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Why Molly Baz wishes she could make magic with her wand, and create a cooking experience that is fun for all
Molly Baz, recipe developer and owner of mollybaz.com she has big goals. "When I was little I always wanted to be an astronaut." she says "Then I wanted to be an United Nations translator. After that, I thought I was going to run the art museum in New York City." That's why, naturally, she went on to earn a master's degree in art history from Skidmore College, the liberal arts college.
However, it was during her year abroad in Italy, studying renaissance art, that Molly's love for food began to overshadow her other passions: "I was living with an old lady called Graziella and she was my homestay 'grandma'. She spoke no English and couldn't be understood when I told her thank you - but she was an amazing cook."
The main pastime was to go to the market in town, buy the ingredients and then cook Molly dinner. "She was a devoted fan of the food," Molly continues. "I had never really eaten in the way she did. I had never been taught about Italian food seasons and the reverence for ingredients. But I was like"oh, my god it's amazing! !'." Molly says that the way she cooks wasn't something she grew up with, and she's certain that it's true for the majority of folks out there. "My parents weren't seeking out top-quality ricotta or the finest tomatoes. It wasn't the thing."
Molly shares with me her "mind-bending "whoa'-moments" that she had in Italy that led her to return back home with a desire to be working on food. The way that Graziella shop to buy food differed from Molly's experiences. Molly describes: "Instead of going to the supermarket on Sundays during the week, Graziella was a market shopper every single day. It was due to the fact that 'you don't know what vendors are going to be in the market - and the peaches might look more attractive today than yesterday'. It was about respect."
Molly informs me that in quintessential Italian style the Graziella's Tuscan food was simultaneously simple, rustic and delicious. "Her tomato sauce has been ingrained in my mind," she continues. "It's very good, particularly during winter since it uses cherry tomatoes, that are according to me, the only tomato varieties which are worth your time out of season."
It's evident by the manner in which Molly discusses food that, to her, cooking is about more than just making flavours. It's the whole experience of exploring the ingredients on offer and evaluating what's appealing, and crafting a meal within your head. "That's simply not the way my brain worked. I was not thinking about eating in that way. Now, of course, it's all I think of," she smiles. That's perhaps the reason Molly refers to herself as a recipe developer rather than a chef.
Restaurants, recipes and rolling around
In order to continue her career within the food industry after she left Italy, Molly worked in establishments where she was taught how cook. It wasn't the final goal "I burned out on places and decided that I didn't want to actually have my own restaurant. However, I was certain that I would like to cook and needed to find a career which was a good fit for me."
Molly entered the world of food styling because "the following logical progression from art history, including composition and color, was making food appear appealing". Since her father is photographer, she believed that this was the best approach to deal with food based on her skills, expertise and how she was raised.
"It worked for a time and I really enjoyed it." she says, "But ultimately, I had this feeling that I was just styling other people's food. The feeling is, "Cool, it looks great', and you're in some way responsible for the photo, however it's not really your food. It's someone else's. I was hoping to cook using my own thoughts as well as my heart and soul."
The next thing to do was to start developing the recipes that magazines would use. The chef was already part of the realm of food media through food styling at Bon Appetit magazine, and was then introduced to the role of food editor. It was an opportunity she accepted. "I didn't know what a food editor was prior to that!" she jokes, "But it's someone who writes and creates recipes and spends 75% of their day cooking. This was an opportunity for me to be back in an environment of dining out while also being in contact with food the bulk of the day." It was the right job. "I realized that this is the only thing I ever need to do ever again in my life,'" she smiles. Molly was promoted to senior associate food editor and eventually was promoted to senior food editor . She utilized the time to refine her recipes development abilities for the next four years.
The transition from food lover to food stylist and food editor was completed, but there was one more step during the process. "It was never in my intention to be an actor or to appear on video," she continues. "The Bon Appetit YouTube channel was established before I joined it and was gaining an audience, but it was not poppin' the way that is the case nowadays. After a few weeks, I took the job and was hired, one of the production staff said, "Do you want to do a video?' And I was like, 'Holy sh*t. I don't know. I'm no actress. I thought I was a behind the scenes person'. Then I realized that I was in love with this."
Molly admits to being worried the very first time she appeared present on the test kitchen. "I was like, 'Can I see them shaking?'! And then the video came out and I thought"Wow! This is so fun.' It wasn't my idea however it came from the Bon Appetit's plans and they just rolled with it." The natural evolution to food personality, and the challenge of "figuring out who will be to be Molly" was done.
Cook the Book The process of becoming an author
While working at at Bon Appetit an editor from Clarkson Potter, part of Penguin Random House publishing group called Molly and asked for a meeting. "The dream is to get an email from an email address associated with the Penguin Random House email address," she remembers. "I suspected this was related to cookbooks. I went to the conference and then one thing lead to the next and in a flash I was offered an agreement for a book."
"It's fascinating to be in the process of to come up with a recipe list for a debut cookbook." she says "Because you're simultaneously thinking about what dishes are most revealing of who I am and the world, as well as what other cooks will most likely make. What dishes are going to be approachable? This isn't about "How difficult is it to Molly bend in her book?' but it's about creating recipes that are true to me. Yet, they are not intimidating or overwhelming as well as uninspiring for the regular cooks. The meals I've created are ones that I'd make at home, but not when I'm being super extra."
Molly explains: "75% of what I do is trying to be a brain a amateur cook, and eliminate everything I've ever learned about cooking and approach it like it's only the only time in my life I've been in the kitchen. She has trained herself to understand what it's as a beginner cook as well as "to be overwhelmed by all these groceries sitting on the counter in the front of your eyes". She confirms "My role as a recipe developer is to create order for them with a method that makes it fun, and not a pain in the ass."
"My greatest concern is that my generation and the ones that are younger than me will have lived their whole life just getting [food delivery app] Caviar. Then they'll get up one day and have a six-month-old on their hip with a toddler who's running around with a chore to finish and be unable to figure out what to place at the table and not the tomato sauce pasta -- and be like, 'F*ck it. I'm going to order from Caviar and again!'. The goal of my life is to prevent the possibility of this happening as best as possible."
I ask Molly whether she has plans for a sequel book. "I am supposed to start making it up as early as three days from now!" she smiles. She says that she got a second book deal a few months ago from the same publisher. It is intended to act as a sequel to build upon the knowledge taught in the original book. Be sure to check back for updates.
Food that is fun, Caesar salad and Tuna the dog
One of the recipes that is most well-known found in Cook this Book includes Molly's Caesar salad. The self-professed 'Queen Of Cae Sal', Molly smiles whenever asked why she loves the dish. "I do not really have one sentence to give the answer!" she says, "I simply think it's the best salad on the planet. If I'm in the restaurant and I see caesar salad on the menu There's absolutely no chance that I won't order it. I've become infatuated with it over the years; I've discussed it a lot, and I make many of it. And people know that now. It's just so amazing. it!"
It could be that Caesar salad is in line with Molly's philosophy in the sense that food should be fun. It's simple, accessible and full of flavorit's how cooking ought to be according to Molly. This mindset comes from her experience with culinary professionals, not from eating food and having fun with it: "I've always found such joy in the kitchen when working in restaurants; there were the highs and the rush of standing in the kitchen and pounding on the service, and then saying"F*ck yeah, we did it'.
Molly has experienced the pleasure of cooking and the stress it could result in: "I hate that I can't just wave an magic wand to make it fun for everyone. When I say cooking has been fun for me that's because I'm striving to always enjoy myself -- not just with making food. If I asked my husband, 'Do you would like to bowl tonight?' he'd answer no, and I'd reply, 'You just never wish to enjoy yourself!'" My work here on this planet is to make cooking more fun for other people so they will be able to enjoy the joy also.
In case Molly's love of food wasn't evident enough in her cooking, this passion is now a part of her home life. In her posts on Instagram, she has an animal companion named Tuna. If you ask her if tuna is an uninteresting choice as a food of choice She says: "I do not find tuna to be boring! I think the water-packed cans that we used to use as kids are old-fashioned and boring, but high-quality canned tuna that is oil-packed, like that you find in Portugal is a pleasure. The flavors are different there, you know? !"
Molly as well as her partner Ben were in Portugal at the time they "conceived" of Tuna. Talking in the pool on their honeymoon, instead of having a baby, they decided to get an ox-like puppy. "We consumed a lot of tinned fish and it seems like we were thinking about tuna. To this day we eat tuna probably four times a every week!" she concludes, laughing.
There is a sense that from Italy to the USA and back to Portugal Molly's love of healthy, simple, and delicious food is more fervent than ever.