March 28, 2024 • 36 mins
I had a chance encounter last fall with Half Baked Harvest creator Tieghan Gerard while she was in New York City. Starting in her early 20s, Teighan built a following amongst young social media users attracted to the rich, beautifully photographed comfort-food recipes she posts. She joined me on my podcast to talk about brand authenticity, weathering criticism, who owns a recipe, how to make pierogies and the best turkey method.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, I think, and this is something that you
have done beautifully, Like it's all about connecting with your
community exactly and really understanding and hearing them and listening
to them and giving them just more of what they want.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
So it's great.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Earlier this week, I attended the Council of Fashion Designers
of America Awards called the CFDA, and there I met
a young, very hard working creator of Half Baked Harvest,
the popular food blog and website, Tagan Gerard. We were
on the floor right, Yes, we were on the floor,
and we were on the floor where all the tables
(00:38):
were set for the four hundred and fifty guests. Everybody
buzzing around, looking at each other and taking photographs, and
I immediately recognized Teagan.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think she recognized me. I certainly did.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Having just read that big article in the New York Times.
I was so happy to see you in person and
to invite you because Tea lives in Colorado, in the
snowy mountains, and she's not always in New York and
not always.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Available to talk.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So I just thought it was opportune if you were
going to be around long enough to come in. So
we talked about building a business in the world of
food and media.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So welcome to my podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Well, thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, it's really a delight.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And I was not following you, by the way on Instagram,
but I knew about you, and everybody who works for
me follows you. And Tea has I think five point
six or five point four million followers on Instagram and many, many,
many more fans than that. And she writes a blog.
She has three gorgeous cookbooks published by my publisher, Clarkson Potter.
(01:48):
I've been publishing with Clarkson Potter since nineteen eighty two.
When did you write your first book?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It was twenty seventeen, I want to say, And yeah
they've been and you know, the first one wasn't as
popular as but they've gotten more popular, which is unheard
of for cookbooks.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
No, no, no, it's not because because you're in a
different time. Yeah, I mean you're in a different time.
You are in the time of social media, which you
understand extremely well obviously with your chiktoks and your and
your Instagrams and all the other fantastic social media that
you create. Books become more popular as you become more popular.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well really, really and truly.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And when I wrote my first book in nineteen eighty two,
there was no social media.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Someone said, you have what was like a hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I'm working on my hundredth book right now. I cannot.
This is for you a good inspiration. I hope.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
I'm working on my fourth and I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So it's hard. It's a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Those books are so much work.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Martha tell me about it.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We just finished the last day of photography on the
hundredth book last week.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Well that's the fun part.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We had two days and we had to do something
like twelve different recipes and difficult recipes, and boy, oh boy,
the days were like twelve hours and everybody was pretty
tired at the end of the two days. And it
was in my home kitchen, so it's like invasive. But
I love the people I'm working with so and the
(03:19):
pictures are utterly beautiful. So it's just a hundred of
my favorite recipes. Love that in celebration of a hundred
of creating one hundred books.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You're gonna like it. What's your deadline on the new one.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I'm up against it right now very much. It should
be in to be very honest with you.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
One is called one is the original just half Bay Tarvist,
and then we have half a Tarvist super simple, and
then half a Tarvist every day.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh so good.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, you know, I'm not a big like theme.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Just like to create recipes that people really like to
make and enjoy and eat.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So, you've had a success, a phenomenal success with Half
Baked Harvest, your brand and your work. Tell us a
little bit about where your company started and when and
where you're going.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah, so we are going on eleven years. I started
after I had just turned nineteen. I was kind of
in a place. I had graduated early from high school
with an associate's degree.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
What does associates mean?
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It means two.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Years of college basically.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So I took college courses through the local community college
while I was in high school for both high school
and college credit. Okay, I was not a big school girl.
I don't do well in a classroom setting. So I
really wanted to get through it. And I always said
I've always been a very creative person, really loved to
use my hands, like put things together, make things beautiful.
(04:44):
I always said I was going to go into fashion.
I wanted to be a stylist. That's really what I
wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, that's why you were at the CFDA Awards.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I felt very honored and lucky to get to be there.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Who's your favorite design?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yes, well I love Kate. I love anything and wearing
a Kate sweater right now.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
So keep going on your story. I want to. I
want Oh.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So, Yeah, I had moved to La. I was going
to go to school out there. I had been accepted
to the Fashion and Student Design and Merchandising.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
I got a job right away.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I was working the phones at Barbazon, acting, modeling and talent,
being a little call girl. And you know what La
three months in La and I was I said, no,
I La is not for me.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I can't do this. Definitely had a little bit the traffic.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Oh my god, the traffic, all of it. It's it's
it's at eighteen years old, it is. I wasn't ready
for it.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And you were by yourself.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
I was by myself.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Where were you living?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I was living in West Hollywood, so not not going.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
In your own apartment? Yeah, oh by yourself? Yeah, oh
that's pretty hard on an eighteen years.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Old Well, you know, especially for someone who this was
my first time away from home. So I was just
a deer in headlights basically. And so I came home
and I did the very expensive school to attend, you know,
very expensive the tuition. I didn't want to start and
then have a freak out and then not be able
to finish and then, you know, waste all that money.
I'm from a family of eight or I've ate eight
(06:06):
kids and one of eight kids, so you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
You have to include mom and dad. It's too much,
it's too much.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
But so I that is when I came home, and
I was, you know, feeling very lost, like what do
I do? And I Am not the type of person
that is going to sit and sit still.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
And it was really my mom.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I had started cooking for my family when I was
in probably like six or seventh grade. Uh really just
out of a necessity to get dinner on the table
at like more of a normal hour.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
We would eat at nine thirty.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Very late, right, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
My dad, you know, worked nine to five and then
he would go to the gym afterwards, and he was
the cook of the family, and my mom was the baker.
She just we would have talkative cookies ready to go
before dinner was a thought. So I started cooking, and
I just started, you know, like cooking the things that
we had in our house. And I just then when
I started, I never stopped. I loved to creative with
(07:01):
recipes in that way where because like I wasn't able
to drive myself to the grocery store, so I was
just using what we had in the refrigerator, what we
had in the pantry, which was not fancy ingredients by
any means.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And so I just never stopped and I.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Did it was your mom an organized homemaker. I mean,
eight kids is a lot of kids.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
My mom's incredible, but she's a she is a chaos
and she loves the chaos. She's incredible. She's very organized.
She did and she was so organized.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
How far I mean living up in the mountains, no.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
So I'm from Cleveland originally, So my mom was actually
very organized about her shopping. Her my dad would have
a date night every week and they would go to
our local grocery store. It was called Marks, and it
was like the discount grocery store, and they would get
everything for the week, all the staples, and my mom
would stock up, like she had backups for her backups,
(07:56):
so she never ran out of like her chocolate chips.
She's very important chocol chips. So she was very organized
in that way. But yeah, my mom, My mom loves
a full house. She really loves her kids to be
around her. She loves all of her family to be
around her.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And so in the lineup of eight, where are you
number four?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You're number four. I'm very in the middle, okay. And
the three older ones.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Are boys, and they are our age range is thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Eight years old to three. Oh wow, yes, my three
is the youngest.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Three is the youngest.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
My parents adopted a little guy about three years ago.
My parents got married at my mom was nineteen and
my dad was like twenty two, I think.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So they've been together for ever a long time, yes,
since my mom was sixteen.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So you're cooking now for the family.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And when did you get the bright idea that you
should start?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
The idea was my mother's bright ideas?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, she said, why don't you. My mom's a very
in the now type of woman. You know, she was
a very tech savvy back then, and this is back
in twenty twelve of like, you know, blogs were really
just becoming a thing. Instagram, believe it or not, wasn't
even a thing, right, Oh, no, it wasn't. No, it
wasn't a thing. Really, it was just getting going or
not to talk. Twitter was more of the thing and
(09:14):
was back then. So she was like, I had been
like reading a few food blogs, probably for like recipes,
like just to get some recipe inspiration, because food blogs
were kind of becoming.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Like I say, did she read my blog? I don't
know what I.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Read back then I read I did, Like I'm sure
that I did. I did, you know, like a little
bit of Rachel Ray and all the food, you know,
all the food and our people. So yeah, I did.
I did it all.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We're still doing our blog and you guys have an
incredible website. Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
And I love my blog because it's like a magazine
article every day and it really does involve what we
do each and every day on the farm. And and
yours is, uh, yours is like that too.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Though.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You're the way you the way you write is very
evocative and very personal, and people like that they like
to get into you lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah they do, and you have found that you have
found that out very nice.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
No, I think and this is something that you've done beautifully.
Like it's all about connecting with your community exactly and
really understanding and hearing them and listening to them and
giving them just more of what they want and making
them feel like you're your friend, and like I do,
I feel like I have a very large friend group online,
you know.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
So it's great. So who is your audience and what
is your reach?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, we have an incredible audience range where we actually have,
you know, an age range from say what, we have
lots of kids too that read the site, which is crazy,
and I have moms and dads that come up chain
and say, my my daughter watches your stories every single morning.
She just loves you and it's like it melts my heart.
But it's about like, you know, our it's like twenty
(10:48):
two to the biggest age range is that like twenty
two to like thirty six, realm, But we have eighteen
year olds, we have young college kids, you know, all
the way up to sixties seven. I mean, like we
just our age range is very large, but it's our
biggest demograph is probably that twenty two, twenty six to
thirty six year old young families. You know, people just
starting out, graduating college that type of right.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yeah, so what differentiates you from your other colleagues in
this in this area do you think?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
You know?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
I always there's a lot of food people out there.
There's a lot of food people out there.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I've always really approached everything with my own I like
my own twists. So I think something that I do
very unique is that, Yeah, recipes, you know, they can
all look very similar. There's only so much you can
do with you know this and that. But what I
love to do with recipes is take them and say, well,
what could what could be different about this? What can
I make that makes us feel really special or really delicious?
(11:43):
And I sort of do that in a visual way
because I'm unique in the fact that I not only
develop the recipe, but I style the recipe, and photograph
the recipe and now so much video content.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I do all the video content for it.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I do it all, and I look at it as
in a three sixty way like that. I actually start
with the visual piece because I am so visual.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I love to build a mood.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
I love to build the mood, and like with holiday recipes,
like we want to have a Papa collar, we want
them to be delicious. So maybe we're adding some pomegranates
to our salad or whatever. There's always something about my
recipes that, you know, there's like a Teagan specialness to it,
because I really love to make them look.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Beautiful, just as beautiful as they're going to taste.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
So I do that visually and by adding things like, yeah,
like a Papa pomegranate or Krispy pershudo.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
So talk about pomegranate for one second. How do you
extract the seeds from a pomegranate.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I've tried every trick in the book, So whacking it
on the back of the pomegranate doesn't work for me.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
With like the back of a wooden spoon. Have you
seen that one?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Oh that's my favorite? Really too? Oh yeah, oh it doesn't.
You have to cut the pomegranate correctly to make it work.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
How are you cutting yours?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Okay, So you take off just the very top, huh,
and you take off the very bottom, that funny little
thing that sticks out, Yeah, just out cutting through any seeds.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Just take that out.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Then with the tip of your knife, you score it
into quarters. Then you break the quarters apart, and then
you hold the cut side down the flesh and the
seeds in the palm of your hand, and then you
do take the back of a large wooden spoon over
a bowl and you keep pounding that quarter of the pomegranate.
(13:24):
Every single seed comes out perfect and perfectly.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Oh no, it works. It works. I'm going to do it.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
I'm going home and I'm going to do another video
because if you haven't seen.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
That, well I've seen it.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But they're doing it wrong. Some some some people cut
it wrong. If Martha says that if you cut it
into quarters, it really.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Works, yeah, I've seen it only done in half.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Oh yeah, see that's much harder. And you have little
tiny hands. Tegan bither Way is a slight girl, and
you know you have to have brute strength with a
if you take a half. No, no, I'm sure you're strong,
but but a half is hard. So that's why I
cut it into quarters, okay, and it really want.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
To give this a try because I just cut it.
I also cut it into quarters.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I caught it the same way you cut it, but
I just sit there and pop them all out. Sometimes
I'll put it in water, but why water.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
See I don't understand the water things save them from popping. O.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Mine never pop.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Well, I'm going to give your try.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And I eat it pomegranate a day during the season. Oh,
I just ate a pomegranate this morning. Oh it's so
full of antioxidants and potassium and all the good things
that one needs.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's so good for you.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
They're absolutely delicious.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Oh they are. They're so good.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I don't eat the seeds though, I just chew them
and then I spit the pulp out.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh. Interesting, Yeah, don't eat the seeds. You don't have to.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
That sounds like a pain.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No, it's so good, okay, And I once.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Done it, don't you just drink the pomegranate juice?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Then? Well, how am I going to get the juice? Well,
you can buy it at the grocery store. That's not
the same as eating a fresh pomegranate.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Well, I've never spit the seeds out. That sounds like
oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Oh, it's so much tastier just to to chew the
seeds and get all that delicious juice and then spit
out the seeds. And I get all my pomegranates from
palm wonderful.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Do you know palm? When people do, they are the
best they are.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
The best, and I love I love looking at Instagram
for hacks like how to how to get the seeds
out of there and that.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Actual are you on TikTok?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
You're on TikTok of course, someone TikTok talks about it
with the hacks.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
What's your favorite Instagram site besides your own. I'm not
a scroller. I don't scroll, no, no, but you must
have somebody that you like.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I I follow like my family. I follow Lauren Bossic,
She's getting be Confidential. I think that they are incredible
with their businesses. I love getting business. I love listening
to their podcasts. I think that she's amazing, and so
is Michael.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I love them. I follow on a podcasts.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I like Marry on a huge I think she's incredible
her and Summer Fridays. I don't know if you're familiar
with Summer Fridays, but incredible brands. I love following people
that have built their own brands and have also built
their own product. You know, we're really working on product
right now. So it's UH love to learn about business.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I really love to do good.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
That's that's that's that's the next step in building your brand. Yeah,
we have to get into the New York Times article,
which was was so fun. Yeah, and they published a
story by Julia Moskin, a big story about you, and
(16:28):
which really brought you probably even more followers.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
And did it you know, I don't, I don't quite
know it was. It was definitely, it's definitely being talked about.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
But for the most part, it was a flattering article
about your ability to attract people who are interested in food,
who are looking for everyday kinds of recipes. And then
she had her stuff to say. But I lived through that.
You'll come across that during your career and you just
have to, you know, just kind of ignore.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
It, honestly what I do good. It was very disappointing
that a New York Times.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Journal did she come to interview you. She came into
my home.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
It's been a long process for that article. I had
a two hour meeting with her in December, and she
came into my home in September and did more of
an interview and then the article came out. It was
a little bit and that long very surprising that a
New York Times journalists would be quoting Reddit. Don't see
that as very professional at all. But you know, like
(17:34):
you said, it's.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
It's definitely highlighted the business.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
And I think a lot of people have seen the
negativity that was said and how it was very unfairly
said and a little childish so and not something you
would think of a New York Times journalist.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
You know what New York Times should be crediting Reddit.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Let's be honest.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
You know, everybody is looking for readers, and everybody is
looking for a sensation, and everybody is looking for the edge.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
The title was very like it was clickbait.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
I don't even remember it was.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Half baked tarvist and controversyal oh, oh, so it was.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
It was very much clickbait.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Well that didn't That didn't make me read it. What
made me read it was it was about a young
woman who's entrepreneurial and really being very successful in the
food world.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Well, thank you. I have a lot of people that
I've been lucky enough to meet and connect with. But
you know what, I'm not upset that I did it.
I think it highlights, like you said, it highlights a business.
I'm you know, maybe I wouldn't be here talking to
you today. I don't know, and I think that you know,
a lot of people have seen overnight success with TikTok
and things like that, and it's been eleven years.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So slow study builds.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
No, No, it really has, and it's been and you
worked very hard obviously, so you like I have never
had formal culinary training.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
No, And I think that's been something that has been
to my favor because I just do not look at
things with a set of rules.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I just do what.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Sounds delicious to me, what I think will look pretty,
what I think my audience will really enjoy. I'm not
afraid to pair cheese with fish. You know all of
the things.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, that's good. And so you've developed your own personal
style and that's sort of what I did too. I
never I never had a cooking listen, but I read
a lot, and I'm sure you do, and I do
you read a lot?
Speaker 1 (19:18):
I actually don't read a lot, but I have. I
am a podcast girl, and I love to listen to
podcasts because reading is something that I'm very slow at
and it's very tricky for me and I lose my concentration.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
But which podcasts are you listening to about food?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I don't listen tocast, So you don't, Okay, No, I
listened to like business podcasts.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Okay, well that's good. Yeah, you learn a lot. So
what's your process for developing a new recipe?
Speaker 4 (19:44):
So I kind of, like I said, I sort of
work backwards.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I kind of start with, for instance, like easy Thanksgiving
entertaining recipes. So I know people need ease, and I
know people want to look beautiful, and I know they
probably want to make it ahead, So I kind of
start with that and how wait, you know what recipes
are great for that? And then I think about, well,
how can I make that baked bree a little bit
different and a little bit more pretty and something that's exciting,
(20:08):
like a fresher way to serve it, you know, so
tell me, So can I do it with like Christy
pershuddo wrapped in Christie pershudo? A lot of people will
do bacon, but like I'm very into using prosudo right now.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Do you where do you get your pershutto whole foods?
Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
We don't have specialty grocery stores where I am So's.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Whole, So you're using grocery store ingreedy absolutely, and all
your recipes all so it's very accessible.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Very accessible, which I think has been really really helpful
for people. And I always like to give substitutions. If
they don't use red wine within their cooking, try using
pomegranate juice. You know, there's a lot of that now,
especially with alcohol, people not using it.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
But you're not a vegetarian.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
No, no, okay, we're we're in a red meat face.
I'm excited about cooking with more red meat. My brothers
are very happy about that.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Oh oh can I can I say? You're about your
one brother?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Is it red? Oh? Redmand Of course, Redman is to talk.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
About Olympic snowboarder gold medalistes and what year was that?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It was the Korea, South Korea. One excited, The whole
family went right there.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Yes it was, it was.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
He was like eighteen or seventeen at the time, so
he was a little little thing, but he's a very
talented snowboarder.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
And yeah, he took home gold that year.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Oh boy, it's so amazing. Yes, I'm friends with Sean White.
He's he's such an incredible athlete and I had him
on my show a long time ago when he was
at the height.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Of his Shawn's done incredible.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Oh and now he has a wonderful business with snowboards
and snowboarding clothing.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I know, and he's an incredible entrepreneur.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I always tell Red you need to go you need
to follow Seawan's route because he's doing it right. He
is building a business and.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Staying in shape and being an educator too to the youth.
To the youth, yes, who love to get out on
those slopes. Yeah, are you a scarer?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I can get down that hill on a snowboard, yes,
But I am nothing like Red.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Oh so no, No, you're all snowboarders in the family.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
All snowboard We all started on skis. The first four
started on skis, and then after that I was snowboarding straight.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
So my grandchildren I have two, eleven and twelve, they
are skiers, okay, and they are going to Hokkaido to ski.
They can't wait because they love Japanese food and they
think that they're going to have a great time in Hokkaido.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Oh, Japan is Red's favorite place.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
He's so I'm sure he's skied where they're going to
be skiing.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
And I went.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I went to Nagano for the Olympics. Yeah, for the
Winter Olympics.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
That was incrediblext ones are in Milan, so I'm like, read,
you better make it to that one.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Okay, you want to go to Milan. Oh, yes, it's
going to be beautiful. Yes, yeah. What are those on the cover?
It's a parogi. I love a part. Are you Polish
in any way?
Speaker 1 (22:50):
No, but I'm from Cleveland, so it's a large there's
a large Polish community.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Polish.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
And one of my favorite hundred recipes is my mother's
potato pirogi.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The potato perrogi is my face?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Is this potato?
Speaker 4 (23:02):
This is sweet potato?
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Oh, sweet potato. Okay, So you've changed the.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Rest of a little bit, switched it up a little bit,
which and it's so delicious.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
What's the dough?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I do Greek yogurt? I think sour cream is traditional.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
The dough is so simple, It's like it's like Greek yogurt,
A couple cups of flour and maybe an egg, I think,
and then like a pinch of salt. E mix it
all together, and that you want to sit thirty minutes,
soft and fluffy.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Yeah, you want to sit thirty minutes? And how do
you make it?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I'm going to I'm going to Cary. I'm going to
check yours out. Hope you enjoy.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Try the sweet potato filling one time.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
I will. I like it. I like cabbage, not sour krout.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
So I've never done that, Like I grew up my
phone unfortunately, just grew up with missus Tea's. But my favorite,
my favorite or the potato Cheddara.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
My mom and I would do it after school all
the time.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah, I like the sweet cabbage. So you steam the cabbage,
then you have to squeeze all the moisture out of
the cabbage, and then you have to grind the cabbage
and mix it with cream, cheese and butter and pepper.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Well, I love cheese, butter and pepper.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
You would love that filling. It's not easy, but it is.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Like Brussels routes instead of the cabin I don't know,
is that too, because I always think of cabbage is
similar to.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
A Brussels bra They're all of the same family.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
But traditional meat I thought you do, I thought you.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Do is generally either like sauer kraut potato, or you
could do meat. We've never want to meet. We have
never made meat, not in our family. But but it
was the potato meat too. I love it and it's
it's so good. I like a reheated and butter just
in a pan. Oh yeah yeah, but you boil them.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Right yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
So a lot of times like they'll just make a
huge batch.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And it's my brother's favorite when I make homemade progy and.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
I everybody wants to be at my house when because.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
You know it's consuming, it's is it is?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So you post recipes pretty much daily. Would you do today?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
You know what? Actually?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Today is a round up of all of our Thanksgiving recipes?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Oh yea, So, how are you roasting your turkey this year? Okay?
Speaker 1 (25:08):
So I have this is what I want to get you. Well,
I know I'm afraid. Have you ever roasted your turkey
with cheese closs soaked in butter?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I think we invented that recipe. I think that's the
Martha Stewart and my positive that no darling, okay, no,
that's been in that's been in our magazine. It's called
roast turkey one oh one. Okay, well, so and white wine,
white wine and butter.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
I do chicken broth, but white wine may be so
much better.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Always try it with white wine and butter, and the
cheese cloth is draped over the roast the bird.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And then secret what it's I think it's a secret
to making a perfect Oh.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
No, I have a new one this year, boy, I
have a new one, even better and easier.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Oh what is it? Nothing's easier than this easier. It's
a parchment wrap turkey.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
You butter the whole bird after you stuff it, butter
it with soft butter all over.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Well I do, Oh, I love, I love stuffing cooked
in the bird.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
It cooks unevenly.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Oh no, it cooks perfectly.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
And then you wrap the bird in big sheets aparchment.
But you have to find the big sheets of parchments. Sure,
and staple shut. Staple it shut, okay.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And roast it.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
In two hours the bird is almost perfectly cooked. This
is for like a fourteen pound bird. Two hours, two
hours and a half. Uncover it. Then the skin crisps
like a peking duck. All right, well, no basting.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I don't base my turkey either. Well no, and then
cheese goth. You have to baste it all the time.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I didn't base when it works perfect?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Oh no, you still have to you should basee it. It's
even better.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
How much butter. Do you soak yours in?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Well? You use usually if the if.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
The cheese clu is probably probably about maybe four or
five sticks of butter.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh my god, and a whole bottle of wine.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Wow, I'm only doing a stick of butter.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I need to your recipes, look up, look up my recipes,
and maybe I need to try the parchment.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
What are your sides for Thanksgiving? I want to hear
the side.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I love a traditional Thanksgiving, but like I do crispy
stacked potatoes.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
I think this year I did.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I saw that recipe so good, so I haven't tasted.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
I love to do a croissant stuffing. I think it's
really on me to like switch up the bread.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This year.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I'm doing a wild rice and kale casserole dish with
like caramelized onions.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Onto I sound cristy. That sounds good.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
I'm going to do some scallop sweet potatoes always rolls.
We're going to do popovers. And because the popovers are
my mom's say, very good. So what do you cook
them in? I could them in and pop over pants over?
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Yeah, I have a metal like a metal one.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I saw them cooked in coffee mugs recently I've done
that too.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
And they look so good. I've never done that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Sometimes you got to improvise and use what you got,
you know, And I'm.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
A queen of that and what kind of pies.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
So I am not the biggest pie girl. I'm not
the biggest pumpkin pie. I don't really enjoy pumpkin pie,
and neither is my family.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Try my pumpkin filo. Okay, oh, I saw that in
your magazine. It gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
It is so good. You just made that for my
hundred favorite recipes.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I remember when that came out.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
No, no, it's it's an old recipe, but I remember
one of my favorite beautiful Yeah, it has star annis
and I love five spice in the pumpkin.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
You'll notice in a lot of my photos you'll see
a star. I say star a niece. Oh well, I
can't pronounce.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
So you have you're going to have a nice Thanksgiving.
It sounds delicious. Are you going to be home with
your family? I'm actually cooking for everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Yeah, photograph it? Can you post it? Well? I mean
it's like you don't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
You don't know that, So, like I already posted my
Thanksgiving many on the.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Site right now.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Okay, I will look for it.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I don't think it's as fancy as yours is going
to be.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
So how do you balance your authenticity while following social
media trends?
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I think you'll notice about my rescues. I don't really
follow a ton of trends. I just kind of do
what's exciting me at the moment. I'm not a trend girl.
They come and they go in a lot of the
I've seen so many trends with TikTok and I'm like,
that doesn't even make sense.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Have you ever have you ever watched Foody China eight
eight eight? I don't think so. Do you ever cook
Chinese food? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Oh, watch Foody China eight eight eight? Okay it is.
It's my favorite favorite Instagram Okay. And it's funny because
he says, you now take some water from the Mississippi
River and has he is a funny, little sticky But
the food is delicious and uh and it's this guy.
I've been trying to reach him to do the podcast
(29:51):
with me and I can't find what is it Foody
China eight eight eight? I don't know, but it's like yours.
Yours is fun too. It's fun to watch. It's fun
to watch people.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Put a lot of pressure around cooking and it just
it doesn't need to be that way.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
How did it work in the beginning? How frequently did
you publish a recipe?
Speaker 1 (30:11):
So I think that's something that's been really key for
building the business is our consistency. I from day one,
for whatever reason, prioritize consistency, and I posted every single day.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
I was very consistent.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Everyone knew I was going to give them a new recipe,
and I continued that and I still continue that today.
So I think it's really been keeping up that consistency
in building the trust and the loyalty with the community.
And like I said, these people really do feel like
my friends, and I love to be able to help
them get dinner on the table. And during COVID, I
(30:44):
saw so many incredible messages I'm sure you did too,
of how my recipes have helped their families.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You know. Oh, no, it's really nice to get the feedback.
It really is so nice when it's nice feedback.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Did your following grow gradually or did you did you graduate?
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Well? Yeah, there wasn't ever like a celebrity shout out
or a talk show or a Martha Stewart mentioned like
that wasn't really I was very slow and steady, which
I think is also really key because our community is
very loyal. I think it's why our email subscription list
is strong. I think it's why our numbers are strong because.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
And what are you doing with your email list?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
We send out a newsletter.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Well, you can sign up for however many you want,
but we send out a newsletter every single day with
the new recipe. We send out a Sunday newsletter that
is like a recap of everything, and it includes some
of my Sunday favorites that I share.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
You know, it's what you opt in for.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Well, it's like a magazine subscription. You're doing a very
nice thing. Without magazines around any longer, they're just they're
just going away quickly. It's nice to have a newsletter
like that.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, and I think people are enjoying being off of
social media a little bit more and kind of viewing
the content that they really want to be Anyways.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Yes, so when you started out, you were working by yourself,
and now you are you actually have a real organization.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Well, it was always my mom and I so it
was my mom that encouraged me to start the website,
and from day one, she built the back end of
the website and she still does the back end of
the website. So she manages all the advertisements on the
website and you know, like the nitty gritty things that
I would never want to deal with.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Who's your biggest advertiser?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Oh, I mean, we work with an advertisement company that
puts the ads on.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
We work with this company.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Called ad Thrive. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
It's really the reason that's allowed me to not have
to work with brands, which I love, because when you're
working with brands in a way where they're paying you
and it's sponsored content, you're not able to have control
over what you're really sharing.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It makes it really difficult.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
So I like to support the brands that I really enjoy,
and I like to do it in an organic way,
and I don't really like.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
To be paid for it. Yeah, that's basically. I want
to do it with the people I like. I'm only
sharing I use.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And I think that's also to another point. Why the
things that I recommend they sell, and because I don't
recommend things that I don't enjoy and don't use.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
So what's your relationship with Amazon.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
We love Amazon.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
My mom used to be called Amazon Jen because she
would order from Amazon so consistently.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I have a friend called Holly. Her name is Holly.
Her nickname is Holly Overnightly instead of Holly go lightly the.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Queen of an overnight ship. I love an overnight shipping.
My relationship with Amazon is great. They're incredible. They're really close.
They've been especially incredible to work with this last year.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
What do you do with them?
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I honestly, I don't do any sponsor content with them.
I really just work with them through affiliate links, which
I guess is sponsored in a way.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Yeah, we're talking more right now about.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Bigger picture things that how we can work together.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
But I've been doing a lot with Amazon Fashion, which
is exciting and trying to integrate the worlds of fashion
and food.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
So you now have a team of six working with you, Yes,
and they are very supportive and they work how many
days a week?
Speaker 1 (34:00):
See that is the thing with owning your own business,
and especially a business and social media that is so
social media focused.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
It's really a seven day.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Work week, and they don't mind.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
We have rotating days. So but if something is needed
on a Saturday. They're not saying no, you know good.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
I think it is. That's how I feel.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Yeah, thank you. I think it's important if you're passionate
about the business and.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Health, and a creative business like yours or mine really
requires at least.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
They Yeah, the whole Thursday is a new Friday thing.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I don't know about that one. Guys. Yeah, and here
we are on Friday working, aren't we.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Yes, we are, Yes, we are. I'm happy to.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Be doing it. So your family is so supportive. What's
next for your brand?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Oh, my gosh, so much. We're so excited. We have
another cookbook coming that is very exciting. People love to
enjoy the cookbooks. Product is a really large focus. I
really want to be able to provide people. Honestly, it's
a beautiful model what you've created and you you've been
able to be in so many different realms under the
home housees. I love that you've touched on fashion. I
(35:06):
love that you have tabletop. Tabletop is really where I
want to go next, because the community is constantly asking me.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Where did you get that plate? Where did you get
that dish?
Speaker 2 (35:14):
You know, they want they want to know everything.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
I'd really love to be able to create that product
with them.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
It's a very hard thing to do.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Good luck with all of that. That's so great.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Excited, So Tigan, this has been a great pleasure to
talk to you.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
You are vivacious as I expected it. Thank you and
thank you for joining me on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You can follow at half Baked Harvest on Instagram, on TikTok,
and on her website half baked dot com.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Thank you again, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Thank you for having me. This was amazing.
You know, I think, and this is something that you
have done beautifully, Like it's all about connecting with your
community exactly and really understanding and hearing them and listening
to them and giving them just more of what they want.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
So it's great.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Earlier this week, I attended the Council of Fashion Designers
of America Awards called the CFDA, and there I met
a young, very hard working creator of Half Baked Harvest,
the popular food blog and website, Tagan Gerard. We were
on the floor right, Yes, we were on the floor,
and we were on the floor where all the tables
(00:38):
were set for the four hundred and fifty guests. Everybody
buzzing around, looking at each other and taking photographs, and
I immediately recognized Teagan.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think she recognized me. I certainly did.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Having just read that big article in the New York Times.
I was so happy to see you in person and
to invite you because Tea lives in Colorado, in the
snowy mountains, and she's not always in New York and
not always.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Available to talk.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So I just thought it was opportune if you were
going to be around long enough to come in. So
we talked about building a business in the world of
food and media.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So welcome to my podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Well, thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, it's really a delight.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And I was not following you, by the way on Instagram,
but I knew about you, and everybody who works for
me follows you. And Tea has I think five point
six or five point four million followers on Instagram and many, many,
many more fans than that. And she writes a blog.
She has three gorgeous cookbooks published by my publisher, Clarkson Potter.
(01:48):
I've been publishing with Clarkson Potter since nineteen eighty two.
When did you write your first book?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It was twenty seventeen, I want to say, And yeah
they've been and you know, the first one wasn't as
popular as but they've gotten more popular, which is unheard
of for cookbooks.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
No, no, no, it's not because because you're in a
different time. Yeah, I mean you're in a different time.
You are in the time of social media, which you
understand extremely well obviously with your chiktoks and your and
your Instagrams and all the other fantastic social media that
you create. Books become more popular as you become more popular.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well really, really and truly.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And when I wrote my first book in nineteen eighty two,
there was no social media.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Someone said, you have what was like a hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I'm working on my hundredth book right now. I cannot.
This is for you a good inspiration. I hope.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
I'm working on my fourth and I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So it's hard. It's a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Those books are so much work.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Martha tell me about it.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We just finished the last day of photography on the
hundredth book last week.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Well that's the fun part.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We had two days and we had to do something
like twelve different recipes and difficult recipes, and boy, oh boy,
the days were like twelve hours and everybody was pretty
tired at the end of the two days. And it
was in my home kitchen, so it's like invasive. But
I love the people I'm working with so and the
(03:19):
pictures are utterly beautiful. So it's just a hundred of
my favorite recipes. Love that in celebration of a hundred
of creating one hundred books.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
You're gonna like it. What's your deadline on the new one.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I'm up against it right now very much. It should
be in to be very honest with you.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
One is called one is the original just half Bay Tarvist,
and then we have half a Tarvist super simple, and
then half a Tarvist every day.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh so good.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, you know, I'm not a big like theme.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Just like to create recipes that people really like to
make and enjoy and eat.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So, you've had a success, a phenomenal success with Half
Baked Harvest, your brand and your work. Tell us a
little bit about where your company started and when and
where you're going.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah, so we are going on eleven years. I started
after I had just turned nineteen. I was kind of
in a place. I had graduated early from high school
with an associate's degree.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
What does associates mean?
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It means two.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Years of college basically.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So I took college courses through the local community college
while I was in high school for both high school
and college credit. Okay, I was not a big school girl.
I don't do well in a classroom setting. So I
really wanted to get through it. And I always said
I've always been a very creative person, really loved to
use my hands, like put things together, make things beautiful.
(04:44):
I always said I was going to go into fashion.
I wanted to be a stylist. That's really what I
wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, that's why you were at the CFDA Awards.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I felt very honored and lucky to get to be there.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Who's your favorite design?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yes, well I love Kate. I love anything and wearing
a Kate sweater right now.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
So keep going on your story. I want to. I
want Oh.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So, Yeah, I had moved to La. I was going
to go to school out there. I had been accepted
to the Fashion and Student Design and Merchandising.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
I got a job right away.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I was working the phones at Barbazon, acting, modeling and talent,
being a little call girl. And you know what La
three months in La and I was I said, no,
I La is not for me.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I can't do this. Definitely had a little bit the traffic.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Oh my god, the traffic, all of it. It's it's
it's at eighteen years old, it is. I wasn't ready
for it.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And you were by yourself.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
I was by myself.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Where were you living?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I was living in West Hollywood, so not not going.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
In your own apartment? Yeah, oh by yourself? Yeah, oh
that's pretty hard on an eighteen years.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Old Well, you know, especially for someone who this was
my first time away from home. So I was just
a deer in headlights basically. And so I came home
and I did the very expensive school to attend, you know,
very expensive the tuition. I didn't want to start and
then have a freak out and then not be able
to finish and then, you know, waste all that money.
I'm from a family of eight or I've ate eight
(06:06):
kids and one of eight kids, so you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
You have to include mom and dad. It's too much,
it's too much.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
But so I that is when I came home, and
I was, you know, feeling very lost, like what do
I do? And I Am not the type of person
that is going to sit and sit still.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
And it was really my mom.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
I had started cooking for my family when I was
in probably like six or seventh grade. Uh really just
out of a necessity to get dinner on the table
at like more of a normal hour.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
We would eat at nine thirty.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Very late, right, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
My dad, you know, worked nine to five and then
he would go to the gym afterwards, and he was
the cook of the family, and my mom was the baker.
She just we would have talkative cookies ready to go
before dinner was a thought. So I started cooking, and
I just started, you know, like cooking the things that
we had in our house. And I just then when
I started, I never stopped. I loved to creative with
(07:01):
recipes in that way where because like I wasn't able
to drive myself to the grocery store, so I was
just using what we had in the refrigerator, what we
had in the pantry, which was not fancy ingredients by
any means.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And so I just never stopped and I.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Did it was your mom an organized homemaker. I mean,
eight kids is a lot of kids.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
My mom's incredible, but she's a she is a chaos
and she loves the chaos. She's incredible. She's very organized.
She did and she was so organized.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
How far I mean living up in the mountains, no.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
So I'm from Cleveland originally, So my mom was actually
very organized about her shopping. Her my dad would have
a date night every week and they would go to
our local grocery store. It was called Marks, and it
was like the discount grocery store, and they would get
everything for the week, all the staples, and my mom
would stock up, like she had backups for her backups,
(07:56):
so she never ran out of like her chocolate chips.
She's very important chocol chips. So she was very organized
in that way. But yeah, my mom, My mom loves
a full house. She really loves her kids to be
around her. She loves all of her family to be
around her.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And so in the lineup of eight, where are you
number four?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You're number four. I'm very in the middle, okay. And
the three older ones.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Are boys, and they are our age range is thirty.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Eight years old to three. Oh wow, yes, my three
is the youngest.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Three is the youngest.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
My parents adopted a little guy about three years ago.
My parents got married at my mom was nineteen and
my dad was like twenty two, I think.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So they've been together for ever a long time, yes,
since my mom was sixteen.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So you're cooking now for the family.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And when did you get the bright idea that you
should start?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
The idea was my mother's bright ideas?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, she said, why don't you. My mom's a very
in the now type of woman. You know, she was
a very tech savvy back then, and this is back
in twenty twelve of like, you know, blogs were really
just becoming a thing. Instagram, believe it or not, wasn't
even a thing, right, Oh, no, it wasn't. No, it
wasn't a thing. Really, it was just getting going or
not to talk. Twitter was more of the thing and
(09:14):
was back then. So she was like, I had been
like reading a few food blogs, probably for like recipes,
like just to get some recipe inspiration, because food blogs
were kind of becoming.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Like I say, did she read my blog? I don't
know what I.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Read back then I read I did, Like I'm sure
that I did. I did, you know, like a little
bit of Rachel Ray and all the food, you know,
all the food and our people. So yeah, I did.
I did it all.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We're still doing our blog and you guys have an
incredible website. Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
And I love my blog because it's like a magazine
article every day and it really does involve what we
do each and every day on the farm. And and
yours is, uh, yours is like that too.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Though.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You're the way you the way you write is very
evocative and very personal, and people like that they like
to get into you lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah they do, and you have found that you have
found that out very nice.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
No, I think and this is something that you've done beautifully.
Like it's all about connecting with your community exactly and
really understanding and hearing them and listening to them and
giving them just more of what they want and making
them feel like you're your friend, and like I do,
I feel like I have a very large friend group online,
you know.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
So it's great. So who is your audience and what
is your reach?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, we have an incredible audience range where we actually have,
you know, an age range from say what, we have
lots of kids too that read the site, which is crazy,
and I have moms and dads that come up chain
and say, my my daughter watches your stories every single morning.
She just loves you and it's like it melts my heart.
But it's about like, you know, our it's like twenty
(10:48):
two to the biggest age range is that like twenty
two to like thirty six, realm, But we have eighteen
year olds, we have young college kids, you know, all
the way up to sixties seven. I mean, like we
just our age range is very large, but it's our
biggest demograph is probably that twenty two, twenty six to
thirty six year old young families. You know, people just
starting out, graduating college that type of right.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yeah, so what differentiates you from your other colleagues in
this in this area do you think?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
You know?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
I always there's a lot of food people out there.
There's a lot of food people out there.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I've always really approached everything with my own I like
my own twists. So I think something that I do
very unique is that, Yeah, recipes, you know, they can
all look very similar. There's only so much you can
do with you know this and that. But what I
love to do with recipes is take them and say, well,
what could what could be different about this? What can
I make that makes us feel really special or really delicious?
(11:43):
And I sort of do that in a visual way
because I'm unique in the fact that I not only
develop the recipe, but I style the recipe, and photograph
the recipe and now so much video content.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I do all the video content for it.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I do it all, and I look at it as
in a three sixty way like that. I actually start
with the visual piece because I am so visual.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I love to build a mood.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
I love to build the mood, and like with holiday recipes,
like we want to have a Papa collar, we want
them to be delicious. So maybe we're adding some pomegranates
to our salad or whatever. There's always something about my
recipes that, you know, there's like a Teagan specialness to it,
because I really love to make them look.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Beautiful, just as beautiful as they're going to taste.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
So I do that visually and by adding things like, yeah,
like a Papa pomegranate or Krispy pershudo.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
So talk about pomegranate for one second. How do you
extract the seeds from a pomegranate.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I've tried every trick in the book, So whacking it
on the back of the pomegranate doesn't work for me.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
With like the back of a wooden spoon. Have you
seen that one?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Oh that's my favorite? Really too? Oh yeah, oh it doesn't.
You have to cut the pomegranate correctly to make it work.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
How are you cutting yours?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Okay, So you take off just the very top, huh,
and you take off the very bottom, that funny little
thing that sticks out, Yeah, just out cutting through any seeds.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Just take that out.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Then with the tip of your knife, you score it
into quarters. Then you break the quarters apart, and then
you hold the cut side down the flesh and the
seeds in the palm of your hand, and then you
do take the back of a large wooden spoon over
a bowl and you keep pounding that quarter of the pomegranate.
(13:24):
Every single seed comes out perfect and perfectly.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Oh no, it works. It works. I'm going to do it.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
I'm going home and I'm going to do another video
because if you haven't seen.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
That, well I've seen it.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But they're doing it wrong. Some some some people cut
it wrong. If Martha says that if you cut it
into quarters, it really.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Works, yeah, I've seen it only done in half.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Oh yeah, see that's much harder. And you have little
tiny hands. Tegan bither Way is a slight girl, and
you know you have to have brute strength with a
if you take a half. No, no, I'm sure you're strong,
but but a half is hard. So that's why I
cut it into quarters, okay, and it really want.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
To give this a try because I just cut it.
I also cut it into quarters.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I caught it the same way you cut it, but
I just sit there and pop them all out. Sometimes
I'll put it in water, but why water.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
See I don't understand the water things save them from popping. O.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Mine never pop.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Well, I'm going to give your try.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And I eat it pomegranate a day during the season. Oh,
I just ate a pomegranate this morning. Oh it's so
full of antioxidants and potassium and all the good things
that one needs.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's so good for you.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
They're absolutely delicious.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Oh they are. They're so good.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I don't eat the seeds though, I just chew them
and then I spit the pulp out.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh. Interesting, Yeah, don't eat the seeds. You don't have to.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
That sounds like a pain.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No, it's so good, okay, And I once.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Done it, don't you just drink the pomegranate juice?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Then? Well, how am I going to get the juice? Well,
you can buy it at the grocery store. That's not
the same as eating a fresh pomegranate.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Well, I've never spit the seeds out. That sounds like
oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Oh, it's so much tastier just to to chew the
seeds and get all that delicious juice and then spit
out the seeds. And I get all my pomegranates from
palm wonderful.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Do you know palm? When people do, they are the
best they are.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
The best, and I love I love looking at Instagram
for hacks like how to how to get the seeds
out of there and that.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Actual are you on TikTok?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
You're on TikTok of course, someone TikTok talks about it
with the hacks.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
What's your favorite Instagram site besides your own. I'm not
a scroller. I don't scroll, no, no, but you must
have somebody that you like.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I I follow like my family. I follow Lauren Bossic,
She's getting be Confidential. I think that they are incredible
with their businesses. I love getting business. I love listening
to their podcasts. I think that she's amazing, and so
is Michael.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I love them. I follow on a podcasts.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I like Marry on a huge I think she's incredible
her and Summer Fridays. I don't know if you're familiar
with Summer Fridays, but incredible brands. I love following people
that have built their own brands and have also built
their own product. You know, we're really working on product
right now. So it's UH love to learn about business.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I really love to do good.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
That's that's that's that's the next step in building your brand. Yeah,
we have to get into the New York Times article,
which was was so fun. Yeah, and they published a
story by Julia Moskin, a big story about you, and
(16:28):
which really brought you probably even more followers.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
And did it you know, I don't, I don't quite
know it was. It was definitely, it's definitely being talked about.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
But for the most part, it was a flattering article
about your ability to attract people who are interested in food,
who are looking for everyday kinds of recipes. And then
she had her stuff to say. But I lived through that.
You'll come across that during your career and you just
have to, you know, just kind of ignore.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
It, honestly what I do good. It was very disappointing
that a New York Times.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Journal did she come to interview you. She came into
my home.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
It's been a long process for that article. I had
a two hour meeting with her in December, and she
came into my home in September and did more of
an interview and then the article came out. It was
a little bit and that long very surprising that a
New York Times journalists would be quoting Reddit. Don't see
that as very professional at all. But you know, like
(17:34):
you said, it's.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
It's definitely highlighted the business.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
And I think a lot of people have seen the
negativity that was said and how it was very unfairly
said and a little childish so and not something you
would think of a New York Times journalist.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
You know what New York Times should be crediting Reddit.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Let's be honest.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
You know, everybody is looking for readers, and everybody is
looking for a sensation, and everybody is looking for the edge.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
The title was very like it was clickbait.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
I don't even remember it was.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Half baked tarvist and controversyal oh, oh, so it was.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
It was very much clickbait.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Well that didn't That didn't make me read it. What
made me read it was it was about a young
woman who's entrepreneurial and really being very successful in the
food world.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Well, thank you. I have a lot of people that
I've been lucky enough to meet and connect with. But
you know what, I'm not upset that I did it.
I think it highlights, like you said, it highlights a business.
I'm you know, maybe I wouldn't be here talking to
you today. I don't know, and I think that you know,
a lot of people have seen overnight success with TikTok
and things like that, and it's been eleven years.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So slow study builds.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
No, No, it really has, and it's been and you
worked very hard obviously, so you like I have never
had formal culinary training.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
No, And I think that's been something that has been
to my favor because I just do not look at
things with a set of rules.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I just do what.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Sounds delicious to me, what I think will look pretty,
what I think my audience will really enjoy. I'm not
afraid to pair cheese with fish. You know all of
the things.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, that's good. And so you've developed your own personal
style and that's sort of what I did too. I
never I never had a cooking listen, but I read
a lot, and I'm sure you do, and I do
you read a lot?
Speaker 1 (19:18):
I actually don't read a lot, but I have. I
am a podcast girl, and I love to listen to
podcasts because reading is something that I'm very slow at
and it's very tricky for me and I lose my concentration.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
But which podcasts are you listening to about food?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I don't listen tocast, So you don't, Okay, No, I
listened to like business podcasts.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Okay, well that's good. Yeah, you learn a lot. So
what's your process for developing a new recipe?
Speaker 4 (19:44):
So I kind of, like I said, I sort of
work backwards.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I kind of start with, for instance, like easy Thanksgiving
entertaining recipes. So I know people need ease, and I
know people want to look beautiful, and I know they
probably want to make it ahead, So I kind of
start with that and how wait, you know what recipes
are great for that? And then I think about, well,
how can I make that baked bree a little bit
different and a little bit more pretty and something that's exciting,
(20:08):
like a fresher way to serve it, you know, so
tell me, So can I do it with like Christy
pershuddo wrapped in Christie pershudo? A lot of people will
do bacon, but like I'm very into using prosudo right now.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Do you where do you get your pershutto whole foods?
Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
We don't have specialty grocery stores where I am So's.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Whole, So you're using grocery store ingreedy absolutely, and all
your recipes all so it's very accessible.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Very accessible, which I think has been really really helpful
for people. And I always like to give substitutions. If
they don't use red wine within their cooking, try using
pomegranate juice. You know, there's a lot of that now,
especially with alcohol, people not using it.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
But you're not a vegetarian.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
No, no, okay, we're we're in a red meat face.
I'm excited about cooking with more red meat. My brothers
are very happy about that.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Oh oh can I can I say? You're about your
one brother?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Is it red? Oh? Redmand Of course, Redman is to talk.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
About Olympic snowboarder gold medalistes and what year was that?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It was the Korea, South Korea. One excited, The whole
family went right there.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Yes it was, it was.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
He was like eighteen or seventeen at the time, so
he was a little little thing, but he's a very
talented snowboarder.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
And yeah, he took home gold that year.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Oh boy, it's so amazing. Yes, I'm friends with Sean White.
He's he's such an incredible athlete and I had him
on my show a long time ago when he was
at the height.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Of his Shawn's done incredible.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Oh and now he has a wonderful business with snowboards
and snowboarding clothing.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I know, and he's an incredible entrepreneur.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I always tell Red you need to go you need
to follow Seawan's route because he's doing it right. He
is building a business and.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Staying in shape and being an educator too to the youth.
To the youth, yes, who love to get out on
those slopes. Yeah, are you a scarer?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I can get down that hill on a snowboard, yes,
But I am nothing like Red.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Oh so no, No, you're all snowboarders in the family.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
All snowboard We all started on skis. The first four
started on skis, and then after that I was snowboarding straight.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
So my grandchildren I have two, eleven and twelve, they
are skiers, okay, and they are going to Hokkaido to ski.
They can't wait because they love Japanese food and they
think that they're going to have a great time in Hokkaido.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Oh, Japan is Red's favorite place.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
He's so I'm sure he's skied where they're going to
be skiing.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
And I went.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I went to Nagano for the Olympics. Yeah, for the
Winter Olympics.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
That was incrediblext ones are in Milan, so I'm like, read,
you better make it to that one.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Okay, you want to go to Milan. Oh, yes, it's
going to be beautiful. Yes, yeah. What are those on the cover?
It's a parogi. I love a part. Are you Polish
in any way?
Speaker 1 (22:50):
No, but I'm from Cleveland, so it's a large there's
a large Polish community.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Polish.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
And one of my favorite hundred recipes is my mother's
potato pirogi.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The potato perrogi is my face?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Is this potato?
Speaker 4 (23:02):
This is sweet potato?
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Oh, sweet potato. Okay, So you've changed the.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Rest of a little bit, switched it up a little bit,
which and it's so delicious.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
What's the dough?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I do Greek yogurt? I think sour cream is traditional.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
The dough is so simple, It's like it's like Greek yogurt,
A couple cups of flour and maybe an egg, I think,
and then like a pinch of salt. E mix it
all together, and that you want to sit thirty minutes,
soft and fluffy.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Yeah, you want to sit thirty minutes? And how do
you make it?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I'm going to I'm going to Cary. I'm going to
check yours out. Hope you enjoy.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Try the sweet potato filling one time.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
I will. I like it. I like cabbage, not sour krout.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
So I've never done that, Like I grew up my
phone unfortunately, just grew up with missus Tea's. But my favorite,
my favorite or the potato Cheddara.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
My mom and I would do it after school all
the time.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah, I like the sweet cabbage. So you steam the cabbage,
then you have to squeeze all the moisture out of
the cabbage, and then you have to grind the cabbage
and mix it with cream, cheese and butter and pepper.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Well, I love cheese, butter and pepper.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
You would love that filling. It's not easy, but it is.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Like Brussels routes instead of the cabin I don't know,
is that too, because I always think of cabbage is
similar to.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
A Brussels bra They're all of the same family.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
But traditional meat I thought you do, I thought you.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Do is generally either like sauer kraut potato, or you
could do meat. We've never want to meet. We have
never made meat, not in our family. But but it
was the potato meat too. I love it and it's
it's so good. I like a reheated and butter just
in a pan. Oh yeah yeah, but you boil them.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Right yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
So a lot of times like they'll just make a
huge batch.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And it's my brother's favorite when I make homemade progy and.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
I everybody wants to be at my house when because.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
You know it's consuming, it's is it is?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So you post recipes pretty much daily. Would you do today?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
You know what? Actually?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Today is a round up of all of our Thanksgiving recipes?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Oh yea, So, how are you roasting your turkey this year? Okay?
Speaker 1 (25:08):
So I have this is what I want to get you. Well,
I know I'm afraid. Have you ever roasted your turkey
with cheese closs soaked in butter?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I think we invented that recipe. I think that's the
Martha Stewart and my positive that no darling, okay, no,
that's been in that's been in our magazine. It's called
roast turkey one oh one. Okay, well, so and white wine,
white wine and butter.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
I do chicken broth, but white wine may be so
much better.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Always try it with white wine and butter, and the
cheese cloth is draped over the roast the bird.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And then secret what it's I think it's a secret
to making a perfect Oh.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
No, I have a new one this year, boy, I
have a new one, even better and easier.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Oh what is it? Nothing's easier than this easier. It's
a parchment wrap turkey.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
You butter the whole bird after you stuff it, butter
it with soft butter all over.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Well I do, Oh, I love, I love stuffing cooked
in the bird.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
It cooks unevenly.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Oh no, it cooks perfectly.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
And then you wrap the bird in big sheets aparchment.
But you have to find the big sheets of parchments. Sure,
and staple shut. Staple it shut, okay.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And roast it.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
In two hours the bird is almost perfectly cooked. This
is for like a fourteen pound bird. Two hours, two
hours and a half. Uncover it. Then the skin crisps
like a peking duck. All right, well, no basting.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I don't base my turkey either. Well no, and then
cheese goth. You have to baste it all the time.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I didn't base when it works perfect?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Oh no, you still have to you should basee it. It's
even better.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
How much butter. Do you soak yours in?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Well? You use usually if the if.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
The cheese clu is probably probably about maybe four or
five sticks of butter.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh my god, and a whole bottle of wine.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Wow, I'm only doing a stick of butter.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I need to your recipes, look up, look up my recipes,
and maybe I need to try the parchment.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
What are your sides for Thanksgiving? I want to hear
the side.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I love a traditional Thanksgiving, but like I do crispy
stacked potatoes.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
I think this year I did.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I saw that recipe so good, so I haven't tasted.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
I love to do a croissant stuffing. I think it's
really on me to like switch up the bread.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This year.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I'm doing a wild rice and kale casserole dish with
like caramelized onions.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Onto I sound cristy. That sounds good.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
I'm going to do some scallop sweet potatoes always rolls.
We're going to do popovers. And because the popovers are
my mom's say, very good. So what do you cook
them in? I could them in and pop over pants over?
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Yeah, I have a metal like a metal one.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I saw them cooked in coffee mugs recently I've done
that too.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
And they look so good. I've never done that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Sometimes you got to improvise and use what you got,
you know, And I'm.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
A queen of that and what kind of pies.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
So I am not the biggest pie girl. I'm not
the biggest pumpkin pie. I don't really enjoy pumpkin pie,
and neither is my family.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Try my pumpkin filo. Okay, oh, I saw that in
your magazine. It gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
It is so good. You just made that for my
hundred favorite recipes.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I remember when that came out.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
No, no, it's it's an old recipe, but I remember
one of my favorite beautiful Yeah, it has star annis
and I love five spice in the pumpkin.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
You'll notice in a lot of my photos you'll see
a star. I say star a niece. Oh well, I
can't pronounce.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
So you have you're going to have a nice Thanksgiving.
It sounds delicious. Are you going to be home with
your family? I'm actually cooking for everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Yeah, photograph it? Can you post it? Well? I mean
it's like you don't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
You don't know that, So, like I already posted my
Thanksgiving many on the.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Site right now.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Okay, I will look for it.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I don't think it's as fancy as yours is going
to be.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
So how do you balance your authenticity while following social
media trends?
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I think you'll notice about my rescues. I don't really
follow a ton of trends. I just kind of do
what's exciting me at the moment. I'm not a trend girl.
They come and they go in a lot of the
I've seen so many trends with TikTok and I'm like,
that doesn't even make sense.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Have you ever have you ever watched Foody China eight
eight eight? I don't think so. Do you ever cook
Chinese food? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Oh, watch Foody China eight eight eight? Okay it is.
It's my favorite favorite Instagram Okay. And it's funny because
he says, you now take some water from the Mississippi
River and has he is a funny, little sticky But
the food is delicious and uh and it's this guy.
I've been trying to reach him to do the podcast
(29:51):
with me and I can't find what is it Foody
China eight eight eight? I don't know, but it's like yours.
Yours is fun too. It's fun to watch. It's fun
to watch people.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Put a lot of pressure around cooking and it just
it doesn't need to be that way.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
How did it work in the beginning? How frequently did
you publish a recipe?
Speaker 1 (30:11):
So I think that's something that's been really key for
building the business is our consistency. I from day one,
for whatever reason, prioritize consistency, and I posted every single day.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
I was very consistent.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Everyone knew I was going to give them a new recipe,
and I continued that and I still continue that today.
So I think it's really been keeping up that consistency
in building the trust and the loyalty with the community.
And like I said, these people really do feel like
my friends, and I love to be able to help
them get dinner on the table. And during COVID, I
(30:44):
saw so many incredible messages I'm sure you did too,
of how my recipes have helped their families.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You know. Oh, no, it's really nice to get the feedback.
It really is so nice when it's nice feedback.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Did your following grow gradually or did you did you graduate?
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Well? Yeah, there wasn't ever like a celebrity shout out
or a talk show or a Martha Stewart mentioned like
that wasn't really I was very slow and steady, which
I think is also really key because our community is
very loyal. I think it's why our email subscription list
is strong. I think it's why our numbers are strong because.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
And what are you doing with your email list?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
We send out a newsletter.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Well, you can sign up for however many you want,
but we send out a newsletter every single day with
the new recipe. We send out a Sunday newsletter that
is like a recap of everything, and it includes some
of my Sunday favorites that I share.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
You know, it's what you opt in for.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Well, it's like a magazine subscription. You're doing a very
nice thing. Without magazines around any longer, they're just they're
just going away quickly. It's nice to have a newsletter
like that.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, and I think people are enjoying being off of
social media a little bit more and kind of viewing
the content that they really want to be Anyways.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Yes, so when you started out, you were working by yourself,
and now you are you actually have a real organization.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Well, it was always my mom and I so it
was my mom that encouraged me to start the website,
and from day one, she built the back end of
the website and she still does the back end of
the website. So she manages all the advertisements on the
website and you know, like the nitty gritty things that
I would never want to deal with.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Who's your biggest advertiser?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Oh, I mean, we work with an advertisement company that
puts the ads on.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
We work with this company.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Called ad Thrive. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
It's really the reason that's allowed me to not have
to work with brands, which I love, because when you're
working with brands in a way where they're paying you
and it's sponsored content, you're not able to have control
over what you're really sharing.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It makes it really difficult.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
So I like to support the brands that I really enjoy,
and I like to do it in an organic way,
and I don't really like.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
To be paid for it. Yeah, that's basically. I want
to do it with the people I like. I'm only
sharing I use.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And I think that's also to another point. Why the
things that I recommend they sell, and because I don't
recommend things that I don't enjoy and don't use.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
So what's your relationship with Amazon.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
We love Amazon.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
My mom used to be called Amazon Jen because she
would order from Amazon so consistently.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I have a friend called Holly. Her name is Holly.
Her nickname is Holly Overnightly instead of Holly go lightly the.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Queen of an overnight ship. I love an overnight shipping.
My relationship with Amazon is great. They're incredible. They're really close.
They've been especially incredible to work with this last year.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
What do you do with them?
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I honestly, I don't do any sponsor content with them.
I really just work with them through affiliate links, which
I guess is sponsored in a way.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Yeah, we're talking more right now about.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Bigger picture things that how we can work together.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
But I've been doing a lot with Amazon Fashion, which
is exciting and trying to integrate the worlds of fashion
and food.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
So you now have a team of six working with you, Yes,
and they are very supportive and they work how many
days a week?
Speaker 1 (34:00):
See that is the thing with owning your own business,
and especially a business and social media that is so
social media focused.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
It's really a seven day.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Work week, and they don't mind.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
We have rotating days. So but if something is needed
on a Saturday. They're not saying no, you know good.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
I think it is. That's how I feel.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Yeah, thank you. I think it's important if you're passionate
about the business and.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Health, and a creative business like yours or mine really
requires at least.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
They Yeah, the whole Thursday is a new Friday thing.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I don't know about that one. Guys. Yeah, and here
we are on Friday working, aren't we.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Yes, we are, Yes, we are. I'm happy to.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Be doing it. So your family is so supportive. What's
next for your brand?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Oh, my gosh, so much. We're so excited. We have
another cookbook coming that is very exciting. People love to
enjoy the cookbooks. Product is a really large focus. I
really want to be able to provide people. Honestly, it's
a beautiful model what you've created and you you've been
able to be in so many different realms under the
home housees. I love that you've touched on fashion. I
(35:06):
love that you have tabletop. Tabletop is really where I
want to go next, because the community is constantly asking me.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Where did you get that plate? Where did you get
that dish?
Speaker 2 (35:14):
You know, they want they want to know everything.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
I'd really love to be able to create that product
with them.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
It's a very hard thing to do.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Good luck with all of that. That's so great.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Excited, So Tigan, this has been a great pleasure to
talk to you.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
You are vivacious as I expected it. Thank you and
thank you for joining me on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You can follow at half Baked Harvest on Instagram, on TikTok,
and on her website half baked dot com.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Thank you again, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Thank you for having me. This was amazing.
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