Chef Toya Boudy is a New Orleans native who has made a name for herself on the national stage. An expert at Creole and Cajun cuisine, Chef Boudy has been featured on CBS, TLC, Food Network and on Today Show, and Guy’s Grocery Games. She released her first cookbook, Cook Like a New Orleanian, in 2017 and her second cookbook, Cooking for the Culture, in 2023. Her latest cookbook, Cooking from Scratch, draws inspiration from Malinda Russell’s 1866 cookbook, A Domestic Cook Book. Boudy’s Cooking from Scratch features 70 approachable recipes that feature her signature flair and love for her city.
Big Easy Magazine: Your first book Cooking for the Culture was very successful, so I’m sure there was a lot of pressure to “deliver” for your second cookbook. How did putting together Cooking from Scratch differ from your first experience with writing a cookbook?
Chef Toya Boudy: I was confident in my ability to execute a vision clearly and I knew firmly that it was all about a story being told through a selection of recipes. So, it was quicker because I knew of the stumbling blocks. I knew they’d be days I wouldn’t feel like writing, days I’d do nothing and days I’d wake and doze off dealing with the book. The thing that helped most is that I knew from last time that at the end it all comes together! It wasn’t easy but it was easier knowing what to expect.
BEM: What was the process of putting together Cooking from Scratch? Was it different than putting together Cooking for the Culture?
CTB: It was because Cooking For The Culture was telling my story through recipes and Cooking From Scratch was essentially giving advice through recipes. It was like keeping myself in a place of “What would I tell a loved one? How can I make them as prepared as possible for life?”
BEM: Is there any recipe in Cooking from Scratch that took a long time to perfect? What is the process like when you are in the “trial and error” part of recipe testing?
CTB: I think when testing any recipe, it’s always a touch of a task because you have to accept the money lost as an investment and getting over your feelings being hurt while walking to the trash.
BEM: Were there any recipes that you wanted to include in the new book but couldn’t because of space or because you just couldn’t get it where you wanted?
CTB: I’m proud to say no! I have cleaning products, remedies, hair care and recipes in one book! The publishing company really supported my vision and helped me make it work.
BEM: How has your cooking evolved since your first book? What was the process in deciding what types of recipes would be included in Cooking from Scratch?
CTB: I thought of a loved one moving in a place alone, I thought of not having a village to ask for help, and remembered what it was like when I was really low on money and had to make things work with minimal ingredients. That was my deciding factor. What do people truly need? How can I help others be self-sufficient? How can I be of service? Those questions helped me select recipes.
BEM: What advice would you give someone who is seriously trying to cook for the first time? If someone was cooking from Cooking from Scratch for the first time what recipes would be a good starting off point?
CTB: No one is born with a spatula in hand so stop judging yourself. Everyone has to LEARN to cook one way or another, you just have to find a teacher you can understand. That’s all. Salisbury Steak it’s a comfort meal that’s easier than you think.
BEM: Did anyone in your life inspire your recipes? Do you have any specific recipes in a book that you knew you had to include because they are so closely associated with someone important to you? Are there any recipes that evoke special memories for you?
CTB: The book was inspired by Malinda Russell the first Black woman to publish a cookbook in 1866. It had how to remove corns, hair dye, how to make a roast, and advice. I felt we needed one from this time frame! Malinda Russell seemed a lot like my mom. Resilient and resourceful. I look to my mom for healing advice to recipes and I know everyone doesn’t have that so I wanted to help them obtain it. The remedies remind me of my mother. She’s a healer, many of the women in my family are. I’m proud of that. The remedies section holds a special place in my heart; it’s me carrying on how my mother cares for others. Through service and advice.
BEM: Cooking from Scratch goes beyond just a cookbook, as you included a lot of other types of homemade recipes for household use. What influenced your decision to add these special layers to the book?
CTB: You know I did it as a secret seed. Sometimes you have to watch every ingredient as closely as you can that’s coming into your orbit. So that means cleaning products as well and the best way to keep an eye on ingredients is making it from scratch. My secret hope is that someone will tailor one of the recipes during a rough time and it births a business! Who knows but I hope they find them useful.
BEM: You are very busy these days! Besides Cooking from Scratch do you have any upcoming projects that you want to share?
CTB: I’m busy with the book tour and my ice cream brand Poetic Just•Ice Cream, a dairy free (vegan) ice cream, and it’s absolutely amazing! I often do pop ups on Sundays at Port Orleans Brewery from 1-4pm but you can check out the brand and keep up with pop ups by following me @toyaboudy or @poeticjusticecream on Instagram or the website poeticjusticecream.com
