Chef Katie Lee Talks Motherhood During the Pandemic, Plus: Her New Cookbook

Katie Lee is keeping busy with her 6-month-old baby girl Iris and her new cookbook, “It’s Not Complicated.”

The chef opened up to “Extra’s” Cheslie Kryst, gushing over being a mom, “It’s so much more than I imagined. I knew that I was going to really love her. I didn’t know I was going to feel like this. Every day, my heart is exploding and breaking at the same time.”

Having a baby in the pandemic does have a bright side, Katie explained. “The positive has been that my husband and I have both been home this whole time and gotten to be with her and have every moment with her,” she said, revealing, “I’m actually going back to work, back in studio next week. It will be the first time that I am leaving her, I am just so nervous to leave her. I don’t know what it’s going to be like to be away from her all day.”

Lee went on, “I’m going need a million texts… I’m kind of enjoying the thought of my husband doing the whole thing.”

She shared, “The best thing about Ryan is he has taken such good care of us during this, when I’m taking care of the baby he is taking care of everything else.”

He even cooks! “He makes great salmon, he also makes the best ribs and I put his ribs recipe in my book… He also makes the best salad dressing.”

Ryan even popped in during the interview with baby Iris!

In her new book she shares 100 recipes, telling Cheslie, “I’m really excited about it. I worked on it the whole time we were at home.”

Lee insisted, “The recipes are not complicated.” Cheslie confessed she cannot cook, but Katie told her, “I believe everybody can cook, if you have simple recipes… Don’t take it too seriously, just enjoy yourself and if it’s terrible you can order take out.”

What is her go-to recipe for beginners? “I think everybody should know how to make a good roast a chicken.” Then there is dessert, and she broke this news about the secret ingredient for her chocolate chip cookies: miso paste.