FREDA Girl: Gaby Dalkin
Gaby Dalkin (@whatsgabycookin) is a trained chef, recipe developer, entrepreneur and food/lifestyle writer based in Los Angeles. Her blog, WhatsGabyCooking.com, features original recipes and images along with highlights from Gaby's life and travels. In April 2020, Gaby released her third cookbook, What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes for Real Life. She also has a new pod called What's Gaby Cooking in Quarantine.
Tell us about your THIRD book, What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes for Real Life! Eat What You Want is all about how I eat in real life!! It's all about balancing moderation and indulgence. No deprivation, no “bad foods” list. My only rule? Enjoy your food. Take the time to appreciate what you're eating whether it's a salad or a cookie or a Mezze spread that took a few hours to prep! This book is basically an invitation/permission slip/pep rally for you to let go of all the noise around what you choose to eat. Choose happiness! Choose fun! Choose no apologies or excuses. But most of all, choose whatever makes you happy and enjoy it!
With the release of your third cookbook, a newly launched podcast and all your digital platforms. How do you balance so much? - Truth me told... I don't! I work all the time, every weekend, nights etc... but I don't ever feel like I'm working. I love my job. I love the audience I've created here on What's Gaby Cooking. I love my team, etc. So while I'm always doing something, it never weighs me down!
Where do you find inspiration for new recipes? Travel!! Travel has always been such a huge part of my life and I love exploring different cultures through their food scene.
What are your kitchen staples? Pasta, lemons, cheese, avocados and olive oil!! I could survive for weeks with only those things in my fridge/pantry!
How would you describe your personal style that allows you the flexibility to move from shopping for ingredients to cooking and content creation? I'm all about comfort really. I don't want to change 100 times a day so I try to pick things that are comfy, cozy, easy to cook in and can go from inside to outside easily since I cook outdoors so much these days. Nothing complicated. Very California casual.
What do you listen to while you cook? Depends on my mood but 99% of the time it's Taylor Swift, Beyonce, or something that I want to sing along to and dance and look like a lunatic! It's my best look.
Share a favorite recipe! My dads kitchen sink cookies from her cookbook, What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes for Real Life.
Peach Tomato Caprese:
Ingredients
– 1/4 cup red onion sliced
– 4 ripe peaches or nectarines pitted and sliced
– 3 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes halved
– 1 cup baby mozzarella balls halved
– Baby Basil leaves
– Maldon salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the dressing
– 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
– 1 lemon juiced
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine the ingredients for the salad on a large serving platter.
Whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette together. Drizzle over the top and serve.