Meet: Cooking Solo's Klancy Miller

Cooking Solo is not only chef Klancy Miller's love letter to the singles of the world, but a testament to those with a penchant for delicious, wholesome food.

For New York-based pastry chef Klancy Miller, cooking for one is something to be celebrated. While for most of us, the thought of preparing a home-cooked meal to be devoured solo is often met with eye-rolling or a disconcerting sigh, Klancy's authentic love for good food and appreciation for wellbeing, spawned a cookbook that celebrates the art of Cooking Solo.

Here, Klancy dishes on her big break, what inspired her cookbook, her admiration for Kiwi produce and what makes her so good at throwing waffle parties.

Tell me a bit about what inspired Cooking Solo?

"Cooking Solo was inspired by a few experiences. First, I was a culinary student in Paris and living on my own for the first time and cooking for myself for the first time. I was surrounded by amazing farmers’ markets and loved exploring them and experimenting with new ingredients. Every recipe I made up was for one, since I was a solo cook. There were boyfriends but cooking for myself semi-regularly was fun.

 

#tbt To the awesome shoot for #Columbia--we filmed in the fall and it just went live for Columbia's Ask an Alum series. So honored that @alumniofcolumbiacollege asked me to cook from #CookingSolo. See link in bio.

A post shared by Klancy Miller (@klancycooks) on Feb 16, 2017 at 12:55pm PST

"I eventually moved to New York and the theme of cooking for myself as a form of exploration and relaxation continued. Fast-forward to 2014 and I read about single people out-numbering married people in the U.S. I remember thinking single people should have their own cookbook – that was a light bulb moment."

What has the reaction been like to the book?

"There’s a big 'self-care' trend happening now and I think cooking good meals for yourself falls into that theme, whether you’re single or not. I’ve had great book events in New York and other cities and I’ve been excited to see the book covered in some of my favourite food magazines. It’s also a total treat to receive notes on social media or via email about people enjoying recipes from the book."

 

Bringing the nighttime waffle party to @juliemsimonson !! #waffles from #cookingsolo

A post shared by Klancy Miller (@klancycooks) on Nov 20, 2016 at 2:37pm PST

When did food first come into your life?

"I’m fortunate that both of my parents have always been good cooks and avid restaurant-goers. My mum is extremely sophisticated in the kitchen and has a special interest in healthy foods. My dad’s pretty excellent as a cook too and has his own repertoire of things he likes to cook. Going to restaurants growing up definitely helped shape my palate as much as eating home-cooked meals."

Who was the first chef to inspire you in the kitchen?

"I cooked a Father’s Day dinner for my dad based on recipes from Marcus Samuelsson’s cookbook Aquavit. Chef Samuelsson is a chef whose recipes have been inspirational. Also, my first restaurant kitchen experience was as an intern at Fork Restaurant in Philadelphia under chef Anne-Marie Lasher. She’s great and her style was an influence too.

Are you familiar with the New Zealand food scene?

"When I think of food in New Zealand, lamb comes to mind. And wine. I need to learn more about food in New Zealand!"

What advice would you offer someone looking to release a cookbook?

"There’s a lot of work that goes into creating a cookbook, so before you begin make sure you’re completely motivated and committed. Also, coming up with a book proposal is helpful because you end up clarifying what makes your book different from the rest and you state your case for why your book is needed now and why you’re the person to write it.

 

Breakfast at a cute cafe. #Milano

A post shared by Klancy Miller (@klancycooks) on Sep 25, 2016 at 3:09am PDT

"Definitely make sure you have friends and family to taste your recipes as you go along because you want to get other people's opinions. Also give yourself enough time to test recipes several times and write well and edit everything. Finally – for marketing your cookbook – social media is a big deal. If you can build your social media following, especially Instagram, before your book comes out, then you’re ahead of the game."

I’ve read that you throw waffle parties? For the uninitiated, what exactly does a 'waffle party' consist of?

"I’ve always enjoyed hosting brunch parties and I’ve found that waffles are an easy main course and seem to please vegetarians and carnivores—plus, I love waffles so I’m partial to serving them whenever possible.

For my waffle parties and brunches, I like to have two different kinds of waffles: Chocolate Waffles and Savoury Cornbread Waffles made with Jalapeños and Herbs. I like to serve the waffles with either eggs or other savoury items like bacon or stewed fruit or hefty salads. I have a couple of waffle irons—one is for thick Belgian waffles and the other makes thinner waffles, so I go all out with a variety of waffle goodness. People seem to like them!"