One thing about Ree Drummond: She sure does cook a lot! Ree has published eight cookbooks (with a ninth, The Essential Recipes, on the way this fall!), she has her own cooking show, she’s guest-judged on a ton of cooking competition shows, and she regularly feeds her entire family plus a crew of cowboys on the ranch. There's no denying that The Pioneer Woman is a pro in the kitchen.
With that in mind, it's a little ironic that Ree has this one kitchen habit that most casual home chefs share: She uses cookbooks! But it's not just any collection of recipes that she's referencing. Ree often consults her own cookbooks!
"I have quite a few recipes memorized forever, like chocolate sheet cake and cinnamon rolls," she says. "And then I have recipes, such as quesadillas and fried pork chops that really don't require a recipe because I just go by feel. But I actually have to go back to my cookbooks for some recipes, to double check ingredients, quantities, and cooking times." That’s right, the cookbook author double-checks her own recipes in her own cookbooks. And she’s totally in on the joke. "I always laugh when I do that," Ree says.
So, in case you were feeling any pressure to know your favorite recipes off the top of your head—well, don’t! Even pros like Ree have to refer back to the source material on occasion. It doesn’t make you any less of a chef. In fact, it makes you even more like the pros! With so many things taking up brain space, it’s okay to let your recipes go unmemorized.
Next time you blank on an ingredient when you’re whipping up one of your favorite dishes, don’t fret! A quick flip through your favorite cookbook will get you back on track. Laugh it off, just like Ree does.
Kelsey Hurwitz is the associate features editor for The Pioneer Woman Magazine. When she's not writing about ranch life, home decor and food, she can be found knitting and catching up on her favorite reality TV shows.
