Chef Chat: Food transforms actress Tia Mowry’s life.
Tia Mowry has spent much of her life in the public eye, but it’s her early days growing up in a military family that instilled the discipline and go-getter attitude that inform every role she takes on.
While the family moved often, the one thing that never changed was nightly dinners cooked by Mom and Dad. The importance of food and connecting carried over when Mowry began cooking for her own family, actor Cory Hardrict and son, Cree.
Known for her role on “Sister, Sister” with her twin, Tamera Mowry, she’s developed a more personal role inviting stars like Kelly Rowland and Naya Rivera to share her love of cooking and entertaining on “Tia Mowry at Home” airing 7:30 p.m. Sundays on Cooking Channel through Feb. 26
Healthy eating and sharing her struggles with infertility helped inspire her newest book, “Whole New You: How Real Food Transforms Your Life for a Healthier, More Gorgeous You” (Ballantine Books), which will be in stores this March.
Q. Tell us about your family roots. How did growing up in a military family influence your approach to cooking and entertaining?
A. First of all, I’m very proud to call myself an Army brat. My mom was a drill sergeant and my dad was a first sergeant. Having parents who were enlisted, it taught me integrity and it taught me about how a person’s character is really the most important thing.
We would move around a lot. I was born in Germany, raised in Hawaii, lived in Texas, then moved to L.A. I had to work myself to be a social person. Force myself. That’s how I became nurturing and wanting to help people and encourage people.
My mom and dad worked long hours, but it was important for them to be home at the end of the day and make a meal for their family and talk about how our day was. That’s kind of how cooking was first introduced to me. Everybody had to be at the dinner table when we ate.
Q. How did you come to approach Cooking Channel?
A. I am a go-getter. I always have the mentality of if I can dream it, I can do it. It was me who sent this idea to my team, my manager and my agent. I love the lifestyle thing. Yes, I’m an entertainer, but I love to be domestic. I love cooking. I love decorating my home. I wanted to express myself in that way because it is who I am.
I am a huge fan of Food Network and always have been. I saw that they were entertaining the idea of actors and people in general who didn’t have to be professional chefs to have their own show. I want to do that!
Q. Is the show actually filmed in your home kitchen?
A. Unfortunately, it is not. … If your home becomes a set, I’ve experienced that before, and it wasn’t comfortable, especially when you have a child. I had a reality show and they would come to my home. I want to stay married.
Q. What did you learn designing your own home kitchen?
A. The main important thing to me was the positioning of the kitchen. While I’m preparing and organizing my meal and washing dishes, I can look to my living room and watch my son or see my husband watching football. …
The thing I regret spending loads of money on is my Calacatta stone island. It is so pretty and white and beautiful, but so porous. It’s not practical.
Q. How has your cooking shifted or evolved while cooking for a television audience?
A. I’m a working mom. I want to inspire people to get into the kitchen and cook and see it is not an intimidating place. I’m not going to be in the kitchen 31⁄2 hours cooking one dish. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Whenever I’m looking at recipes to make for my family, it is about how much time I’m spending cooking.
In this generation, most parents have to work to make ends meet.
I’m all about the one-pot meal; it saves time. The whole dish you’re making for the family is in one pot, in the oven, you’re done. It is practical, time-saving and there’s less cleanup. That’s how my cooking has changed.
Q. What is your approach to entertaining and cooking for others?
A. I feel like as a culture and as a generation, we are disconnected. When we’re at dinner with our friends, we’re all on our phones. Put down the electronics and really start to connect with people.
Q. You’ve got a book coming out in March. What can you tell us
about putting it together?
A. When I was trying to get pregnant and I had an infertility issue called endometriosis. After having several surgeries because of it, I wanted to have a baby. The doctor said you’re going to have to change your diet.
I was like, what? She said stay away from processed foods, fried and dairy for a year. I went ahead and did that and got pregnant. The first thing she said was it was because of that diet. …
I saw other ailments, like eczema and migraines, start to dissipate because of me eating cleaner foods. I want people to take away that food can be medicine. The recipes I have in this book, I cooked them and ate them during my year on this detox.