Kat Odell
When we say we've met our food soulmate, we're not kidding around. Kat Odell is as OBSESSED with food as we are. This foodie has beautifully harnessed her passion into becoming a trusted and influential writer in the culinary scene. This New York native left her job as a writer at Bon Appétit to become the editor of the prestigious food blog, Eater (which we both frequent daily). As editor, Kat truly has her finger on the pulse the LA & NYC food scenes-- she knows the best eats around, from major hot-spots to hole in the wall joints that will change your life.
We met up with this beauty at El Rey Cafe, where she explained to us that she grew up in a food-loving family. Kat was always drawn to the culinary world, even as a child. She started her own granola business in high-school, Kat's Super Yummy Granola, which was sold at a local gourmet food store in her hometown of Scarsdale, NY. This granola must have been good because she sent it in with her college acceptance essay and she got in... :)
It's literally Kat's job to eat incredible food everyday (um, you could say, jealous!?) but she definitely keeps it balanced. While she does eat out mostly every night for dinner, Kat likes to keep it light and healthy during the day, often eating at the best vegetarian spots or cooking for herself. Like us, she's crazy about vegetables and she's recently has been making her own homemade nut milks.
HOW THEY GLOW QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME: Kat Odell
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? New York
WHEN YOU'RE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL...
For me healthy eating means shopping at a local farmers market and stocking up on seasonal fruits and veggies. Not a lot of people know that I was a vegetarian for seven years in high school and part of college. Although I eat everything now and do enjoy a good burger, I gravitate toward vegetables and crave them. I love to cook, though at home I generally follow a vegetarian diet. Lately I’ve been obsessed with nut milks and I’ve been playing around with different recipes for almond, cashew, and pistachio milk. The latest: pistachio cardamom milk.
BREAKFAST: I make a chia pudding with whatever nut milk I’ve made that week. Today it was chia with cinnamon cashew milk topped with a scoop of tangy Maple Hill Creamery yogurt (I am about to try to make my own nut milk yogurts) plus a spoon of strawberry vanilla bean jam I made from Hamptons strawberries last week plus almond crumble and just a little of of Eleven Madison Park granola (the parting give you get after finishing a meal there). That plus coffee. In the winter I make pour over every morning with beans from Heart, Caffe Luxxe, or Panther. But last week I actually made a batch of cold brew for the first time and since it has been so hot in NYC lately, I am stick with that. To the coffee I just add a splash of nut milk.
LUNCH: Usually a salad – maybe something with grilled chicken and kale. I like the one from The Little Beet in Midtown. Or, sometimes I get adventurous. Soup dumplings and hand-pulled noodles from Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns or bibimbap from Ambrosia.
DINNER: I generally dine out at night so I am usually at a restaurant for dinner. Lately I’ve had great meals in LA at Go’s Mart and (protip: if you go, ask them to hold the truffle oil) Night + Market Song, at El Taco de Mexico in Denver, and here in NY at Sushi Azabu, Ko, La Vara, and a seriously epic black truffle tasting menu at Per Se.
SNACK: I actually try not to snack. If it do it’s usually something raw like crackers or granola from One Lucky Duck.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS TO EAT HEALTHY?
LA: Moon Juice, Café Gratitude, Milo + Olive, True Food Kitchen, Gjelina, The Tasting Kitchen, Bestia, Bucato, Red Bread, Sqirl, Rustic Canyon, and Sweet Rose Creamery (ice cream counts, right?!).
NY: Feel Food, El Rey, Roberta’s, The Cleveland, One Lucky Duck, Estela, and Tuck Shop (kale salad).
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE? Ice cream! Right now I am obsessed with everything and everything at Morgenstern’s.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE? Well, I love Asian food in general, especially Japanese. I think if I could eat just one food for the rest of my life it would be sushi. LA has so much incredible sushi and now that I am planted in NYC I’ve been searching New York for sushi that’s on par with LA quality. I had a good meal at Kura in the East Village not long ago and I like Sushi Azuba in Tribeca. I am a really adventurous diner in general and love to explore hole-in-the-wall type spots outside Manhattan. I am a fan of Uzbek restaurant Café Arzu in Forest Hills and Lao Dong Bei in Flushing. Other places I like in general: NY: Uncle Boons, Blanca, Taverna Kyclades, Taste of Persia, Somtum Der, Breads Bakery (the chocolate babka!), The Cannibal, The Nomad, Ai Fiori, Union Square Café. Mailino, Minetta Tavern, Decibel.
LA: Dean Sin World, JTYH, Sea Harbour, Kang Ho Dong, Yamakase, Shunji, Superba F+B, Sushi Zo, Hiko, Sugarfish … and all the places I mentioned above.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH? My grandmother’s chicken soup or sushi in Tokyo.
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE? I love to cook seasonally and be inspired by the farmers market. I love making fresh pasta – I make a pretty serious lasagna. I am also big into baking.
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP IN LA? I try to go to the farmers market as much as possible but outside that Erewhon is great, the Santa Monica Co-op, and Whole Foods. NY is Whole Foods, Chelsea Market, and the Union Square Green Market, which is right by my apartment. I am on the hunt for some great health food stores at the moment, too.
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN? I try to workout about 5x per week. In LA I used to do the Santa Monica Stairs all the time and run outside but in NY I’ve been going to Equinox.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS? LOVE The Organic Pharmacy.
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU TAKE?
2. Real Purity Deodorant (I know so random but this stuff works SO well and it’s completely natural)
3. Ligne St Barths Body Lotion
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS?
1. Milky Chance – "Stolen Dance"
2. Vampire Weekend- "Step"
3. And I like to run to Deorro- "Five Hours"
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED? A trip to Asia.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. Travel to some far away exotic place. Go for a run in the morning, maybe an afternoon picnic or day at the beach with great wine, followed by a meal cooked at home. With more great wine.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE BEAUTY TIP/SECRET? Less is more.
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW? Being passionate about life and what I do.
Photography by: Jai Lennard