The talented chef, food critic, author and television personality tackles our 20 questions.
By Jack Houvouras
HQ 110 | SUMMER 2020
As Katie Lee likes to say, “For me, cooking wasn’t just a hobby growing up — it was a way of life.” The Milton native started out at age 4 making biscuits with her grandmother and went on to become a nationally known chef, food critic and author.
Today she is the co-host of The Kitchen on the Food Network. The show has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Informative Talk Show and Outstanding Informative Talk Show Hosts. She is also the host of Beach Bites with Katie Lee on the Cooking Channel and a judge for the Food Network’s popular Halloween Baking Championship series. You can also find her on Meat Sweats on FoodNetwork.com and the upcoming digital series What Would Katie Eat? She’s also a regular on such shows as Beat Bobby Flay, Best. Ever., Rachael Ray and Today on NBC.
As if that weren’t enough, she has authored three cookbooks — The Comfort Table (2008), The Comfort Table: Everyday Occasions (2009) and Endless Summer Cookbook (2015) — as well as a novel titled Groundswell that was released in 2011.
In September 2018, Lee married TV producer Ryan Biegel in a small ceremony on the Amalfi Coast. “He’s the love of my life,” Lee confesses. The couple live in the West Village of New York City and the Hamptons with their rescue dog, Gus, a Chihuahua mix.
In February, Katie announced that she and Ryan were expecting their first child. To say she is excited would be a vast understatement. Her Instagram account (@katieleekitchen) is filled with photos of the beaming expectant mother.
Lee is known locally for two things — her revered Southern cooking style and her love for her West Virginia roots. “I love being in West Virginia,” says Lee. “It’s the most underrated state in the country. My schedule is pretty crazy, but I try to come home to see my family as much as I can.”
We recently caught up with Katie and invited her to answer our 20 questions. Our favorite chef’s answers were thoughtful, astute, amusing and highly relevant to the challenges we face today.
HQ1 How would close friends describe you?
I think my friends would tell you that I like to laugh and have a good time, and they would also say that I am fiercely loyal, supportive and opinionated.
HQ2 What is something few people know about you?
Honestly, it is hard for me to think of anything. I am pretty much an open book.
HQ3 What is your fondest childhood memory?
My best childhood memories all pretty much involve food. My mom and I would spend weekend mornings with my grandparents, and I would help my grandma make biscuits. I loved sitting around the kitchen table, listening to the adults talk and eating biscuit after biscuit. I still make her recipe, especially when I am feeling a little homesick for West Virginia.
HQ4 What is your greatest regret?
I can honestly tell you that I do not have regrets. I have moments in my life that I did not always do the right thing; but when I think about what the mistake led me to and what I learned from it, I cannot call it a regret. Everything I have done has led me to where I am and the person I have become.
HQ5 What is something you could talk about for hours?
My husband, Ryan, and I have a deep love for Italy and all things Italian. We got married in the small town of Nerano on the Amalfi Coast, and the two of us could talk about Italian food all day long. Each region has a different cuisine that changes with the season, and I could fantasize about eating that food all day long.
HQ6 For the perfect meal, what would be on the menu?
Well, speaking of Italian food … my perfect meal is from the restaurant where we got married, Lo Scoglio da Tommaso. We would start with their farm vegetables, fried baby squid, prosciutto and melon, and fresh mozzarella with tomatoes. Then we would move on to their famous spaghetti with zucchini and ravioli with yellow tomatoes, followed by a piece of grilled fish and finish off with tiramisu. There would be plenty of wine too! I love the Falanghina from that area. I am so hungry now.
HQ7 What movies made you laugh the hardest?
It’s not a movie, but the Sebastian Maniscalco Netflix specials kill me. He makes me double over with laughter, and the same for the Ali Wong specials on Netflix. When I was growing up, my mom and I would always watch standup comedians, and I still love comedy specials. What is more cathartic than a deep belly laugh?
HQ8 Whom is the one person, past or present, you would most like to meet?
I would have liked to have met Julia Child. If I can really dream here, we would have had lunch together in Paris.
HQ9 What song moves you the most?
There is a song from the Broadway show Hamilton called “Dear Theodosia” that makes me ugly cry every time I hear it, even more now that I am about to become a mother. The song is sung by the characters of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton as they both welcome their children into the world, and they vow to make it a better place for them. I listen to it and get very emotional, thinking about what our nation is going through right now; I want to do everything that I can to spread love so that my child grows up in a more tolerant environment.
HQ10 What are three books everyone should read?
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and The Odyssey by Homer.
HQ11 If you had a day off from work, what would you do?
I am very fortunate to have the kind of job that allows some flexibility in my schedule. I will have weeks that I go completely nonstop, but that could be followed by a few days or a week without anything on the schedule. On my days off, I like to take it pretty easy. I don’t wear makeup, I put on my comfortable clothes, I hang out with my dog, I exercise and I cook. In the summer, my favorite thing is to spend the entire day at the beach with a good book.
HQ12 If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I am the type of person that has a great deal of wanderlust, and I dream of traveling to Southeast Asia someday. I want to go to Thailand and Vietnam. I would start in Singapore though so I could go eat at the hawker market food stalls.
HQ13 What irritates you the most?
People who do not social distance. Wear a mask. You’re not special.
HQ14 What scares you the most?
I am afraid that people in this country will continue to become more divided. I really hope we can get back to a place of people respecting each other’s differences and be more accepting of one another.
HQ15 What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
I will never forget the moment I saw my daughter’s heart beating on the ultrasound monitor. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.
HQ16 What talent would you like to possess?
I wish I could sing. I cannot carry a tune to save my life. I can’t imagine what it would be like to open my mouth and be able to sing a song without it sounding like nails on a chalkboard.
HQ17 What do you like most about Huntington?
I like that my family is there and in the surrounding area. I also like catching up with my friends and hitting up all of my favorite spots, like Midway for a hot dog and Jim’s Spaghetti.
HQ18 What is your favorite spot in West Virginia?
My mom and stepdad have the most serene farm just outside of Huntington in Wayne County. It is so peaceful with spectacular views. We sit on the back porch for our cocktail hour while the sun sets, and it is magical.
HQ19 What brings you the most joy?
I am my happiest when I am sharing a good meal with loved ones. After spending so much time at home during quarantine, I feel that way more now than ever.
HQ20 How would you like to be remembered?
My mom always told me that people don’t remember what you said or what you did; they remember how you made them feel. I hope that through my recipes, I can make people feel comforted and bring them close to their families and friends. I feel so uplifted whenever someone tells me that they make one of my recipes for a holiday meal each year. It is almost as if I get to be a small part of their family’s traditions, which fills my heart.
