I’m a More is More Person: 5 Questions with Molly Baz, author of More Is More

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When did you first start cooking and what made you fall in love with it? 

I was always a food lover but didn’t start cooking in earnest until I got to college. A year in Florence in a study abroad program really solidified for me the desire to learn to cook. I was living in an Italian homestay and eating the most bonkers delicious super simple meals every night. Though on paper I was there to study Art History, the most memorable moments I have from that year involved either eating, or cooking. It felt like I studied the food of Italy more than anything else. That changed me forever. 

When sitting down and choosing which recipes you want to include in a cookbook, what types of things do you consider?  

I am always thinking about my reader/audience which I have identified as an amateur home cook, with little to medium experience in the kitchen, a love of food and interest in contemporary food culture, and no professional experience. I spend a lot of time trying to navigate the overwhelming world of cooking through an inexperienced cook’s eyes, rather than through my own. It’s the little things that seem simple to a professional cook that can totally overwhelm a novice, and it’s my job to make those tasks less fussy, less precious, and more approachable. 

When writing More is More, were there any recipes that you knew you wanted to include from the very beginning?  

In a way, all of the recipes have been percolating inside me for some time, but there are definitely some stand outs that I had a very clear vision for straight out the gates — The Ooey Gooey Carrot Cake is a perfect example. It’s a recipe that mashes up two classic desserts, finding the crossover in both, and it was on my recipe list from day one. 

Between the cookbooks, The Club, and YouTube, you share recipes through many different mediums. Are there challenges that arise as you move from one to another? 

I actually love how varied my work is. No two days look alike, and the roster of what I do changes monthly. I’m a More is More person, not just in the kitchen, but in my life at large, and that means that I take a lot of new endeavors on and am constantly reimagining what my career trajectory can and should look like. There’s such a joy in that freedom, and it’s something I cherish every single day. 

What’s something you would love for all home cooks to know?  

That messing up and making a lame tasting bummer of a meal is a CRUCIAL part of figuring out how to land a good one. If all my attempts were holes-in-one, I’d never be learning, and my growth would be stunted. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and royally mess up. You’ll be such a better cook for it.