As promised, here’s more Gwyneth Paltrow! Part one of my interview focused on the Iron Man 3 movie and now this second half will all be about her new cookbook – “It’s All Good”!
Inquiring minds wanted to know how on EARTH Gwyneth ended up writing cookbooks! Talk about being multi-talented…
So we asked!
I started writing down my recipes because I was always a cook and a foodie. My friends would call me and ask me how do you do this or that. What temperature to roast this? What’s an easy dinner? Etc. So, I started writing them all down.
Then when my dad died, I thought it would be really nice because he was the one that taught me to cook. I don’t know. We learned together and our connection to food was special. I thought it would be really nice because I sort of felt him in the kitchen, and I felt it would be nice to write the recipes to pay homage to him and our relationship at the same time. It was cathartic.
This cookbook is all about clean eating. Why this focus?
My son has really bad eczema. He’s really allergic to gluten and cow’s milk. I felt so bad for him not being able to have regular ice cream and meatballs. So I just started a mini-encyclopedia of totally yummy comfort food that works with his diet.
And it’s been incredible because so many people are trying to avoid gluten either for weight or because they are allergic to it.
A reader of mine asked me to ask Gwyneth why she uses duck eggs in this cookbook. She said this was why they were in there. Both Gwyenth and her son are allergic to chicken eggs!
Yes, because he can’t have chicken egg. I’m actually allergic to chicken egg, as well. That’s why the whole baking / sweet section has no egg, no milk, no butter, no gluten. I wanted to offer an alternative for moms who are trying to follow that kind of regiment.
What advice does she have regarding the best nutrition?
If you showed our grandmothers/ our great grandmothers the way we eat, they’d think it isn’t even food. A nutritionist once told me the best thing to do is shop the periphery when at the supermarket.
That’s where all the fresh food is. That’s where the chicken, fish, beef, whatever- everything fresh is on the periphery. Just avoid those middle aisles. It really makes sense because that’s where all the processed food is.
Also my philosophy is … I try to cook really healthy at home because I can control what they eat while in our house. But I can’t when they are out or at friend’s houses. Nor do I want to. I want them to be autonomous and make their own choices and have a life.
I think that that’s their balance; and my balance is I try to cook healthy at home, and then when I’m out I’ll eat whatever I want to.
This is my philosophy as well. We eat very healthy at home and are more lax when we are out or on vacation. We all have to still LIVE and have FUN. I’m most certainly not going to make my kids CRAZY and only let them eat steamed veggies and grilled chicken until they are 18. So, I appreciated hearing Gwyneth saying that she does the same because I was under the assumption that she was healthy 100% of the time.
How does Gwyneth keep her kids healthy when away from home?
We were just in Paris; I was on the Iron Man press tour. I mean, try eating gluten free in Paris!!! It is a nightmare. My poor child.
I mean… he totally ate a croissant; he ate bread, and it was inevitable. But one day I was like, let’s go find Japanese food. Asian foods is amazing for avoiding a lot of that stuff. Even Mexican food – the corn tortillas and guacamole – kids don’t think “I’m not allowed to have that plate of pasta”.
Ready for a good laugh? Check out what Gwyneth does when she cooks… she RAPS!
[LAUGHS] Do you have a hidden camera in my kitchen? That is so crazy. How do you know that? Yes, we are a hip hop household, a hundred percent. My son, especially, is like, he said the best thing the other day because he’s loves hip hop. He’s obsessed. Jay-Z’s a really close friend of ours and that was his sort of gateway into hip hop. The other day he said Mom, I think that Jay is story rapper and Kid Cudi is a feelings rapper. And I was like, you’re totally right.
Yeah, so yeah, the answer is yes.
Does she get a lot of help in the kitchen? Do her kids participate?
Oh yes. My son, especially, is really, really into it and he can perfectly crack an egg. He has since he was four- no shells in the bowl. Every weekend, we’d cook something together. I actually think that the kitchen is an amazing place to interact and teach kids. We even do math in the kitchen! For instance, it says two thirds of a cup.
It’s such quality time together but you’re also making dinner, you know what I mean? You’re not like on the floor water coloring which makes me wanna kill myself.
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!! Gotta love the honesty. Sorry let me let Gwyneth finish her quote.
You’re actually doing something, you know what I mean? It’s like you’re doing something that you need to do anyway, so…
AMAZING TIME with her. Amazing day! A trip I will never forget. I’ve had the chance to actually GIFT this cookbook out to some friends because I loved it so much and have heard wonderful feedback from them all.
‘It’s All Good’ retails online for under $18 on Amazon.
* photo credit – Crissy from DearCrissy.com
Disney brought me to LA to interview Gwyneth and attend the premiere of Iron Man 3. They paid for my travel and accommodations. All opinions are my own.