“If summer had one defining scent, it’d definitely be the smell of barbecue.”
― Katie Lee
“When I look back on my childhood, my fondest memories are those surrounding the dinner table.”
― Katie Lee
“I do shop on eBay. I love to buy china on eBay. I’ve bought quite a few sets of plates. I like to buy gifts as well. If I know somebody has a favorite writer, I look for a first edition. It’s also a great place to buy vintage jewelry.”
― Katie Lee
“I love to have a dinner party. I love to have people over. I like the feeling it creates in my home – having guests laughing and telling their stories – and I put a lot of thought into it. I plan my menu kind of depending on whatever mood I’m in.”
― Katie Lee
“I pretty much grew up with my grandma. She would pull a stool over to the kitchen, and I would climb up at the kitchen counter, and I’d help her make biscuits.”
― Katie Lee
“Betrayal is one of my biggest fears. Betrayal happens on many different levels all the time, and there is no worse feeling than realizing someone you thought you could trust has gone against you.”
― Katie Lee
“I once had a ‘best friend’ share private stories that I had told her in confidence to another mutual friend. I think the worst part, aside from the actual betrayal of trust, is that this experience affected my future relationships, as I was hesitant to be as open with my other friends.”
― Katie Lee
“The rich, hearty flavor of portobello mushroom caps are a dynamite alternative to the traditional burger.”
― Katie Lee
“I love comfort food – it’s the basis of everything.”
― Katie Lee
“When I work out at home, I don’t have mirrors, and I really like it. When I’m not working out in front of a mirror, I don’t have those conversations with myself that I have in the gym, when my head starts drifting in all those dark spots.”
― Katie Lee
“I really want to write another novel, and I am trying to come up with what the story will be. As I learned with ‘Groundswell,’ I can’t force it; I just have to wait for it to come to me.”
― Katie Lee
“Labor Day means grilling outside!”
― Katie Lee
“There’s something so intimate about a picnic with your guy.”
― Katie Lee
“My number one elixir for anxiety? Comfort food.”
― Katie Lee
“I love spicy food, so I’m not sure why I have this aversion to wasabi, but I really detest it.”
― Katie Lee
“The grill is the summer equivalent of a fireplace; everyone gravitates to it.”
― Katie Lee
“Every great sandwich starts with a great bun, and my absolute favorites are Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Buns and Rolls – they’re quick, simple and work perfectly with all my favorite recipes!”
― Katie Lee
“I’m always buying glasses and teacups. I have way too many to use, but I just love them, particularly anything vintage.”
― Katie Lee
“Every great summer party starts with a list. Throwing something together chaotically ends up being more work than taking 15 minutes to make a plan first.”
― Katie Lee
“For me, the thought of spaghetti and meatballs conjures up the image of that scene where ‘Lady and the Tramp’ gaze into each other’s eyes as they slurp a strand of pasta into a fateful kiss.”
― Katie Lee
“My grandpa and I, whenever we would go to Myrtle Beach, we couldn’t wait to get there and have fried seafood.”
― Katie Lee
“One of my favorite salads is spinach with pickled strawberries.”
― Katie Lee
“I think it’s fun to serve comfort food because it’s an instant ice-breaker. If somebody’s expecting fancy food, and you whip out some fried chicken, they feel like, you know, they can put their elbows on the table, and the etiquette police aren’t going to come out.”
― Katie Lee
“I’ve always been a big fan of ribs.”
― Katie Lee
“To me, nothing says summer like enjoying a lobster roll at my favorite spots in the Hamptons.”
― Katie Lee
“By the end of the winter, I’m always battling too-tight pants. My solution: Eat lean protein, good grains, and veggies.”
― Katie Lee
“My cooking style is really simple. Not a lot of ingredients, but all good quality, so you don’t have to do that much to them.”
― Katie Lee
“Some guys find eating face-to-face weirdly intense. But sitting on the same side of the table allows both intermittent physical contact and eye contact.”
― Katie Lee
“You can tap into culture by exploring what’s grown or produced in the region, like going into the Blue Mountains in Jamaica to visit a coffee plantation or a rum distillery in Barbados.”
― Katie Lee
“I don’t subscribe to that no-carb thing. I’m so sick of the Atkins diet and all that. First of all, if you’re not eating carbs, all you do is think about them. It’s one of those things that you take out, and initially, you lose weight, but you are miserable.”
― Katie Lee
“I love a waffle fry.”
― Katie Lee
“I think friendships, true friendships, morph as our lives change into what we need them to be. I am very lucky to have some really great friends, who have been there for me during my ups and downs.”
― Katie Lee
“Spritzers are festive yet economical. By adding seltzer and juice, you stretch the number of people a bottle of wine serves.”
― Katie Lee
“Cauliflower is a great swap in so many comfort food dishes.”
― Katie Lee
“My Breville juicer is one of my can’t-live-without appliances in the kitchen.”
― Katie Lee
“My secret for feeding a bunch of guests without seeming stingy is pork tenderloin. It’s an inexpensive cut that looks impressive and is full of flavor. Plus, guys love it.”
― Katie Lee
“I’m all or nothing. I’m either having fresh vegetables, or I’m eating fried fish.”
― Katie Lee
“I’m asleep at midnight. I go to bed really early, so I don’t have a midnight snack.”
― Katie Lee
“Bobby Flay has become a great mentor to me. He’s one of my very best friends and kind of like a big brother, and I always feel like I can go to him for any kind of advice.”
― Katie Lee
“I would have loved to have been an aesthetician. I love, like, anything to do with – I know this sounds kind of gross – but any kind of zit popping is so fascinating to me.”
― Katie Lee
“The kitchen is definitely the room that gets used the most in my house.”
― Katie Lee
“I really like keeping my kitchen counters as clear as possible. I tend to function better when there’s less clutter.”
― Katie Lee
“I like a very clean kitchen, and when I’m cooking, I try to clean as I go.”
― Katie Lee
“I think kitchen real estate is very valuable, so something has to perform multiple functions for me to give it space in my drawers.”
― Katie Lee
“My grandmother Dora taught me how to cook. She’s from a small town in West Virginia called Milton. I would pull a stool up to her kitchen counter after school. My love of food started there.”
― Katie Lee
“I always think of my grandfather as the original foodie. He was the slowest eater. He savored everything. Even when everyone was gone from the table, he was still eating.”
― Katie Lee
“I love the ‘Barefoot Contessa’ cookbooks – they’re so nicely done, and her recipes are beautiful and simple.”
― Katie Lee
“I just love to look at cookbooks, it’s almost like they’re comic books for me. I can’t look at them before bed; it gets me too excited.”
― Katie Lee
“If I really don’t feel like cooking, I have a bowl of lentil pasta with Rao’s jarred sauce.”
― Katie Lee
“I make green juice daily.”
― Katie Lee
“For my Mai Tai recipe, I juice fresh orange, pineapple, and lime. It’s like vacation in a glass!”
― Katie Lee
“A lot of people are kind of snobby about garlic powder and onion powder. I happen to love them.”
― Katie Lee
“My grandpa and I loved Emeril. It was all he wanted to watch when he was in the hospital dying. When I met Emeril later, it was so emotional.”
― Katie Lee
“When cooking for a man, treat all of his senses.”
― Katie Lee
“If you look at the cookbooks that sell the most, it’s almost always people who have their own TV shows.”
― Katie Lee
“I love to have my girlfriends over for a movie night of chick flicks. I usually make some simple snacks, and the favorite is always my Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip.”
― Katie Lee
“When you’re going to meet your man’s mom and dad, it’s always nice to bring them something homemade and from the heart.”
― Katie Lee
“I think any man can be won over by being fed my Chicken with Roasted Garlic, Pancetta, and Rosemary.”
― Katie Lee
“I grew up eating chicken and dumplings in my grandma’s kitchen.”
― Katie Lee
“I’ll take any excuse to have a get-together. For me, it’s all about the everyday occasions, whether it’s popping champagne to toast good weather, inviting the girls for brunch to rehash a night out, or just making snacks and watching a movie.”
― Katie Lee
“I’d rather spend my Sunday doing just about anything other than watching a football game – unless it’s the Super Bowl.”
― Katie Lee
“Holiday shopping is a challenge. Stores are crowded; people are stressed and rude… not exactly the spirit of the season.”
― Katie Lee
“I love cooking except for an annoying step – cleaning up.”
― Katie Lee
“I like a good burger as much as the next girl, but sometimes, I say hold the beef. In fact, every week, I do Meatless Monday to feel a little healthier.”
― Katie Lee
“Working on my first novel, ‘Groundswell’ – about a woman recovering from a bad breakup who falls in love with surfing – I spent a month south of the border. And when I wasn’t writing or surfing, I was eating. A lot.”
― Katie Lee
“I used to think of Mexican food as a once-in-a-while type of thing because it can be so heavy, but I learned how to lighten it up easily and keep it just as flavorful. That’s awesome, since it’s the perfect festive dinner for hanging out with friends on a relaxed night.”
― Katie Lee
“Devising the menu for an intimate meal can be a thorny task. You want to make something your guy will go crazy for, but that usually means big and heavy. And feeling overly full kind of kills the mood.”
― Katie Lee
“My zero-stress way to host a gathering: Make the guests do the cooking.”
― Katie Lee
“During the summer, I used to hate when my mom would call me inside to eat – it was such a drag to leave all the fun.”
― Katie Lee
“I’ve been using carrot tops to make pesto and broccoli stalks to make broccoli ‘rice.’ There’s no reason to throw those things away – just get creative.”
― Katie Lee
“I love giving little ones fun tasks that make them feel like they’re part of the team but keep them safe. My go-tos are topping pizzas, decorating cookies, stirring ingredients, and, of course, taste-testing!”
― Katie Lee
“Many beach locales offer surf lessons, and you get a different perspective of the ocean when you’re out on the water.”
― Katie Lee
“My biggest cooking influence, my No. 1, is my grandma. Then it’s the farmers. When I go to the farm stand and see what’s available, that’s where I get most of my inspiration.”
― Katie Lee
“I come from a family of great cooks and big eaters.”
― Katie Lee
“I grew up in a small town in West Virginia, and most of my family lived in our neighborhood or very close by. I had my grandparents down the street, my great-grandmother next door, and my great-aunt and great-uncle one door down.”
― Katie Lee
“I eat a crazy amount of vegetables. I always look at my plate and make 70 percent of it vegetables and leave the rest for whatever else I’m eating.”
― Katie Lee
“Frozen bananas pureed in the food processor make a great fake ice cream.”
― Katie Lee
“Ground turkey is fantastic in a comforting classic – meatloaf.”
― Katie Lee
“It’s hard when you get into an Instagram hole, because we live in such a Facetuned world. You see all these girls are in their bathing suits, and it’s hard not to think, ‘I wish I looked like that.’ But you can only be your own personal best.”
― Katie Lee
“Nobody ever got fat eating vegetables.”
― Katie Lee
“I think it’s odd when people say jeans are comfortable, because to me, they feel like sausage casings.”
― Katie Lee
“If I had to describe my diet in one word, it would be ‘colorful.’ I always think about adding color to the plate.”
― Katie Lee
“I never grew up with money, and I never wanted a lot of material things.”
― Katie Lee
“I don’t put myself out there – I’m really a homebody.”
― Katie Lee
“You can deep-fry anything, and I would eat it.”
― Katie Lee
“I love Montauk Pearl oysters. They are briny, creamy, and sweet. To me, they are the perfect oyster.”
― Katie Lee
“Portion control is not an option for me. I like mass quantities, so I have to create healthy meals that I love but won’t feel guilty about eating.”
― Katie Lee
“I can’t have a party without deviled eggs.”
― Katie Lee
“My dining and entertainment philosophy – I can boil it down to ‘the three C’s – I like my food like my fashion: casual, classic, and with a touch of couture.”
― Katie Lee
“The best thing about summer entertaining is it doesn’t have to be fancy – and you can eat outdoors. You can use a tablecloth or just a piece of fabric you love. You can’t go wrong with white candles; put them in jars or hurricane vases.”
― Katie Lee
“For breakfast, a grain bowl is healthy but hearty.”
― Katie Lee
“In the winter, I always buy frozen organic berries instead of fresh. They are frozen as soon as they’re harvested, so they actually have a higher vitamin content than fresh this time of year.”
― Katie Lee
“I have always wanted to write a novel, and I tried many times but could never find the right story. One day, I was walking on the beach, and the idea for ‘Groundswell’ hit me. I went into the house and started writing and never stopped.”
― Katie Lee
“My favorite southern dish has to be fried chicken. I love to cook it. I love to have it in the summer.”
― Katie Lee
“A lot of my recipes I take from foods my grandmother used to cook, things she prepared for family reunions.”
― Katie Lee
“I really thought that Billy Joel had two hits. I thought it was ‘Uptown Girl’ and ‘Piano Man,’ and that was basically it.”
― Katie Lee
“I’m a big coffee drinker, and I like the ritual of using a French press – plus it makes great coffee.”
― Katie Lee
“I use coconut oil in my cooking and as a beauty product. It’s great for sauteing and baking and makes the best moisturizer and hair treatment. I’m coconut-oil obsessed!”
― Katie Lee
“I wash my hands constantly in the kitchen, so they’re always dry.”
― Katie Lee
“I grew up cooking. I was always in my grandma’s cooking, and I never thought of it as a career.”
― Katie Lee
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