create dishes using readily available ingredients

Ali Slagle, a recipe developer based in New York, says: “I’ve never been to cooking school or worked in a kitchen.” Her philosophy is to. Her first cookbook, I Dream Of Dinner (so you Don’t Need To), features 150 “low-effort and high-reward recipes.” Each recipe uses less than ten ingredients and can be made in 45 minutes.

Ali talks to us about her book, its inspiration, and how she started as a recipe developer. She has contributed to NYT Cooking and Bon Appetit and The Washington Post. She also shares her summer turmeric shrimp, citrus, and avocado recipe.

How did you start developing recipes?

While I was in college, I worked as an intern at Ten Speed Press. It is part of Random House. I learned about book design and recipe layout and realized this could be my career. I worked as an editor for Food52’s Genius cookbook and recipes and got to know the author well. She hired me to work at Food52. So, I moved to New York. At the time, this was a small startup where everyone did everything. Ultimately, I learned so much: food styling and prop styling, recipe creation, and writing. Four years ago, I became a freelancer because I knew I could put all my skills to use in different ways.

How did you develop the idea for your book I Dream of Dinner?

A book editor contacted me to say that he was here if I ever had a good idea for a new book. After working at a publisher, I knew how much work goes into a book. I thought I would never write a recipe book. As I began to think about what people need, I realized that there were few recipes available that met people’s needs. You may be tired or don’t feel like cooking, but you feel obligated to. Or you might want delicious food without taking up your entire day. I’ve looked at many quick and easy recipes, but none spoke to my taste.

What was your approach to structuring the book?

I organized a giant focus group because I knew how I cooked dinner was different from the way others cooked dinner. I wanted to understand how people approached the issue of what to cook for dinner. Many people begin with the main ingredients, like the large protein. I organized the book to have an anchor for each dish. If you are an experienced chef, you may not always follow the recipe in the letter. I must give the people the skills to transform this main ingredient into a dinner. Each chapter is divided into “techniques,” which are little air quotes since these are not techniques you would learn at cooking school. These are the things I do when thinking about transforming an egg, a bean, or a chicken piece into a dinner.

What was the process of testing and developing the book?

There are so many different recipes! You’ve lost your mind! The majority of books have between 70 and 100 recipes. I wanted to consider every possible situation and every scenario that people may be in when looking for a recipe. Usually, I would create a recipe draft and then go to the grocery store to purchase ingredients, but I only shopped once a week due to the pandemic. I bought as much as I thought I’d need, hoping to cover myself. Initially, I was frustrated that I couldn’t shop every day. But it forced me to be more creative and made the book stronger.

That also links to the technique. You don’t need much kitchen equipment. Are you suitable to say that you have been traveling a lot?

After finishing the book, I realized I had no more inspiration. I didn’t even know how to come up with another recipe. My well of ideas was utterly empty! We didn’t eat out, and we didn’t eat at friends’ houses. So, I needed more inspiration. If I traveled and was able to visit different stores and restaurants, then I might be inspired again. My boyfriend converted an old Japanese van with a sofa, a bed, and a small kitchen. We also have some things for August, our cat.

Does this mean that you have a minimal kitchen setup?

We traveled for six months, and there was a cabinet in the back that pulled out. It had a camping stove and a small countertop with a board. It’s organized and is, in many ways, more efficient than my kitchen in Brooklyn. It’s all you need if you have the right tools and know how to use them. It was put to the ultimate test in the van. Because I was testing other people’s dishes, I needed a kitchen. So we would stop at houses now and then to use the oven.

Can you tell us about the history behind the recipe for turmeric shrimp you shared with