CT: The show’s fantastic! It’s really exciting for me because the show and my blog are so very different, and it allows me to get back to the basics. I get to focus on foods that are really delicious, simple, and yet fun to cook. My blog was initially very regional, about a foodie who lives in LA, and because this show speaks to a national audience I needed to connect with everybody and try to let everybody feel like they can make the food and be a part of the experience. cool for me to take over the Facebook page. Since then I have been on the Facebook page every single weekend, every Saturday morning, responding to questions and connecting with fans. I remember when we - I couldn’t believe 100 people were watching my show! And now we have over 26,000 fans on Fa c e b o o k and it’s amazing
to see this community growing and I’m able to relate to people and their families from anywhere in the world. The fact that every weekend they would watch me with their family and let me be part of their week in that way is so special. It’s a very emotional thing for me that people are trying and liking my recipes since they are so personal. I’m always asking people about how my recipes turned out and to get them to take a photo because it’s so exciting when a family posts something they cooked of my recipes and post it to the Facebook page! It makes my heart skip a beat. R: How do you compare the food and restaurant scene here in contrast with LA? CT: I love New York! I get to go about four times a year and this past year I spent a month in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I rented a little the majority of my cookbook out of a small apartment in Williamsburg, than everyone can make these recipes! And I was just using Ikea equipment that any 20-something would have in their apartment. I love New York food, but it’s very different than LA food. I think that New York has this history and there’s a level of expectation that comes with New York. There’s a certain way that you see things done. There are so many good restaurants that come from this rich history and culture, like Sauce on Rivington Street, which is very new, but it feels like its been there for 100 years. I don’t think you would have that experience in LA. New York food is a slightly different palette; you can
tell that it’s food that exists in weather. You can tell that there’s a fall, there’s a winter, a spring and summer, whereas in LA it’s the land of perpetual summer. There are lots of fresh greens, lots of fresh cultural references. In New York there’s a heavier palette, richness, and you know that if there’s a way to be over indulgent they’ll go for it and it will be so fun and so fabulous. Eating in New York is one of my favorite things to do – well, eating in general is my favorite thing to do – but LA and New York are different, but two sides of the same coin. The coin being delicious food, of course. R: If there was one misnomer about being a home cook, what is it? CT: It’s probably that you can’t cook exciting cooked meal means a crock-pot has been and salt rather than with fresh herbs, spices me, I love “homey” food. My mom’s chicken potpie is absolutely delicious. But I love making food that I like to eat without having to go out every night. I like making exciting hadn’t thought of before. For me, its all about going to the farmers market, getting what’s in season, talking to the farmers about their best it can be. Never be afraid to experiment. The nice thing about food is that it’s just food. It’s not this thing that needs to be super precious or something that you should worry
The Kitchy Kitchen: thekitchykitchen.blogspot.com Claire’s show is part of Litton Entertainment’s Weekend Adventure: littonweekendadventure.com/food-for-thought/ Facebook: facebook.com/foodforthoughtTV Claire’s Twitter Handle: @KitchyKitchen
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