Feast & Fettle Launches New Cookbook

The Feast & Fettle Cookbook.

Feast & Fettle founder and chef Maggie Mulvena Pearson just launched The Feast & Fettle Cookbook spotlighting some of her favorite recipes for sauces, marinades, sides and entrees from her local meal delivery service. The Rhode Island-based chef graduated from Johnson and Wales University in 2013, and started working as a nanny and personal chef for a few years in the Providence area. Then, she launched a full-fledged meal delivery service in 2016 that helps a variety of professionals, couples and families with meal time. These home-cooked, healthy meals are locally prepared then delivered right to homes in the surrounding area. Clients can select entrees and sides separately and schedule the service for one day or multiple days per week for a single person, couples or a whole family. By popular demand, she just produced her very first cookbook with easy recipes for the home cook coupled with beautiful photography. Here’s a little q-and-a with Maggie on how it all came to be.

1. How did you first get into cooking?

I’ve honestly been interested in cooking from a young age. Some of my most cherished memories involve cooking with my Vovó (Portuguese for grandmother), watching her make blueberry or strawberry-rhubarb pie with freshly picked berries and rhubarb from her garden. I also loved helping her make split pea soup with the leftover ham bone from Easter dinner. As a kid, I would binge-watch episodes of ’90s and early-2000s Food Network shows; some of my favorites included “Emeril Live,” “30-Minute Meals” and “Barefoot Contessa.”

2. What made you want to launch a Feast & Fettle cookbook?

Writing a cookbook has always been a dream of mine, although I never actually thought I would have the chance to do it. When I transitioned out of my operational role at Feast & Fettle, the opportunity to pursue this aspiration became possible, though it wasn’t without its challenges. I knew I wanted to create a book that would not only extend the Feast & Fettle brand but would also help people become better home cooks using the methods we use everyday.

3. Why is this the perfect cookbook for someone just learning to cook, as well as for a busy person who might not have a ton of time to cook?

I would say this cookbook caters to a wide variety of home cooks. The first chapter, “The Basics” is the perfect starting point for anyone new to cooking, covering the essential foundations needed to become a great home cook. The following chapters build on these fundamentals, typically starting with easier recipes  and gradually introducing more complex ones, but rest assured, most recipes are designed to be very user-friendly. For busy cooks, I’ve included tips and tricks for speeding up the cooking process, as well as guidance on which components to prep ahead of time, making it easier to whip up quick weeknight meals.

4. What is the key factor to making home cooked food taste great?

Seasoning is the key factor to making home cooked food taste great, In this book, you’ll learn what falls under the umbrella of seasoning and discover best practices for using these techniques in your cooking.

5. As a mom who runs a cooking business, how can we get kiddos to become more adventurous eaters?

My two favorite tips for encouraging kids to be more adventurous eaters are: 1. Serve meals family-style, allowing them to pick and choose what to put on their plates. This approach often leads to more eating at the table. 2. Pair unfamiliar foods with dips. Kids inherently love to dip, and this makes mealtimes more fun but might surprise you with how many foods they’ll try!

6. Do you have a favorite recipe from the book and can you share it as a sneak peek?

One of my absolute favorite recipes — and a member favorite from Feast & Fettle — is my Roasted Salmon with Miso Teriyaki Sauce. The star of the dish is the sauce, which doubles as a marinade. It’s a delicious blend of umami-rich miso and soy, with brown sugar adding a sweet note that also helps achieve a beautifully charred exterior.

Pick up the Feast & Fettle Cookbook at your local bookstore or pre-order it on Amazon here. Maggie is also hosting a cookbook release party on Monday, Oct. 14 from 5-8:30 p.m. at Gracie’s restaurant. Tickets include an interactive tasting of Maggie’s most beloved recipes; dinner stations showcasing the cookbook’s unique chapters; handcrafted signature cocktails, along with premium beer and wine selections; and a personalized, signed edition of The Feast & Fettle Cookbook.

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