Chef Gail Simmons has been a “Top Chef” judge for 15 seasons, but after traveling all over the world with the award-winning show, she’s decided to bring it home. Having a daughter, designing her ideal kitchen, and spending more time cooking at home inspired Simmons to gather some recipes from random notebooks and write her first cookbook. She released “Bringing It Home” in October and joined Cheddar to talk about the book. Simmons says that people who are busy and pressed for time need not worry, since the book features simple and easy-to-follow directions. And for a little treat afterward, the book is also filled with cocktails! During the interview on Wednesday she said that the book is not “chef-ie,” but meant for everyday cooks. She assures us her recipes don't require unfamiliar ingredients that readers won't be able to pronounce! She encourages new chefs that, with little preparation or by getting ready the night before, “you can make anything.” And with Thanksgiving, what she calls "pie season," only two weeks away, Simmons has a must-try recommendation. She encouraged readers to give her favorite maple sugar pie a stab. “I think that there’s a recipe in my book that everyone should make this year,” she said. “It’s a very traditional Quebec recipe called the Tarte au Sucre, which is a maple sugar pie, and it’s so delicious. It’s my favorite pie.”
