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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
Earlier this week we talked to cookbook author Leigh Ann Chatagnier (Modern Cajun Cooking, Natural Baby and Toddler Treats) about raising her ten-year-old son Parks with the 80/20 rule, the way she learned to cook from her mom in Tennessee, and the decade in Louisiana that taught her the “holy trinity” of ingredients. If you haven’t read it yet, go back. It’s the why behind everything in this piece. Check it out here.
Today we’re getting practical. From the seasoning that lives on her counter to the kitchen tool she didn’t know she needed until she had it, Leigh Ann shares the staples, shortcuts, and small splurges that make her kitchen actually work, including the store-bought thing she’s stopped apologizing for and the muffin she makes on repeat.
Three fridge staples you always have on hand?
Eggs. You can make a meal out of eggs at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Something fresh. Whatever vegetable I have at the moment. Lettuce, cucumbers, whatever’s in season.
Good condiments. A few Asian ones I always keep on hand, the basics like ketchup, mustard, and mayo, and a good barbecue sauce. You can turn a basic piece of anything into something delicious with the right sauce.
Three pantry staples you always have on hand?
Rice, beans, and breadcrumbs. The beans go in the crock pot. The breadcrumbs go on top of fish, into meatballs, or onto a chicken cutlet. I use them constantly.
One ingredient anyone curious about Cajun cooking should stock?
A good all-purpose Cajun or Creole seasoning. Mine is Tony Chachere’s. There’s a homemade version in my cookbook too, which I’ll make up in a mason jar and seal tight.
A store-bought shortcut you’re not embarrassed about?
Chicken nuggets. I have a favorite brand, Parks has a favorite brand, and they live in our freezer. Sometimes dinner is a chicken nugget salad or a chicken nugget wrap. You can do a lot with chicken nuggets.
Frozen fruit and vegetables, too. A couple of bags in the freezer always come in handy.
And store-bought dumplings. If your mom didn’t pass down a dumpling recipe, the grocery store has good ones. Save yourself the time.
A kitchen tool that earns its counter space?
A good knife. That one’s non-negotiable. The other thing I can’t live without anymore is kitchen tweezers. The giant kind. I use them constantly: flipping tortillas on the stove, pulling pickles out of a jar, lifting things out of hot pans. They live on my counter.
And my immersion blender. So much easier than pulling out the food processor if you just want to blend a sauce or some cottage cheese. Anyone who doesn’t own one, get one.
A cookbook besides your own that you reach for?
My friend Dina Deleasa Gonsar — Dish It Girl Dina — just released a new cookbook that combines recipes with devotions. It’s family-friendly, very unintimidating, and she breaks everything down. Easy recipes anyone can cook, with little encouraging notes for moms throughout. At the Kitchen Sink: Recipes to Fill Your Table, Words to Fill Your Heart; A Cookbook [Bookshop, Amazon]
Beyond that, I tend to reach for cookbooks from specific cuisines I want to learn from. That’s where I need a recipe more than for the food I already know how to cook.
Go-to before-school breakfast?
I used to make everything from scratch: homemade muffins, banana bread, oatmeal every morning. Now? Store-bought organic mini pancakes with sausage links on the side. Peanut butter toast if we’re really in a hurry. Comes in clutch every single time.
The one thing I do still make on repeat are my easy chocolate muffins. Parks requests them constantly, and I love them because I can sneak protein in. I’ll pair them with scrambled eggs, sausage, or bacon. He’s a sweet-breakfast kid, but he needs the protein. Kodiak waffles also live in our freezer.
The meal everyone in your house eats without negotiation?
Spaghetti and meatballs. Always. Meatball night is a favorite for both Parks and my husband.
Comfort meal you make when someone’s had a hard day or they’re sick?
Chicken noodle soup. It’s Parks’s absolute favorite. He gets excited about it even when he’s not sick. It’s a hug in a bowl.
Kitchen splurge that was actually worth it?
My oven. When we redid the kitchen, I went for a six-burner, industrial-style range. If nothing else got upgraded, that did. It was worth every penny.
And a good Dutch oven. Two sizes, if you can swing it. They’re expensive, but they’ll last for the rest of your life. Heavy bottom, oven-safe, simmers all day. Worth the splurge.
A recipe from your baby and toddler cookbook you still recommend to new parents?
The mini zucchini muffins. People send me photos of them all the time. Their kids have grown up with that recipe and they’re still making them weekly.
And the chicken meatballs with coconut rice. Same. Those two travel through the years.
My best friend’s daughter is Parks’s age, and she still makes the zucchini muffins almost every week. Recipes that stick around like that are the best feeling.
One last thing for parents who feel overwhelmed?
Keep offering. They might not eat it today. They might not eat it for two years. Eventually, they’ll try it.
And try serving things differently. Parks won’t eat plain jasmine rice in a bowl. But if I form it into a little ball? He’ll eat it. Sometimes the trick is just changing the shape.
If you’re intimidated to cook, just start. Pick a few dishes your family loves and rotate. It’s okay to cook the same thing every week. The basics, done well, are delicious.
Books, Books, Books – by Leigh Ann Chatagnier
Modern Cajun Cooking: 85 Farm-Fresh Recipes with Classic Flavors [Bookshop, Amazon]
Natural Baby & Toddler Treats: Homemade, Nourishing Recipes for Baby and Beyond [Bookshop, Amazon]
