Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Chloe, I am originally from the UK, but have lived in the US for the past 12 years. Eight of those years were in LA, and now I have just moved to NYC. I am a chef, tastemaker, food stylist, food & travel writer, and travel all over the world cooking for various clients in many special places.
What role has food and cooking played in shaping your life?
It has absolutely shaped everything I do! It is fundamental to my happiness and overall well-being, and as well as being extremely grateful for being able to do what I do for a living, I truly could not imagine doing anything else at this point; food, and everything to do with food (hosting, travelling, etc.), is a part of who I am.
How do you incorporate the idea of “food as medicine” into your daily routine?
I cook and eat extremely seasonally and am very much produce-driven. Even down to, like, weekly seasonality. I shop at the farmers' market at least four times a week, and there might be something in season one week and then not the next, that is so exciting to me! Not only for myself but for all of my clients too, cooking with in-season organic produce is "food as medicine" without it even having to be labelled that. Plus, in-season veggies taste way better in season. I would never cook with tomatoes in the winter (unless canned), as they will never taste as good as in the summer, so what would be the point?
How do farmers’ markets and seasonal ingredients influence the way you cook?
The farmers' market inspires the way I think and everything I cook! It dictates all of my menus, and if I truly am stuck on some menu ideation, I go to the farmers' market and the creative juices just flow.
What are your pantry staples?
Good butter. Like, really good, expensive French butter. Really good extra virgin olive oil. Good Dijon mustard and really, really good honey. All pivotal in my classic vinaigrette. Flaky salt, and always both white and black pepper. And always at least four different types of vinegar (I use vinegar as my go-to acid more than citrus).
What’s your go-to recipe when hosting friends for a meal?
Usually some kind of gorgeous, multi-leaf, extremely vinegary and bright salad with loads of grated Parmesan, and then a delicious pasta. Depending on the season, that might be pasta pomodoro in the summer, or in fall it could be a bright green kale sauce pasta with lots of garlic.
