above: (left) Sweet and Spicy Chicken Bowls with Farro and Grilled Pineapple. (right) Chicken Parmesan with Vodka Sauce.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANE TASHIMA
Diane Morrisey’s debut cookbook, You Got This! is a heartfelt guide to making cooking accessible, enjoyable and deeply personal. Launching this month with events across Connecticut this spring, Morrissety sits down to discuss the journey from building an Instagram to publishing her debut cookbook.
Samantha Yanks: What inspired you to write You Got This!? Was there a specific moment that sparked the idea?
Diane Morrisey: I’ve always relished the daily direct messages and emails from my followers who tell me they are encouraged by my no-nonsense approach to cooking—and that they are inspired either to cook after a lapse, or to start learning how to cook. They remind me that I can show people that cooking can be both uncomplicated and delicious and that it doesn’t need to be a stressful chore. I am jazzed beyond belief that I have been able to give people confidence. The same confidence that I drew from all those cookbooks and magazines and TV shows when I was teaching myself.
SY: Who do you envision as the ideal reader for this book, and what do you hope they take away from it?
DM: I am a self-taught cook. No fancy cooking school for me, and I think that that makes people respond to me. It makes me a bit more approachable to them. When my husband and I got married in 1993, I didn’t really know how to cook. Although I’d always been around wonderful cooks, I had never really taken over the reins in the kitchen and so I taught myself to cook. I did this by watching the Food Network, which had just been launched and by devouring cookbooks and cooking magazines. Slowly but surely, I got better at it and I love to tell everyone, if I could teach myself to cook, you can too!
Whether you are single, a parent, a recent graduate, married with no children or oversee a house full of people, this book will help you up your dinnertime game and enjoy the process and end result. So many people feel intimidated by cooking or think that they don’t have the time or ability to make something. This book was written to tell you that you do, that it can be done. Because usually what’s missing is not so much time or skill, but belief in yourself. But the more you cook, the more comfortable you will feel doing it and the more confident you will be. And before you know it, preparing wonderful, homey and memorable meals for your friends and family—and yourself— will be something you enjoy rather than dread.
SY: How does You Got This! reflect your personal philosophy or approach to life and cooking?
DM: Growing up, our home was filled with love, laughter, lots and lots of people and, of course, food. Food was always at the center of everything. It was the great unifier. There is another factor that runs throughout my cooking, and my life, which are virtually the same thing. I love cooking because it brings me closer to my family and friends. When we share a meal, we are sharing a common experience. I also encourage the concept of “using what you have to make it your own” when cooking. If you are making a recipe and don’t have one item, rather than not making the recipe I want you to feel empowered to pivot and just use what you have. Giving yourself the permission to alter a recipe based on what you do have is incredibly freeing and opens up so many cooking possibilities. Ultimately when you feel confident enough to riff on a recipe, you just enjoy the art of cooking so much more!
SY: What was the most rewarding part of writing this book, and what challenges did you face?
DM: The phrase, “You don’t know what you don’t know” has never been more true when it comes to writing your first book. I’ve always been the type of person who was never afraid to ask questions if I didn’t understand something, and that served me very well in this process. My publisher Doris was always just an email, phone call or text away. She was my constant cheerleader, especially when I thought I was in over my head.
So many parts of creating this cookbook were a challenge, but it was also such a thrill. I really fell in love with the entire process, because it was an opportunity for me to speak about what I love the most and also convey my own personal mantra: that food is love.
The writing process itself was a bit daunting only because I live in a house with many people and animals, and they are all loud. I have a hard time focusing in that environment and so the two local university libraries, (Sacred Heart University and Fairfield University) is where I would go every day to concentrate and write. Writing headnotes for each recipe was probably my favorite part because it gave me an opportunity to tell a little story about each recipe, which was fun because they all mean something to me and are all rooted somehow in my family.
The photoshoots were a huge learning curve for me. A self-admitted control freak, I remember the day vividly that I found out that I wasn’t actually cooking the food for the photo shoots. I just assumed I would be. But the process made me understand the importance of a Food Stylist and a Prop Stylist. They work closely with the photographer and know exactly what is needed to make the most gorgeous food photos in a cookbook. But at the end of the day I appreciated the fact that I got the final say in everything to do with my book and am so happy with how it turned out.
SY: How did you decide which recipes or stories to include? Were there any that were especially meaningful to you?
DM: Growing up my mom had a needlepoint hanging on the wall in our kitchen that said, “Food is the ingredient that binds us together.” If you know me and follow me, you know that so many of my recipes “have a story” Cooking recipes from my heritage and my past has always been a way for me to keep my loved ones, the living and the dead, alive. The act of preparing a family recipe can evoke such strong emotions and memories associated with loved ones who passed down the dish. Family recipes, such as my grandmother’s Braciole and Pasta “Fazool” as well as some of my own children’s favorite recipes made it into the book because they mean so much to me. You will see that practically every recipe in this book mentions someone I love.
Now having said that, I will say that the list of recipes that I initially submitted to my editor Doris was not the list of recipes that ended up in the book. In her vast experience she was able to point out to me what I needed to think about when picking the recipes. Everyone has different levels of cooking experience, and the recipes needed to reflect that while providing inspiration. I also wanted to make sure that the recipes I chose reflect my casual and unfussy approach to cooking as well as showcased different genres of cuisine. Ultimately, I think we came up with an extremely well-balanced selection. The recipes are delicious and beautiful pantry-staple meals that anyone can rely on to feed their family and friends—or just themselves. Some are classics with a twist, and some add a little something to pump them up without adding much extra fuss; other recipes have a little more flair. All of them will make you feel like a rock star in your own kitchen.
SY: Did writing this book change the way you approach cooking, or even how you engage with your audience?
DM: I’ve always been very aware of who my followers are and why the follow me. My food is for real people, many on a budget, who need to cook dinner every night and often times do so with limited time. The recipes are filled with easy to source ingredients, many of which can be found in your own pantry. I wanted this book to inspire people to get into the kitchen, armed with some tried and true recipes that have been loved by my own family.
SY: Are there any recipes in the book that hold special significance or a personal story behind them?
DM: Oh my goodness, yes and that’s why cooking is so personal to me. I included a cake that my mom used to make every Christmas morning for my brothers and sisters. I’ve always made it for my own children and every single time that I did, I am brought right back to my own house growing up in Monroe, smelling it as my mom takes it out of the oven. There is a re-worked nostalgic, Chicken Divan, which was the dish that I always brought over to my girlfriends any time one of them had a baby. I included my son Patrick’s favorite all-time sandwich, Blackened Fish Sandwich with Mango Slaw, which I always made for him when he came home from college or had anything to celebrate. So many of these recipes mean something to me or my family and all of them hold a special place in my heart.
SY: For readers who are new to cooking, which recipe would you recommend starting with?
DM: Oh, there are so many! Any of the galettes or tarts are quite simple to do yet have a huge wow factor! The Turkey Pesto Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce is so delicious, and the sauce can be used for this dish or tossed with pasta or used as a dip. I love dishes that can be used for multiple purposes. The Sheet Pan Jambalaya is a fun way to cook up this classic dish in a doable, straightforward way. My Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Soup is simple and packed with so much flavor. The Firecracker Salmon Rice Bowls will be on constant repeat and the Italian Potato Salad will become your new go-to picnic salad.
SY: The title You Got This! is so empowering. What advice would you give to someone intimidated by cooking?
DM: I am the daughter of a coach, I used to be a teacher and I always played sports growing up. This is a phrase that I grew up with and that I’ve always said and it carries over beautifully to the kitchen. It is meant to empower everyone and give you the confidence that you may need. I am really clear that I believe cooking to be 95% confidence and 5% the ability to read a recipe. My advice would be to just get in the kitchen and try! The more time you spend in the kitchen the more confident you will become. The more confident you become the more fun you will have and when you begin to have fun in the kitchen, you will be amazed at the wonderful dishes that you can create. You Got This!
SY: You have such a strong connection with your audience online. How did that influence your approach to writing this book?
DM: My social media presence was a happy accident. It started when I posted a photo of a birthday cake for one of my daughters years ago on my personal Instagram page, and I noticed how much attention that got. I continued to post my family’s food photos and, in the process, my following grew organically and quickly.
I’ve always maintained communication and stayed very engaged with my followers and I’ve always loved reading their direct messages and emails to me. We built a community rooted in a love for all things culinary. Through this I was able to learn who they were and why they followed me and even more so why they stuck around. I realized that although I was blessed with very strong culinary influences from my mom and grandma, not everyone was as fortunate and there were so many looking for someone to inspire their cooking and helping them get dinner on the table every night. The fact that I was able to do that brought me so much happiness. Sharing food and recipes in a fun and creative but straightforward way is what I love to do.
SY: What role has your family played in your journey as a cook and now as an author?
DM: I learned from a young age that food is a powerful way to express love and create connection. Most of my childhood memories take place in the kitchen, around our big country-style family table which was was the heart and soul of our house. My mom was the ultimate traditional housewife. Her food was not fancy. Rather, it was simple, homey, comforting fare, and it’s the nourishment that defines my childhood.
Mom’s cooking—consistent and plentiful—made us feel secure, and that is the feeling I always want to replicate with my own family. Feeding and providing for my family and friends has always been my daily love letter to them.
SY: What’s next for you after You Got This!? Do you see yourself writing more books?
DM: I had so much fun writing this book, and I definitely feel that I have a lot more to share and say. I used to be a teacher and I think my approach to cooking and to sharing food resonates with others. I’d love to write more books and explore other ways of sharing my love for food.
SY: What trends or shifts in cooking and food culture excite you right now?
DM: Being that I love and appreciate nostalgia so much, the idea that “Old favorites are new again” makes me so happy. Taking old reliables and putting a fun and fresh new twist on them is something that I love doing. I’ve always loved sandwiches and appreciated how creative they can be.
There is a current trend of experimenting with international flavors making the classic handheld sandwich so much more exciting! And I am so here for it. Also, with so many people embracing an alcohol free lifestyle, I love the fact that mocktails are taking their place centerstage and so many places are offering a great selection.
SY: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring authors or cooks, what would it be?
DM: There may be pressure to write or create content that doesn’t exactly ring true to who you are. Don’t bend: rather stay true to yourself and make sure that you are creating in a voice that is your own. This honest and authentic approach will resonate with everyone.
JOIN US!
Celebrate the launch of Diane Morrisey’s debut cookbook, You Got This!
In conversation with Editor-In-Chief Samantha Yanks
Tuesday March 25
At The Darien Community Association
Tickets Available at DarienDCA.org
Books sold through Barrett Bookstore.