Meet the British Whiz Kid Who Has Her Own Cookbook
Photo: topwithcinnamon.com
While her high school peers lapped up rays on summer break, the London-based Izy Hossack was developing recipes and photographing them for her first cookbook. Titled Top With Cinnamon and based on Hossack’s popular blog of the same name, the book went on sale this September. Its 206 pages feature a mix of comforting and inventive dishes, all developed, styled, and shot by Hossack herself.
Now 18 and a high school grad—she’ll head to the University of Leeds after a gap year—Hossack is busy promoting Top With Cinnamon. Fortunately, the culinary whiz kid slowed down long enough to chat about what it’s like creating an award-winning blog and publishing a cookbook before she’s even been to college.
You eat so much better than I did at your age! What inspires your recipes?
It’s mostly the things I eat at home. The savory stuff has an Italian [edge] to it, because my mother is an Italian-American. With the baking stuff, I have a few things that are just completely indulgent, but I’ve also got whole wheat muffins. It’s kind of indulgent, but with a healthy twist. I wanted it to be accessible for people my age who don’t know how to cook.
What makes something “accessible” in your opinion?
Cooking is such a simple thing that people don’t know how to do! Everything [in my cookbook] is kind of simple to make and doesn’t require a stand mixer or a bread maker.
What’s your favorite dessert recipe in the book?
It’s this chocolate cake that’s kind of like a chocolate-molten-cake-slash-brownie. You make it in one pot, and it’s really easy. It takes a half hour to make. I made it for my friend this weekend, and all her flatmates were like, “This is ridiculous!”
How about favorite savory dish?
There is this pomegranate and chickpea dip. I serve it with these pita chips, and it’s got feta, mint, some onion and you put some pomegranate molasses on it. I could eat a wholes serving of it! It’s healthy, and everybody loves it.
Most people your age are still learning how to turn on a stove, but you’re a published author. Do you think, in regards to the cookbook, your age has worked for or against you?
I [had to] manage to convince my parents to let me do it! But with the publishers, they said: “We’re so surprised you’re handing things in on time!” And I was like, is that not normal? It think it was because of me being at school and being used to deadlines.
And how on Earth did you manage to write and photograph a cookbook, all while applying for college?
I think I’d done a third of the recipes by the time I went back to school [after summer break]. After that, it was mostly writing, which I would do if I had free hours at school. Afterward, if I didn’t have homework to do, I would just write. On the weekends I would do the photography.
That’s intense! How are you spending your gap year? Relaxing at all?
I wanted to take the year off so I could just do more food blogging stuff. I’ve been doing some freelance photography, recipe development for Food52 and The Kitchn, and I might be doing some stuff for Jamieoliver.com.
That’s not what I’d call relaxing… I guess it’s restful in comparison?
[Laughs] Now it’s so nice to have free time.
So you’re headed to college next year. Are you going to study something food-related?
I’m going to the University of Leeds to study food science and nutrition. It’s quite scary for me, because I’ve always been really into science. When I was in 14, I thought I was going to study biology in university and do science as a job. But after I started my food blog three years ago, then I realized it’s what I really enjoy doing and I want to head into the food world as my career.
Do you think you’ll be as busy in college as you were in high school?
I think I would like to do another cookbook. It’s kind of scary trying to think of what to do next! I really enjoyed [writing my first cookbook] because you’re working on something for so long, and then it’s done! It’s so rewarding.
More from Izy Hossack:
Chickpea and Pomegranate Dip
Swedish Chocolate Cake
When did you first learn to cook? Let us know!
