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Why Molly Baz wishes she could use her magic wand to create magical effects, and create a cooking event that's fun for all

Molly Baz, recipe developer and owner of mollybaz.com has big dreams. "When I was a child, I aspired to be one of the astronauts." Then she says "Then I wanted to be an United Nations translator. Following this, I began contemplating whether I should oversee the management of the art museum located in New York City." So, naturally, she went on to earn master's degrees in art history at Skidmore College, the liberal arts school.

But it was while she was in Italy learning about Renaissance art that her passion for food took over her other passions: "I was living with an elderly lady named Graziella who was my"grandma" at my homestay. She spoke in only English and couldn't understand when I said to that she should thank me. However, she was a cook like an expert."

It was the most popular pastime to go to the market , purchase the ingredients needed, then prepare Molly dinner. "She simply lived to enjoy this," Molly continues. "I had never eaten food in such as she did. I had never been taught about Italian seasonal food and the reverence of the ingredients. Then I realized, 'Oh, man it's amazing! !'." Molly says to me that this kind of cooking didn't come up with, and she's certain it's similar to the majority of the people who live across the globe. "My parents were not looking for premium ricotta cheese or top quality tomatoes. They just didn't like it."

Molly shares with me her "mind-bending "whoa" moments" during her time in Italy that led her to go back home with a desire to be working on food. The way that Graziella shop at the market for groceries was quite different from Molly's own experience. Molly says: "Instead of going to the grocery store on Sunday to shop for groceries during the week, Graziella was at the market every the other day. This was because of the fact that  you don't exactly know who is likely to be at the store and maybe the peaches today are more delicious as they were yesterday'. It was about respect."

Molly tells me that, in the classic Italian fashion, Graziella's Tuscan food was simple but delicious and traditional. "Her tomato sauce is forever remembered in my head," she continues. "It's really good, especially during winter, because it makes use of cherry tomatoes, that are for me the sole tomato varieties worthy of your time in the absence of a season."

It's evident from the way Molly discusses food that, she thinks cooking for her involves more than mixing flavors. The whole process of exploring the different ingredients available, considering the way to present them, and crafting a meal in your mind. "That's how my brain worked. But I was not thinking of eating in this in that way. Of course, now it's all I think of," she smiles. Maybe this is why Molly is a author of the recipe rather than a cook.

Restaurants, recipes and rolling around

To continue her path in the food industry following her departure from Italy, Molly worked in establishments in which she learned how cook. This wasn't her ultimate goal "I burned out on establishments and realized that I didn't want to actually have the dream restaurant. But I knew I wanted to learn to cook, and I needed to choose a job that was suitable for me."

Molly was drawn into the realm of food styling because "the next logical step from art history, including an art form of composition and the use of color, was to make food look tasty". Seeing as Molly's dad is an artistand she felt it was the right approach to approach food based on her skills knowledge, experience, and ways she was raised.

"It was effective for a couple of days and I was happy with the result." she continues "But at the end of the day, I felt like I was just making other people's food look good. It's like, 'Cool, that looks delicious' and you have some ownership over the picture, however it's not really your food. It's someone else's. I've always wanted the ability to cook from my own heart, mind and spirit."

So, the next thing to do was to start creating recipe ideas for magazine recipes. She was already involved in food and media when she worked on food styling at Bon Appetit magazine and was exposed to the position of food editor. This was an exciting opportunity that she was able to accept. "I was not sure of the term "food editor" before that!" She laughs "But they design and write recipes and they spend much of their time at the kitchen. This allowed me to stay working in a restaurant as well as be connected with food for the majority times." It was the right job. "I realized that this is my only job that I'll ever be able to accomplish ever again in my entire life.'" she smiles. Molly was promoted to associate food editor, later promoted to the rank of senior food editor . Molly used this time to refine her skills in the development of recipes over the following four years.

The transformation from foodie to food stylist to food editor was completed However there was still one more step on the way. "It wasn't in my plan to be an actor or to appear in videos," she continues. "The Bon Appetit YouTube channel was already present when I first began my journey, and it had already gained some fans, but it wasn't popular like we think of it today. In the few days after being hired and accepted the job, one of the team members was interested in knowing if I would like to make a video? Then I said"Oh the goodness. I'm not sure. I'm not an actor. I believed that I was an actor behind the scenes. And then I obviously f*cking was in love with the show."

Molly confesses that she was apprehensive about her first appearance photographed during the kitchen test. "I was thinking, "Can I feel shakes?' Then the video started to come out, and I thought"Wow it was enjoyable. I didn't intend to do this, but it is the Bon Appetit's strategy and I decided to go along into it." It was an organic progression to a foodie celebrity the task of "figuring out the specifics of what will mean to be Molly" was accomplished.

Cook This Book How to become an author

In the Bon Appetit restaurant Bon Appetit the editor from Clarkson Potter, part of Penguin Random House publishing group was contacted by Molly and demanded a meeting. "The aim is to send an email from an Penguin Random House email address," she remembers. "I suspected this was related to the cookbooks. I interpreted the encounter as an indication of the current times. A single thing led to another and then I received a book deal."

"It's very exciting to come up with a recipe checklist to create the cookbook." she says "Because you're simultaneously thinking about the dishes that are most revealing of myself and my world and also the dishes that other cooks would most likely create. What dishes are easily accessible? It's not about 'How hard can Molly be flexible in her cookbook and how easy is it to make?' It's more all about creating recipes that feel my own, yet don't seem overwhelming or intimidating and aren't suitable for everyday cooks. These meals are something I'd make at home, but it's not about having to be extravagant."

Molly clarifies: "75% of what I do is trying to become a novice brain chef. And I'll throw out everything I know about cooking, and treat it like it's only the second time that I've had to work in the kitchen. Molly has learned to feel what it's like to be the novice chef, as well as "to find yourself overwhelmed by foods that are on the counter front of your face". Molly says "My task as a recipe creator is to create order for these people with the intention of making it fun, and not an annoyance on the back."

"My biggest worry is that my generation, as well as my generation's younger siblings are going to have spent all their lives relying on food delivery apps like Caviar. And they'll wake up the next day with a six-month-old on their hip and a toddler on their lap, and a task to complete and don't know what to place on the counter, and maybe there's no pasta that has tomato sauce. They'll simply say, "F*ck it. I'm going to order from Caviar once more!. My goal in life is to prevent that situation from happening effectively."

I ask Molly what she is planning for a sequel novel. "I have to start working on it within three days of time!" she laughs. We ask her if she was offered another publication deal a few months ago by this same company. This book will serve as a follow-up upon the lessons learned in the book. Be on the lookout for.

Food that is fun, Caesar salad and Tuna the dog

One of the recipes is well-known by Cook This book includes Molly's Caesar salad. The self-professed 'Queen of Cae Sal' Molly smiles whenever she's asked her opinion on the salad. "I haven't thought of an answer to this!" she says "I believe it's simply one of the finest salads around the globe.. If I'm in an eatery when I see caesar salad listed in the menu, there's literally zero chance I'll purchase it. I've been enthralled by it throughout time; I've also talked about it often and have made the caesar salad frequently. The world is aware of that. It's a love affair for me!"

It could be that Caesar salad fits with Molly's belief that food must be fun. It's easy, simple and full of flavourthis is what food should be according to Molly. This attitude originates from her personal knowledge of professional cooking, and not simply eating food and having fun with it: "I've always found such satisfaction working in the kitchen working at restaurants. There were highs along with the adrenaline that comes from being in the forefront of the line, churning off service while thinking"F*ck yeah, we've done this'.

Molly is a cook who has enjoyed the joy in cooking, but also the stress that it can cause "I hate that I can't use a magic wand to make cooking enjoyable for all. If I tell you that cooking has been a blast for me, it's because I'm always trying to enjoy myself -and not only cooking food. If I ask my husband, "Do you wish to take a bowling trip tonight?' he'd answer no, and I'd say, "You don't would you like to be bored!" My job in this world is to make cooking more pleasurable for all people in all over the globe so that they're capable of experiencing that joy also.

Molly's love for food was not evident enough inside her kitchen, then her passion for food has infused it an integral part of her life. In her posts on Instagram, she has her own dog called Tuna. If you ask her if tuna is a boring choice to have as a food of choice, she declares: "I do not find tuna boring in the least! Tuna canned cans that were packed with water that we had when we were kids were dry and boring. The good canned tuna with oil in it, such as that you find in Portugal can be a delight. Its flavor is distinctive from the region, aren't you? !"

Molly and her husband Ben were on vacation in Portugal at the time the couple "conceived" to be Tuna. The pool was a popular spot for their honeymoon, rather than deciding to have a baby the couple decided to adopt a wiener puppy. "We had a lot of fish that was tinned and we believed that we were thinking of eating tuna. To this day we eat tuna at least four times in a week!" she concludes, exclaiming with laughter.

There's a feeling that, from Italy across the USA and then back to Portugal Molly's love of easy yummy, delicious and tasty food is stronger than ever before.

More information regarding Molly and the significance of "flipping customers"

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