Julia Turshen in the House!!!
all about her new cookbook, her favorite sandwich and the pen (!) she used for all the charts!
Today is such a good one!!! I’m so excited to share today’s interview with the New York Times best selling author, the one and only Julia Turshen (!!!!!!) - who writes weekly newsletters (one of the only newsletters I will never archive), hosts weekly virtual cooking classes (one of my favorite things to attend for self care) and just this past fall released a new cookbook, What Goes with What! Can you tell I’m a fan???? Julia was so kind to answer 3 questions about the book as well as a round of rapid fire favorites for us!
I was first introduced to Julia through my best friend from college, (whose name just happens to also be Julia!) and her cookbook Simply Julia! I remember bringing this book with me to Montreal for Christmas break after getting it for Christmas and voraciously making my way through the book, cooking as many recipes as possible! The raspberry jam buns with creme fraiche frosting, the kimchi toast and her salad dressing are standouts to me. ALSO her lists! Her lists of what to do with leftover ingredients - GENIUS. I love lists so much. I like this Julia, I thought…
She continued on my radar…
I followed her writing and got her next book, and then somehow stumbled upon an interview she did with Evelyn Tribole as I was a newly Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. I remember being really taken hearing more of her story of recovery, and diet culture in the cookbook world. And from then, I started taking her virtual cooking classes during the pandemic…and I feel like a virtual friend of Julia’s by now! I don’t know if she’d consider me the same lol - but the way she makes you feel in her classes - this instant comfort, laid back vibes and lack of judgment is so special…I can’t be the only one who feels this way. There is no ego I ever feel from Julia - which is so rare with someone of her accomplishments! She is just so effortlessly cool.
OKAY - now more about Julia’s new cookbook, What Goes With What and why I think it’s worthy of adding to your cookbook collection!
What Goes With What is a book unlike any other I’ve come across. I’ve been making my way through all the recipes (they’re all terrific!) and here’s my little love letter to WGWW…
I love how Julia’s handwriting (which I love) is all over the book. I love how she shows us a picture of different markers she considered (see below for the marker she ended up using….EEK!) It feels so personal.
I love all of the charts. It makes me feel like I can mix and match and lean into flexibility because I know the winning formula!
I love that her parents were involved in the process. How cool is that.
I love the essays in the book. The body image one with her mom is a stand out for me.
I love how she took most of the images in the book. (p. 67 you may even find a shot of yours truly ;)!)
I also love the ease and do-ability of the recipes. They’re recipes I would make during the week and make over and over again. We featured the book for our cookbook club last month and every single woman echoed the same sentiment. The recipes were manageable! Fun! She made us feel so empowered as home chefs!
cooking my way thru WGWW (left to right: chicken with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant parm heroes, braised pork with apricots + green olives)
Tory: What Goes With What feels homemade in the best possible way. I feel like you really had your hand in all elements of this book from the illustrations, the photographs, and the writing. What was the impetus for that in comparison to your other books like Simply Julia?
Julia: Thank you for noticing all of these details! I believe so much in putting work out into the world that can only come from you. Otherwise why bother? So for this book I tried my best to walk that walk — all the charts are in my handwriting, I took nearly all of the photographs myself (a first for me), and yes, there's a lot of personal writing. Another reason I did this was that I was given the support to do so. So a big thank you to my editor Julie for not asking me to fit into some pre-existing template. I would definitlely do it all again in the future! I loved getting to flex so many creative muscles.
Tory: There are 20 charts in the book…Did the charts come first or the recipes?
Julia: Great question! The charts mostly came first. I wanted each to cover a very useful thing in the kitchen — salad dressings, sheet pan meals, meatballs, etc. There were a couple of recipes I knew I wanted to include so I thought about what chart they would fit in, or I created a chart around them if I didn't already have one in the works.
Tory: How did you choose which essays to feature and where to place them in the book?
Julia: While my writing is very personal, I tried to include essays and interviews that would reflect outwards. In other words, I hope that all of the essays woven through the book feel like they have tangible takeaways for whoever reads them. Like they're not just my diary. I spaced them throughout the book so each section had one essay and when there was a connection between the essay topic and the section, I went for it (i.e. putting the essay about when I worked at a vegetable farm in the section with vegetables). Sometimes the connection wasn't as obvious, so I just went for wherever it felt right in the book.
Tory (BONUS Q): Which marker DID you eventually choose for the book??!?
Julia: You're the first person to ask me this! I ended up using these from Staples and continue to use them all of the time. I have so many boxes!!
Tory: Growing up my dad was known to ask “Rapid Fire Favorites” around our table or driving in the car - without thinking too much, I’d love to hear the first thing that comes to your mind when I ask you some of your favorites…
Julia: I love a rapid fire too! :)
Tory: Favorite SANDWICH?
Julia: A classic BLT with lots of mayo....or honestly anything from Rossi's.
Tory: OMG I just clicked that link and am drooling…wow.
Tory: Favorite DRINK?
Julia: Hard to say one! Iced coffee with a splash of half-and-half, iced tea with lemon, dry vermouth on ice with a splash of soda water and lemon, cheap beer on ice with lemon....these are all very similar I'm realizing...
Tory: Favorite COMFORT FOOD?
Julia: A vanilla soft serve cone with rainbow sprinkles.
Tory: Favorite ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Julia: See above.
Tory: Favorite RECIPE in the book?
Julia: Impossible question!!!! But first to come to mind is the Olive Oil + Buttermilk Loaf. It's so easy to make and so good and everyone loves it.
Thank you, Julia! We’re such fans over here at HOKA MOKA!
If interested, I highly suggest subscribing to Julia’s Substack
and checking out her work over at JuliaTurshen.com
Thank you so much for being here!!
xoxoox!