Meet the chef who broke the internet
– and keeps on doing so...
Alison Roman is arguably the coolest person cooking today – and now you can find her favourite recipes in Grazia, starting with her most recent Insta-sensation...
ALISON ROMAN IS
the chef whose recipes everyone loves to cook, thanks to her hugely popular New York Times column, best-selling cookbook (Nothing Fancy), 356,000 Insta followers and a string of online hits, including her chickpea, coconut and turmeric stew (now simply known as #thestew) and, more recently, a tray-bake chicken with olives and vinegar (see opposite). With her trademark scarlet nails and lipstick (‘I’d feel naked without them’) and love of a good martini, Alison is all about having fun in the kitchen, rustling up something that tastes amazing and looks delectable but, crucially, is achievable too.
‘I describe my food as “highly cookable” – and that means very easy, a mix of fancy items and fresh herbs and vegetables,’ says Alison, 34. ‘I want people to try different things, become better cooks and get outside their comfort zone. But if I’m going to introduce a new technique, I’m going to keep the ingredient list very simple, and if I’m introducing a new ingredient, I’m going to keep the technique straightforward. I’m never going to hit you with both of them.’
Her flavours are punchy – ‘I like lemony acidic things, garlicky flavours, lots of onions, herbs and spiciness’ – and, unlike the majority of chefs of her generation, she doesn’t do avocado. ‘I don’t eat it, I don’t cook with it – it’s just not my thing.’
Alison cooks seasonally, both meat and veg. ‘I’m an omnivore, I eat everything and I believe there is value in everything. For me, vegetables are as important as protein
and moderation is great when it comes to meat. When eating meat and fish, I think it’s important to speak out about procuring it from a place that is responsible.’
Her recipes are tested in her rented New York apartment. Nothing in the kitchen is built-in, and her stove has a basic four hobs with oven beneath. She doesn’t even have a dishwasher. ‘I don’t have people shopping or cleaning for me,’ she says. ‘I’m living it as you are, so if I find that a recipe is too much work, I’m not going to ask you to do it.’
Her unsophisticated kitchen belies the experience and skill Alison brings to her recipes. She began cooking at 20, ditching college in LA to work in a restaurant, where she began as a pastry chef; this was followed by stints in kitchens in San Francisco and New York. She then worked at Bon Appétit magazine as a recipe tester, graduating to senior food editor before leaving to work at Buzzfeed Food. It was there that she was approached by The New York Times. ‘They said they realised that a lot of their favourite recipes had my name on them,’ she says.
The reaction to Nothing Fancy has been phenomenal, with long queues at signings. She was driving when she heard the book had made the best-seller lists and had to quickly pull over because she was crying so hard. ‘It was my goal, but I didn’t think I’d achieve it.’
Alison’s been equally surprised by the rave reviews, but loves the impact her recipes are making. ‘The best reaction is when people say, “I got back in the kitchen because of you,” or “I started cooking because of you,”’ she says. ‘That makes me happy.’