10 Things Catherine Neville Can't Live Without
Written By Carrie Edelstein
Photography By Matt Marcinkowski
We’re not sure how she does it all, but Catherine “Cat” Neville continues to rise in her career as a food storyteller– and entrepreneur. She’s the publisher of Feast magazine, producer of “Feast TV,” and next she’s going national with tasteMAKERS, a show to be broadcast on PBS about food culture.
Cat says, “You’ll see everything from an oyster farmer in Washington state to a bread baker in North Carolina to an actual cattle operation that sees their cattle all the way through from a processing plant they own and operate to their own butcher shop… a charcuterie maker in Texas, a chocolatier in Florida, and of course we’ll tell stories from St. Louis.”
The 13-episode season is in production with Tybee Studios, the same crew that works on “Feast TV.” Cat was deep into filming the day before we caught up with her.
“I was in the Bootheel watching as the rice harvest was happening at a three-generation farm. You just don’t see these kinds of stories about food culture being told anywhere else.” She adds, “With print obviously you have the written word and pictures, with radio it’s sound. But I just fell in love with television production it’s totally an immersive media experience.”
In case you were wondering how Cat, 44, stays trim, she says she’s not a big breakfast person, and snacks on nuts and dried fruits.
“It’s about the quality of food that you eat. I don’t eat processed food if I can help it. I don’t steer clear of fat I mean I love cheese but I don’t over indulge.” Cat says her favorite thing to make is a “perfect roasted chicken.” As for the actual things she can’t live without…
1. A good, sharp knife. Cat says, “I’ve had my Shun chef’s knife for probably 15 years and I’ll most likely have it for the rest of my life. You really only need a well-sharpened chef’s knife, a serrated knife and a paring knife to tackle most everything you’ll cook at home.”
2. A good quality, right-sized cutting board. “A solid, thick wooden cutting board is key.”
3. Her iPhone.
4. Yoga and morning walks.
5. A big, stainless steel mixing bowl. “Never plastic!”
6. Salt and pepper.
7. A sturdy wine key with a serrated foil cutter. “All of the other wine-opening devices pale in comparison to the simple design and superior functionality of a well-made waiter’s-style wine key.”
8. Time alone. “I need time to unplug and have space to myself so I can recharge and be ready to focus and be fully engaged.”
9. Heavy, durable, stainless steel cookware. “It’s the weight and thickness of the cookware and the fact that it’s stainless, rather than non-stick. Yes, there are some tasks that necessitate using a non-stick pan so I have one that’s of the non-toxic variety. But stainless is the way to go. You’ll never create a perfectly gorgeous caramelized sear in a non-stick pan.
10.Nature. “Living in the city, it’s easy to take the natural world for granted and forget the impact simply being in nature can have on your well being. Take a walk in the woods. Sit on a riverbank. Listen to the birds. Pay attention.”
