In Bustle's Quick Questions, we asked female leaders for all their advice—from the best mentoring they've ever received to what they're still figuring out. Here, Molly Yeh, host of Food Network 's Girl Meets Farm , talks to Bustle about incorporating her Chinese-Jewish heritage into recipes, the best advice she's ever received, and staying creative in the kitchen .
While many of us were panic-buying beans, frozen vegetables, and canned tomatoes at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, cooking with quarantine foods is nothing new for best-selling cookbook author Molly Yeh. "I've been cooking in this kitchen-staple style for a long time because of the lack of access to the abundance of ingredients that people in cities and coastal areas have," said Ye, who moved to New York from Brooklyn. In 2013, a farm on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota.
Although her pantry is limited, Ye is passionate about creating unique recipes with impactful stories. "I didn't want to create recipes that you could easily Google," she tells Bustle. “So for me, that means creating something completely new, like a fusion dish that combines the flavors of my husband’s Norwegian heritage with my Chinese or Jewish heritage.”
Filmed on When Girl Meets the Farm Yeh, who is on holiday until August due to the coronavirus pandemic, is currently working on her third cookbook, Home Is Where The Eggs Are , due for release in fall 2022, and recreating her Dad’s recipe from childhood. "I often call my father and grandmother to commemorate many of these recipes," she said. “Thank you for technology, because even during quarantine, I can FaceTime my dad and ask for mapo tofu. I can call my husband’s family and ask them for Norwegian potato dumplings. There’s endless inspiration.”
View on Instagram
Below, Ms. Ye shares how she recharges her batteries, the hard-working mindset that motivates her, and the most challenging part of starting her award-winning food blog 11 years ago.
Is there anything else you would like to suggest?
MY: I have a 15-month-old daughter, Bernie, and every day with her is new and it's the most exciting and magical thing ever. But there are questions I always ask my mom—what to do when she doesn’t brush her teeth, how to raise her to make the world a better place, and what books to read to her. We just filled her library with books about diversity, black voices, and black stories. We bought a book about Harriet Tubman, a great book called Love Makes Families about all the different types of families.
How do you relax after a long day of shooting?
MY: I love reading – I read about five books at once. I've been working on the rom-com section of iBooks. I just bought Fair Play and I just read Twelve Recipes .
I also exercise every day, not too much, just manageable. I’m very focused on when I go to bed, when I wake up, and when I turn off my computer and phone so I can have an hour at the end of the day to watch TV and let my brain wind down. I try to eat as healthy as possible, but sometimes it's difficult when I have to test five cake recipes in a week. I balance it out with lots of green juices and salads.
Looking back, what was the most challenging part of launching your blog?
MY: The most challenging things for me have always been the nuts and bolts or business aspects. Like, how do you store thousands of raw files of cake photos on your computer without crashing your computer at the end of the day? What is search engine optimization? How to format photos? I have a lot of technical, internet and programming questions.
Farmers think in terms of generations. They're thinking, what can I do today to build this farm that will be successful for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? This hardworking mentality inspires me.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
MY: When my husband Nick and I started dating, Ke$ha’s “Die Young” was a huge hit and the vibe was “live fast, die young, go out and party tonight because no one knows what’s going to happen” next week . ” But Nick, a fifth-generation farmer, was one of the first people who said to me, “No, we’re going to live like we’re going to live to be 130.” Let's be like putting your future kids through college, let's save money and work hard on the weekends if that means pursuing your dreams and doing what you need to do to have a prosperous and happy future. "
Farmers think in terms of generations. They're thinking, what can I do today to build this farm that will be successful for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? This hardworking mentality inspires me.
Worst advice?
Me: If I ask someone for help with something that’s keeping me up at night, the worst they can say is, “Just let it go. No one is going to notice if the pie crust looks bad in this photo "But I will pay attention." You never want to lower your standards. Maybe you have to learn to pick your battles, but if something is really bothering you, it's important to work on it rather than letting it go away. It's important to create work to a standard that you're truly happy with.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
