I met the amazing Raeanne Sarazen, a newbie Dame, at the then-annual Les Dames d’Escoffier conference in Phoenix last fall. She—like me—is a registered dietitian. She’s also a classically trained chef, food writer, editor and consultant.

Her first book, The Complete Recipe Writing Guide: Mastering Recipe Development, Writing, Testing, Nutrition Analysis, and Food Styling, a “one-stop resource for developing, writing and producing recipe content for print, digital and social media platforms,” was honored by the International Association of Culinary Professionals with the 2024 book award in the reference & technical category.

Having spent most of my life writing recipes, I applaud her book’s comprehensive guides. Her book is a master class on translating the art of cooking into words.

You’ll also find her writings and recipes in the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Cooking Light and Better Homes and Gardens, among other places.

I caught up with Raeanne recently when she was visiting the Big Apple and asked her to complete our Guest Foodie questionnaire. What follows are her responses:

 

Which food product, ingredient or gadget would you never give up? Why? Oxo steel can opener—it cuts through the entire can top. It never leaves me prying the remaining uncut portion like my old can opener.

Describe your last non-holiday dinner party. (The more details about the setting, food, drink, etc., the better! or which shops you pick up what from, etc.) I don’t do a lot of dinner parties. I do a lot of holidays—I am Jewish, and my husband is Catholic. I could write a cookbook on this topic. But when we do host, it’s about simplicity and cooking ahead of time—lasagna and salad, braised short ribs and mashed potatoes, enchiladas, rice and beans, main salads, etc. Perfection is not part of the gathering.

Planning for my dinner parties starts days and sometimes, if not weeks in advance – determining the menu, picking up all ingredients and items on the menu, preparing the table, etc. Then I typically follow a daily checklist, when to prepare what, so that when the guests arrive, the food is warming, the drinks are ready and there is time for socializing.

We like to prepare one themed cocktail, again so we can prepare ahead of time and make it festive and fun.

For dessert, we have our favorite bakeries nearby where we pick up treats: Sweet Mandy B’s (old-fashioned desserts), Vanille (exceptional French cakes), or Defloured (a gluten-free bakery).

And if it’s a last-minute gathering, it’s usually a main salad with grilled chicken/salmon or we pick up tacos from Carnicerias Guanajuato, a Mexican grocery store.

What would you choose for your “last meal?” I love carbs and comfort:

  • Spaghetti, specifically pasta aglio e olio, made with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
  • Crusty Italian bread with a dense/soft interior, accompanied by room-temperature salted butter
  • French multi-layered flourless chocolate cake–filled with chocolate mousse and covered with dark chocolate glaze.
  • (Or, if that’s too difficult—my chocolate chip cookie recipe—freshly baked, about 20 minutes out of the oven).

Describe your first childhood cooking memory. My grandmother making meatballs rolled in cabbage and cheese blintzes. So foreign and complex to me at the time—removing individual cabbage leaves, boiling them, filling them with a ground meat mixture, rolling them like a burrito and then braising them in a sauce that she seasoned with sour salt. It was a lot more intricate than the hamburger helper meals I saw on TV or in my mother’s kitchen.

Same with the blintze. She made the most delicious crepes—which I would sneak and eat while she made the Farmer’s cheese filling. After filling the crepes with the Farmer’s cheese, she lightly fried them to golden-brown perfection and served them warm to her family.

My mother made food in her kitchen to feed six kids (and sometimes eight when my two cousins lived with us) and two adults, so convenience was a big theme. Tuna noodle casserole/hamburger helper to BBQ chicken and potatoes are memories in my mother’s kitchen that go back to my childhood.

What is your go-to neighborhood restaurant? Why? Floriole — a French bakery and café in Chicago. It has a relaxed atmosphere, delicious breads, baked goods, salads, sandwiches and soup.

Who was your most influential mentor? Mary Abbott Hess, a fellow registered dietitian, is my most influential mentor. Early in my career, Mary guided and encouraged me to combine my passion for food with my degree in nutrition and dietetics. This led me to step beyond the traditional hospital setting and pursue opportunities in food writing, communications and culinary school. At the time, this path was unconventional for a dietitian, but her guidance gave me the confidence to embrace it. She continues to inspire me today with her enduring leadership, boundless energy and ability to stay relevant in an ever-changing world.

Describe your worst kitchen disaster and how (if possible) you saved it. My husband and I were having out-of-town, food-loving guests over for dinner. I had a simple dinner planned of pan-seared halibut with a radicchio and fennel salad and roasted potatoes. We were enjoying conversation in our city side yard, drinking and eating appetizers. I came in to prepare the halibut that I left on the kitchen counter and discovered the fish was gone. Our dog had eaten it. (And what she didn’t eat was left in small pieces strewn around the family room floor.) How did I “save” it: I ordered several entrees of grilled shrimp and steak from the closest restaurant near us—a Mexican restaurant. Rice and beans were enjoyed as well!

What food is your secret guilty pleasure?  I don’t have a secret guilty pleasure, because I enjoy eating—always, even if it means just taking a bite or two of something. My favorites that I eat more than a bite of include: include Ben and Jerry’s Americone ice cream, French fries, almond croissants, chocolate chip cookies and cheese. Well…the latter I eat daily.

If you could have anyone past or present at your dinner table, who would it be and why? My mother. I’d love to sit and talk with her again.

Connect with her at RaeanneSarazen.com and on Instagram @rsarazen.