Kasey Fleisher Hickey is one half of the force behind Turntable Kitchen, a popular lifestyle, music and food blog (the other half is husband, Mathew Hickey). From cutting edge artists and albums to decadent muffins and creamy risotto – this pair doles out fresh and delicious content each week, all while raising their charming toddler daughter in one of our very favorite food cities: San Francisco.
Site: Turnable Kitchen
Blogging since: 2007ish
Where you call home: San Francisco
What's your earliest cooking memory? Watching my grandmother making crepes in her kitchen in Moscow, Russia. I ate them with tons of sugar and butter until I could hardly breathe.
How would you characterize or describe your cooking style today? It's centered around seasonal produce and vibrant colors. I love having variety on a plate: plenty of vegetables, some grains, and protein.
What's your favorite thing to cook at home? Why? Breakfast! I love making pancakes and waffles. It's somewhat of a weekend tradition: one day we make eggs of some sort and the other day we do a big, sweet breakfast. Breakfast sets the pace for my day and I love to linger at home, though, with a young child, a quiet morning is a rare indulgence.
What are three things you have in the pantry at all times? Extra virgin olive oil. Dark chocolate bars. Smoked paprika.
What's your "There's Nothing in the Fridge Dinner"? The one thing you often whip up with very few ingredients or, perhaps, very little inspiration? Pasta: it has always been my comfort food. We usually have a can of crushed tomatoes in the pantry for these occasions: I make a quick tomato sauce and we toss it with spaghetti and some crushed red pepper flakes and tons of Parmesan cheese.
What are some of your kitchen goals – skills you want to improve on or recipes you want to try or master? One of these days, I'd love to make croissants from scratch. I know it will never be a regular thing, but I want to try. Also, big fluffy meringues: I feel like they have always confounded me.
How has becoming a mother changed your experience as a home cook? Everything is about convenience. I tend to scan recipes before attempting them, noting any laborious steps (too many pots/dishes, tedious prep work). My goal is to continue to cook inventive, healthy food that doesn't feel like I've spent hours slaving away.
What are some of your favorite cookbooks and / or food blogs? For baking and breakfast-y things, I love Good to the Grain and Whole Grain Mornings (a new favorite!). For technique, Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food. I often pull out The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, Feast, and Jerusalem for recipes and inspiration. Some of my favorite bloggers are also the creators of my favorite cookbooks: Sprouted Kitchen and 101Cookbooks.
Besides other cookbooks or food blogs, where do you draw inspiration for your cooking? I love Bon Appetit, which I look forward to receiving in my mailbox every month. I get tons of inspiration from travel — some of my favorite and most creative recipes were dreamed up during trips to Argentina, Mexico, and New York.
Where else can we find you? I am a frequent contributor to Gather Journal. You can find my work in the latest issue!
Photos via Kasey Fleisher Hickey
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