Tell us about your first Day in the Life video.
This video is so silly.
What am I going to do with this?
Credit:Annie Schlechter
Why would I ever post this?
No ones going to care.
So I didnt post the video for five months.
Credit:Annie Schlechter
What made you finally post the video?
I was broke, and I had to pay the bills.
A lot of events were getting canceled.
Credit:Annie Schlechter
I was like, Oh my gosh, I need to make money fast.
Annie Schlechter
Tell us more about that challenging time in your life.
Would you call it your flop era?
Credit:Annie Schlechter
Without that desperation, I dont know if I ever would have had the confidence to do that.
How did it feel, going viral on social media like that?
I was really excited, because Ive always loved social media.
Credit:Annie Schlechter
It seems to have worked out pretty well so far!
Its funny because a lot of my life stayed the same for two years.
It was very much an out-of-body experience, in some ways.
Meredith Hayden
Its funny because a lot of my life stayed the same for two years.
What was it like, going from private chef to viral video and recipe creator?
I went into private chef work knowing it was temporary.
I always knew that was the direction I wanted to go in.
I had my blog up with recipes long before I had any sort of following.
Cookbook Corner
Did you run into any surprises while creating your cookbook?
Youre not new to recipe development.
Im surprised at how fast time goes by.
You think, Oh, were going to make this book in a year and a half.
Thats plenty of time.
I think that was a big surprise for me, how big of an undertaking it was.
What are you excited for fans to see in the cookbook?
Theyre all inspired by different parts of the Hamptons and different parts of the dinner party process.
We hired this incredible artist who did these paintings, and theyre just so whimsical and so cute.
Its really almost like a photo book.
In the Kitchen with Meredith
Whats your hottest take about cooking right now?
There are other options.
We dont have to be doing that.
So what do you suggest instead?
Make soup that you’re free to put in the freezer and not give yourself food poisoning.
Its a good little hack.
Once you follow recipes and measure recipes enough, youll get comfortable enough to throw out the measuring spoons.
Do you measure as you cook?
I go off of vibes.
Tasting as you cook is much more important than measuring.
And know this is a standard amount of garlic for this amount of tomato sauce, for example.
Once you follow recipes and measure recipes enough, youll get comfortable enough to throw out the measuring spoons.
Do you allow animals in your kitchen?
Yes, animals in the kitchen.
Because I love dogs.
Pretend its a cozy night at home: Are you ordering takeout or cooking?
If thats the case, Ill cook.
And I like to use my cozy nights in to do those fun, experimental recipes.
But honestly, Ive been on a pretty serious takeout bender recently.
I have a special relationship with swamp soup.
I wasnt even going to post that recipe video.
And I was like, I guess Ill film this.
I need to post something this week.
And it ended up being my most popular recipe.
But Im not just saying that to plug the cookbook, it actually is so good.
Its tomatoes, vegetables, white beans.
I blend it up so its a silky puree consistency with these thyme sourdough croutons on top.
What has been your favorite viral TikTok food moment?
Ive just been a busy girl, making a lot of chicken salad.
What dishes are you making the most right now?
Ive been making a lot of chicken salad.
Ive just been a busy girl, making a lot of chicken salad.
A lot of oatmeal, blueberry oatmeal.
Again, boring, but this is life.
Andoh my Godthese brown butter pecan cookies I developed in December.
You posted about celebrating the holidays with a caviar, potato chips, and creme fraiche combo.
Will you be serving this high-low pairing all year long?
Its a very easy, fun, exciting appetizer.
Hosting + Homemaking
What does hosting mean to you?
Growing up, we always had really over-the-top Thanksgiving weekends with my family and my cousins.
And I think thats where I fell in love with hosting in a home setting instead of going somewhere.
It just feels comfortable, and it feels really personal.
There are a ton of different depictions of homemaking out there.
What does homemaking mean to you?
Im not nesting for a man, Im not nesting for a family.
Im doing it for myself.
Thats the beef I have with trad wife content, I guess.
Its always through the lens of, Im doing this for my husband.
It makes me happy.
And this is how I like to spend my time, period.
On Decorating and Design
You just bought a new househow is the decorating process going?
There have been a lot of learning moments as I started furnishing my house.
I really like making it up as I go, and there have been some failures for sure.
Whats your approach to decorating?
How do your personal style and your decorating style overlap?
Thats kind of how Ive approached all of my different design eras.
It has a jeans and a white T-shirt feel to it.
I feel like thats my signature approachable approach.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
