Cook Like a Chef With The Modern Nonna

Q: Though not a “traditionally” or “classically” trained chef, looking at your website and feed we would be none the wiser! How did you acquire the education in and outside the kitchen to become “The Modern Nonna”?

I like to say I learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world: my grandma’s kitchen. I became the cook I am today thanks to spending my childhood in my grandmothers’ and mother’s kitchens. The matriarchs of my family taught me how to cook Bulgarian and Greek food. Many of the recipes on my website have been passed down through multiple generations of my family. It brings me so much joy to see my community cook these recipes in their homes all over the world.

My mother and grandmothers taught me about honoring food traditions, but also being flexible and nimble in the kitchen, which allows room for making substitutions and cooking with what’s in season or just what you have on hand. They influenced me to keep my cooking simple and flexible, and I love creating recipes with lots of options for substitutions and allergen-friendly swaps. A mix of experimentation and recreating my family’s recipes led me to become the cook I am today.

Q: Are there any cooking techniques or recipes that are heirlooms from the women in your family?

My family rarely to never used proper measuring tools while cooking, which helped me develop an ease in the kitchen and it’s why I always say in my recipes “season or measure with your heart.” I learned how to prepare certain dishes without electric devices; like using a mortar and pestle to make pesto instead of using a food processor.

Much like my ancestors, I keep my cooking as simple as possible and rely on high-quality ingredients. I’m very drawn to ingredients from the Mediterranean and the Balkans—the areas I grew up in and around—so you’ll find lots of salty cheeses, squash, tomatoes, bread and breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs in my cooking.

Q: What are your favorite recipes that your mother and grandmother cooked when you were growing up?

I have included so many of my favorite nostalgic family recipes on my website. I always have jars of homemade sugo (Italian tomato sauce) on hand, which I cook in large batches during peak tomato season. Gathering and making sauce to last our family a year is a tradition that I hold so close to my heart. I recently shared my Bapche’s (grandmother’s) baked apple recipe, which for me, evokes childhood and comfort food. You can find many of my mom’s recipes on my website: from her zucchini ricotta fritters to her cherry jam and Bulgarian potato meatballs. Whenever my mom and I get together, she cooks our favorite dishes, and I record them into recipes.

Q: As “The Modern Nonna”, you’re known for putting a modern twist on traditional recipes and cuisine. What does that mean to you?

To me, adding a modern twist means being inclusive to different lifestyles and food preferences. I don’t want people to feel limited to using exactly what is listed in a recipe; they should feel free to experiment and add flavors that they love, whether that’s increasing the spiciness of a dish or adding chocolate chips to a muffin. My hope in modernizing recipes is to offer people healthier and allergen-friendly alternatives to their favorite dishes. Some recipes are meant to stay traditional, but I do like to use what I consider to be healthier oils, like avocado and olive oil, or substitutions, like using coconut cream instead of heavy dairy cream.

Q: You have millions of followers across social media channels like Instagram and TikTok. How did you begin creating content on social media? Were there any techniques you used to grow your platform?

I began creating content when my mom stopped cooking (lol!). Around 2012, my mom went through a phase where she felt extreme fatigue from work and decided to let me fly and try experimenting on my own. She allowed me to be free and express myself through food. I started sharing my food photos on my personal Facebook page, then my personal Instagram page, and saw that people were interested in the recipes. I didn’t want to bombard my personal pages with food photos, so I decided to make a different account. At the time it was called @basicallytasty which transitioned to @themodernnonna a year later. Consistency was the biggest “technique” I used. I showed up on my page, whether through stories, posts or reels, every single day and continued to post for years (even when my accounts weren’t growing). I didn’t give up and kept on posting because I genuinely love it and cooking feels like therapy for me and helps with my mental health struggles.

Q: What advice would you give to women aspiring to start a business or break into a male-centered industry, like culinary arts?

I would say you should aspire to care more about being respected than being liked. Always support and empower other women. Believe in yourself and what you produce and create based on what feels unique and authentic to you. Don’t just see yourself as a woman, but as a chef too, whose talent is not defined by gender. Your talent is not defined by your gender. Let the food speak for itself and trust your gut.

Q: What are some staples in your kitchen and pantry?

Avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, all kinds of nuts and seeds, different types of flours, such as almond and coconut flour. I use a lot of gluten-free oats and various spices, such as oregano and paprika. I love Redmond real salt, which is a mineral salt.

Q: In addition to the women in your family, what other culinary artists inspire you?

There are so many beautiful recipe developers/content creators that I’m in touch with daily on social media, who constantly inspire me. We support one another in our careers and encourage each other to be better.

Q: Are there any food trends (flavors, ingredients, techniques) that are particularly interesting to you?

One of the most interesting food trends was the Butter Board trend. I made a few different boards that reached millions of people and it was a trend that I had never seen before. It was new and fun and so novel. I was able to play around with the concept and come up with so many other versions that were perfect for hosting. I love when the wheel is reinvented with a trend that is “MODERN” and unique!