Q&A with Rebecca Milanski

What is your name?

Rebecca Milanski

What was your very first cooking experience?

I was 10 and I asked to make dinner for the family. I put some chicken pieces in a casserole, covered them with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, sprinkled with white wine, and put it in the oven. It was a huge hit!

Do you ever make mistakes cooking?

Of course, especially in Colorado with the altitude and dryness factors!

Who taught you how to cook?

My mom.

Why do you like to plan and make meals?

There’s something so wonderful about immediately making people happy through your work and ideas. Talk about instant job gratification!

What advice do you have for kids to learn to cook?

Never be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes the weirdest looking things taste the best.

Why do you like zisboombah?

I like that the “Pick Chow” plates are so much fun and can spark kids’ creative food ideas. Plus it’s so easy for kids to learn to use—even kids who don’t read yet!

What is your favorite food?

Mangoes from India.

How long have you been a chef?

I graduated from culinary school in 1997, but I haven’t worked in a professional kitchen since moving to Colorado. I currently enjoy creating and testing out recipes, writing about food, and enjoying a great meal with friends and family.

Where do you work now?

I work in publishing and write freelance food articles in my spare time.

What does your day consist of?

Getting up and getting my son ready for school or camp, working a full day, going to the gym, going to sports practices and games for my son, getting dinner on the table, helping with homework and packing lunches for the next day, catching up with my husband, going to bed. Wow—I didn’t realize how full my day is until I wrote it all out.

What thought process do you use when making a meal?

I think of what I have available in the fridge and cross that with what I have a taste for and what we have time for.

If you have kids, do they like to eat your food?

I’ve been really lucky that my son is not a picky eater and is very interested in cooking and where and how his food originates. He digs his mom’s eats.