Reality Bites with Maddi Bragg

Reality Bites is a feature series focused on the relationships people have with food, what kinds of cooking they’re inspired and sustained by, and the ingredients and tools that help them along the way.

Maddi Bragg’s first foray into the professional food world was as a sous-chef during a social media break — a necessary step back for the YouTube phenomenon with 1.1 M subscribers. She pivoted to recipes from fashion and lifestyle as a way of inspiring her community to “to nourish their bodies in a healthy, focused way that doesn’t put emphasis on intimidating diet culture.” When she’s not at Hollywood farmers market, Maddi gathers friends at her dining table (which she uses religiously even when eating by herself). Below, she elaborates on seasonal shopping, leaving home and supporting herself at 16, and her desert island cooking essentials.

What's your morning routine?

During the week I wake up around 7:30, brush my teeth, throw on some activewear (I love Beyond Yoga or Set Active) and head out the door to an 8:15 class at Hot Pilates on Sunset. After class I grab a coffee at Verve on 3rd Street and head home to shower and make breakfast before getting started on work for the day.

Tell us a little bit about your background and your early relationships with food.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of eating dinner with my family. We almost always sat at the table to eat together and that's something that has stuck with me to this day. I was a really picky eater growing up, very much a meat and potatoes kind of girl (who randomly loved artichokes). When I moved out at 16, I quickly realized I couldn’t eat pizza for every meal and needed to learn how to feed myself. That’s when I started really exploring new food and teaching myself how to cook.

What started as a basic survival skill quickly turned into a fun hobby and eventually my passion and career. I started cooking for anybody that would eat my food and working for a restaurant in LA. I worked my way up for two years, helped open up a second location and eventually became sous chef. I ultimately decided restaurant life is not for me right now, but I’m really excited to see where food and my cooking may take me. Nothing brings me more joy than preparing a delicious meal for the people I love and gathering around the table to share food and conversation.

How is food related to overall wellbeing and nourishment for you?

Life is all about balance, and food is no exception. We say to feed your soul for a reason! I am a huge advocate for eating whatever and whenever your body wants — unless you have allergies or health conditions that suggest you eat a certain way. I think diet culture is extremely dangerous, especially for young women. The best thing we can do for our bodies (and minds) is to eat what makes us feel good. For me, that can take the form of a double smash burger, fries, and a milkshake or a roasted chicken with veggies and a fresh salad. If this is the only life I get to live, you better believe I’m eating anything and everything I want!

what does a typical day of eating look like for you?

I always start my day with a huge glass of water and a latte. For breakfast, I tend to get fixated on a meal and have the same thing every morning until I can’t bear to eat it anymore. I’m in a huge yogurt and berries phase at the moment.

Lunch is my least favorite meal of the day and pretty much always consists of leftovers or a random salad/sandwich I throw together with what I have in my fridge. Snacks are essential in my house (I always have fruit, cheese, Lesley Stowe fig and olive crisps, and salami on hand) and sometimes I’ll eat a bunch of random little things for lunch instead of a ‘normal’ meal.

Dinner is my favorite, so I’m always playing around with new recipes and ideas. The ingredients usually depend on my mood and what looks good at the market. I love a roast chicken with vegetables or a salmon bowl. If I’m feeling like something richer, I’ll make pasta.

where do you shop for your ingredients?

I’m very particular when it comes to my food shopping. I pretty much only shop at the farmers market and my local butcher shop Standings. We’re so blessed in California with the most beautiful produce year-round. It would be a shame not to shop locally and seasonally. I try to do one big shop on Sunday at Hollywood Farmers Market & Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday, but if I forget things or need something for a video or dinner I’m hosting, I’ll do a quick Whole Foods run. The biggest rule I follow is to not over shop so I limit my food waste as much as possible.

how do you go about planning (or not planning) your meals?

I try not to eat out during the week, so I’ll plan 3 dinners and then turn the leftovers into something new the other 2 nights. I will be honest and say this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes I crave pizza when I planned to eat tacos at home — in which case I go and grab a few slices at Prime on Fairfax.

Who do you typically eat with?

Breakfast and lunch are usually solo endeavors, but I love eating dinner with company. It’s most often my roommate or a friend that I invite over — but I will cook for and eat with quite literally anyone who will accept the invitation. Food is my love language.

dream dinner guest?

Julia Child. Or my dad, who passed when I was a little girl. 

are there times you feel uninspired to cook, and if so, how do you inspire yourself?

I think in any creative industry, it’s very easy to go through periods of being uninspired. What helps me the most is getting out into nature and logging off social media for a bit. It sounds so simple, but I can’t tell you how much it drastically improves my creativity and inspiration.

What’s always in your fridge and pantry?

My fridge is usually stuffed with eggs, tortillas, mushrooms, lots of herbs, shallots, lemon, onion, and potatoes. As far as the pantry goes, I always have anchovies, Calabrian chilies, fish sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard. These are staples for me and can be used in a wide variety of recipes.

can you tell us a little more about your trajectory into the food world?

I started on YouTube when I was 12 or 13, before being an “influencer" was even a thing. After a year or two, it naturally started to take off and I started gaining followers and even making money. I had a bit of a rough home life and was fortunate enough to support myself that way and be able to move out to L.A. from Orange County at 16. About three years later, I needed a break from the internet and wanted to explore my passion for food — that’s when I started working at a restaurant. I ultimately came back to social media, but now with a focus on sharing recipes and food/lifestyle content. My favorite part about sharing videos is the connections and community I'm able to create. Knowing that people are making my recipes in their homes and sharing them with people they love is so special to me.

favorite cookware and serving ware?

Everybody needs a good quality chef’s knife (mine is Shun), a wood cutting board — I am partial to a butcher block, and love all of Boo’s —, and a cast iron skillet (check out the selection at Lodge). I could go on for hours about everything else, but those are my desert island essentials. Anything Heath Ceramics is my go-to when it comes to serving ware.

essential cookbooks?

I recently picked up Salad Freak by Jess Damuck and I’m loving it. It’s organized by season! I also love Dining In and Nothing Fancy, which are both by Alison Roman — they’re perfect for beginners and I feel like we have very similar cooking styles: fresh, fun, and fairly simple.

Chefs or individuals that inspire you?

Sophia Roe, my grandmother and all my friends!! 

favorite restaurants and spots for take-out?

I love Found Oyster in Franklin Village, All Time in Los Feliz, and Grá in Echo Park. My favorite takeout is from Pine & Crane in Silverlake, delicious when dining in as well. There are so many incredible restaurants in LA, but those are my current favorites.

Your go-to recipes?

I love a roast chicken. I usually pair it with potatoes and a fresh salad or vegetables. It’s easy, healthy, delicious, and I always have leftovers which are great to shred for salads or tacos the next day. This is my OG recipe, but I definitely switch it up from time to time.

all images provided by maddi bragg, interview by claire brodka