Carter’s Kitchen No. 6
Chloe Walsh, New York
Chloe Walsh, New York
Chloe Walsh is an inspiration! She’s a chef, recipe developer, retreat host, food stylist and writer. I’ve admired her from afar for years and love her vibrant energy, skills and creativity.
Where is your kitchen, and what does it look out onto?
My kitchen is on the first floor of our 3-floor, 18th-century brownstone, in the middle of Manhattan, NYC—and I love her. She’s a new kitchen (new to me, but actually old but perfectly formed and suits the age of the building) as we just moved to NYC after 12 years in Los Angeles, but originally from the UK.
My kitchen looks out onto our dining table and then over to the rest of our living room. Kitchen, living, dining are all on one floor.
What’s the first thing you do when you walk into it?
I am most likely walking into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. I am obsessed with English breakfast tea (Yorkshire), and most teas for that matter. Of course, food too, but tea first! Haha.
What’s usually left out on the bench or always within reach?
Bench or sideboard, are my keys, handbag, and a photo of my husband and me.
Kitchen counter—my four non-negotiable peppercorn grinders (black, white, pink, green), always a really, really good extra virgin olive oil, flaky salt, champagne vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
What do you make when you don’t feel like cooking at all?
I usually will braise whatever vegetables are in season and eat them with some boiled potatoes or over rice. It sounds boring, but people underestimate the beauty of perfectly braised (or even boiled) vegetables. I’m talking really, well-cooked. Floppy almost. Very Italian. Very cucina povera. I bloody love them—it’s my comfort meal for sure.
What’s something you cook on repeat?
I will always have some roasted vegetables (tomatoes, onions, peppers, fennel, etc.) in the fridge. I’ll do a big batch at the beginning of the week and add them to salads, toast, sandwiches, and soups. They really are so versatile and delicious.
Who or what taught you how to cook?
My nan—her name was June, my dad’s mum. She was an incredible but simple cook and absolutely informs everything that I do and indeed cook today. She’s my biggest inspiration.
Describe a meal that felt really good recently.
As I mentioned, I have just moved to NYC and there has been a lot of eating; it’s just part of moving to NYC. Like, I’ve barely cooked at home, which is so unusual and alien to me, but this is a food city and is full of temptation at every turn. People tell you about it before you move, and it’s a very real thing.
So, I walked into I Sodi (a famously hard place to get into) and tried my chance at getting a last-minute seat at the bar (I adore solo dining), and as luck would have it, I got a damn seat at the bar. I devoured a beautiful, well-dressed arugula salad and, dare I say, the best pasta I have ever had in my entire life. Better than anywhere that I have eaten in Italy. It was very thick, scattered ribbons of hand-cut pasta with a beef cheek and mushroom ragu atop. It was perfect. Washed down with a stunning glass of Nebbiolo—this was a VERY memorable recent meal for me.
Who do you most like cooking for (or eating with)?
My husband, my family in general and my friends. It’s my greatest joy in life—cooking for people.
What’s a small food ritual or habit you have?
Standing at the counter and eating multiple kinds of pickles and kimchi for ‘lunch’. Some homemade, some store-bought. I am a vinegar / fermented food fiend. I do it most days and I look forward to it. Might nail a few slices of French ham too!
What did you is something you love making?
Soup! No matter what the season, I make soup like it is my religion. I eat it all throughout the week and make another batch immediately. I never tire of making or eating soup.
Where do you eat your meals most of the time?
At our dining room table, we are creatures of habit and love to talk across from each other after a long day, sat at the table. Lunch can be, as I said—devoured ferociously at the kitchen counter or on the go.
What do you like listening to in your kitchen?
Jazz, Nigerian soul, 70’s disco, country music, Motown, or melodic tech house (I’m an old house head). Music is very important to me.
What’s something slightly imperfect in your kitchen that you still use?
A very, very old wooden spoon that I think I got whilst studying at uni—many years ago now. I love how it feels in my hand, I love how worn it is, I love how slightly stained it is from turmeric and years of red sauce making, despite being cleaned well and often. It’s a part of me.
A meal or food moment that stays with you:
All the alfresco dinners at our house in LA. we bought the house back in 2019, had our entire COVID experience in that garden. Then when the world opened back up again, we welcomed friends and family to our garden, often. So many beautiful memories, so many beautiful meals.
Follow Chloe on instagram here and on Substack here.
When Chloe doesn’t feeling like cooking, she braises or boils vegetables. I love them too and my favourite lunch is boiled vegetables with fish or chicken. We grow a lot of chard here because it grows well in our climate and the bugs don’t seem to like it much. I really enjoy the rainbow varieties. In Greece, they serve Horta, which is wild greens like dandelion, chicory or amaranth. My favourite is Agretti but it doesn’t grow here. All boiled greens make a great side dish with meat or fish, here’s how I like them best..
