Hi, I’m Kate.
I grew up as the youngest of four kids in a big Italian family. We were (still are) obsessed with food. By obsessed I mean OBSESSED. My first cooking memory is standing on a crate to reach the kitchen counter while my dad taught me how to roll handcrafted gnocchi—piece by piece—over the tines of a fork. I loved every minute and it led to a life of connection, meaning and memories around the dinner table with family and friends. My hope is that this website will be a great resource for ah-ha cooking moments and crowd-pleasing recipes to share with your loved ones.
After graduating from The University of Michigan, I moved to New York City where I worked at Condé Nast Publishing with Vogue and Glamour magazines. The West Coast eventually beckoned (partly for a cute guy that became my husband of 23 years). I relocated to the Bay Area and fell in love with California cuisine. I attended Tanté Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, subsequently launching Kate McMillan Catering, specializing in farm-to-table events. I have since authored 15 cookbooks for Williams-Sonoma including Soup of the Day, School Night, The Breakfast Bible and Sheet Pan. My work has been featured in Oprah, Parenting and Real Simple magazines and with Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn Kids and Yummly.
I still live in Northern California with my husband, our three daughters and our beloved dog, Ollie Bear. If I’m not in my kitchen, I’m most likely at the farmer’s market, on a running trail or driving my youngest to insanely far locations for a soccer tournament. But really you should always check in the kitchen first.
The Fun Stuff
WHAT’S YOUR JAM?
I like easy and fast recipes with big flavors. I don’t believe in long lists of ingredients that can’t be found or pronounced. Cook with seasonal ingredients and have fun. That’s my jam.
LAST MEAL?
Pizza. All day, every day. Thin, thick, plain cheese, pepperoni, lots of veggies, makes no difference. On this one thing, I’m not discerning. All manner of pizza does it for me.
FANCY MICHELIN-STAR OR SLIGHTLY-SKETCHY RESTAURANT?
Hole-in-the-wall every time. I don’t love a starchy-white-table-cloth meal. I will always opt for the casual spot at the bar. You know, so they don’t forget to fill my wine glass.
WHAT’LL YA HAVE?
Negroni or Boulevardier. Love, love, love. Maybe it’s just that I feel bougie when saying the word boulevardier? No, that’s not it … I definitely like the booze.
FAVE CONDIMENT?
I’ve never met a condiment I don’t love, but if I have to choose I’m going with ketchup. Not the precious homemade kind. Give me my supermarket Heinz. Don’t hold back; I want ketchup on my burger and extra on the side for dipping.
BEST FOOD MEMORY?
Eating stir-fried noodles cooked over an open fire pit while trekking through the jungle in Thailand and devouring the best hamburger of my life at a gas station in Copenhagen come to mind. My best memory, though, is from my childhood. Sunday family dinner was a real thing for us growing up. We ate an enormous homemade Italian dinner that my parents spent, literally, all day making. After dinner, they would pour themselves a Manhattan and settle into the TV room to watch 60 Minutes while the kids cleaned the kitchen. Not only was it off-the-hook delicious as my parents are both incredible cooks, but having that weekly ritual—that time together—was wonderfully grounding. And, yup, I have carried on the tradition with my own family.
MOM OF THREE GIRLS. TIRED MUCH?
Um … is that a rhetorical question? They are, indeed, exhausting. They are also the best. Emily and Grace, my twins, are away at college. [Insert ugly crying face here.] My youngest, Caroline, is forever donning a soccer uniform and seriously cannot remember to remove her cleats before marching into the house. I love everything about all of them. But take your damn cleats off, kid.
