.679 --> 00:42:57.070
She certainly does, Megan. And I think you feel like
681
00:42:57.110 --> 00:42:59.469
you can take, I mean, the one bad thing about
682
00:42:59.530 --> 00:43:02.090
food shows is we can't really taste or smell the food.
683
00:43:02.130 --> 00:43:04.449
But for some reason, when she is in front of
684
00:43:04.469 --> 00:43:07.130
the camera, I can, I feel like I can imagine
685
00:43:07.170 --> 00:43:10.550
what it smells like and tastes like anyway. She always
686
00:43:10.630 --> 00:43:15.849
drinks when she cooks. And I like that. Okay. And Mary,
687
00:43:15.889 --> 00:43:17.860
this is my final question for you before I turn
688
00:43:17.880 --> 00:43:19.840
it back over to Megan for the last couple. What's
689
00:43:19.880 --> 00:43:20.539
for dinner tonight?
690
00:43:20.860 --> 00:43:25.300
Oh my gosh, we're traveling. So I'm going to say
691
00:43:25.320 --> 00:43:31.320
a rotisserie chicken that we purchase at the grocery store.
692
00:43:31.820 --> 00:43:35.659
And then we'll put it into like a chopped salad,
693
00:43:35.739 --> 00:43:40.110
like a vegetable chopped salad. So I'm keeping it simple tonight.
694
00:43:40.210 --> 00:43:41.469
Nothing extravagant.
695
00:43:41.690 --> 00:43:42.409
Sounds great.
696
00:43:43.110 --> 00:43:45.110
Well, Mary, we like to end each episode with the
697
00:43:45.159 --> 00:43:47.780
same two questions as well. What's the beat that keeps
698
00:43:47.820 --> 00:43:48.219
you going?
699
00:43:48.860 --> 00:43:53.639
My family keeps me going. They are the force behind
700
00:43:53.659 --> 00:43:59.139
the creativity and the ability to reach for my dreams.
701
00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:00.199
Love that.
702
00:44:00.599 --> 00:44:02.860
And finally, what does your perfect boulevard look like?
703
00:44:03.159 --> 00:44:07.860
I love this one. My perfect boulevard would be restaurants
704
00:44:07.880 --> 00:44:18.289
that had characteristics both inside and outside. So lots of charm,
705
00:44:18.829 --> 00:44:26.269
lots of wonderful servers, lots of people that embrace all
706
00:44:26.289 --> 00:44:34.619
their customers, paired with antique stores and little candy shops
707
00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:41.019
and ice cream shops. I just love a good street
708
00:44:41.690 --> 00:44:45.070
with just a homey feel where everybody knows your name.
709
00:44:45.590 --> 00:44:47.929
Mary, I'm going to repeat that as my perfect boulevard,
710
00:44:47.949 --> 00:44:51.179
but on my perfect boulevard, since we're dreaming here, none
711
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:53.119
of those restaurants have any calories.
712
00:44:53.500 --> 00:44:53.880
Let's do it.
713
00:44:54.079 --> 00:44:58.619
Oh, I love that. I love that. Guilt-free eating. Guilt-free eating.
714
00:44:58.739 --> 00:45:02.289
Well, Mary, thank you so much. We've wanted to have
715
00:45:02.309 --> 00:45:04.880
you on the podcast for quite some time, again, just
716
00:45:04.900 --> 00:45:07.760
to have a chef's perspective as we talk about design
717
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:11.360
and kitchens and lifestyle. That's what it's all about. And
718
00:45:11.400 --> 00:45:14.090
we have to eat every day, several times a day.
719
00:45:14.170 --> 00:45:17.030
So this is super relevant and will be a joy
720
00:45:17.070 --> 00:45:19.849
for everybody to listen to for those people who don't cook,
721
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people who do, and people who just eat.
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I love it.
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Well, thank you so much for having me on your show.
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It's been an absolute pleasure. For those of you listening,
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please Follow me on Instagram, Chef Mary Moran, so I
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can share some of my favorite recipes and some of
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my favorite cooking tips. Thanks, Mary. Thanks, Mary.
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Thank you for listening to Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed
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today's episode, be sure to follow along on Instagram for
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more design inspiration and behind the scenes moments. And don't
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forget to like and follow the podcast so you never
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miss an episode.
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We'll see you next time on Boulevard Beat.