Before hitting 40, Miranda Lambert has already won three Grammys, was named to the Time 100 list, started a nonprofit organization for shelter and rescue animals, and landed a residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. On April 25, the country superstar is knocking another item off her to-do list: She’s releasing her first cookbook.
Y’all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen is Lambert’s ode to the food she was raised on and the women who did the raising. Alongside 50 recipes, including the likes of her nonny’s banana pudding and a campfire cobbler that utilizes a coffee can, she shares stories about her Texas roots featuring her grandmother, mother, and her mother’s tight-knit group of girlfriends, whom she considers akin to aunts.
Lambert also opens up about life on the road as well as on her 400-acre Tennessee farm, which she shares with husband Brendan McLoughlin, a retired police officer. Shondaland spoke with Lambert about how the pandemic inspired her cookbook, why girls’ nights are essential, and what she’s learned as she nears the big 4-0 in November.
CHELSEA GREENWOOD: What was the inspiration for Y’All Eat Yet?
MIRANDA LAMBERT: Friendship really is the foundation for it. In 2020, when we were on lockdown, my mom’s best friends wanted to find a way to connect weekly because we were so used to being around each other. We started a game we called our Chopped cook-off where each of our husbands would pick an ingredient, and we all had to make a dish with those ingredients without Googling. And so we would report back on Thursdays and have happy hour over Zoom. Then, we’d start talking about our recipes and all our memories together.
I thought, “This could be a cute little book we could put together.” I called my manager and talked to her about it, and she said, “I don’t think it’s a cute little book. I think it’s a whole thing. We need to dive into this.” Three years, we’ve been workin’ on it, and it was really amazing to put it together because I got to relive some of the great childhood memories I have with these strong ladies in my life and celebrate them. All of our celebrations always include cocktails and food.
CG: What’s your favorite recipe from the book?
ML: My mom’s meatloaf is a staple in our house. It was always the birthday dinner and the when-you-bring-someone-home-to-meet-your-parents meal. My mom’s claim to fame is it was editor’s pick in Southern Living in 2011, and that’s her greatest joy, so it’s definitely a staple for us.
CG: What’s the message of your book?
ML: I want this book to be a reminder to live out loud and surround yourself with the people who celebrate your highs with you and hold you up during the lows. I just think it’s so important to have a circle of friends that can really add to your life. Sometimes, I don’t think we really slow down enough to spend quality time with each other, so that’s what this book is about.
CG: What was it like reflecting on the food you grew up eating, and what was that process like?
ML: It was really fun. We had to get together a lot to really go through all of this, so that was the fun part. It was also hard because these ladies aren’t stick-to-recipes type of girls. They’re like, “Oh, I’ll just eyeball it.” Or “Throw in a pinch of this.”
The easy part was remembering all the stories surrounding these dishes and laughing and crying about them while we were writing them but also making sure that recipes were accurate for people to cook. A lot of these recipes are in their heads or are on handwritten cards from their grandmothers, so this is all about hand-me-down love.
CG: What is it about combining women and food that creates such magic?
ML: Girls’ nights are a thing, and it’s because we need them. I think it’s about those moments when you get really honest with each other. I had one the other night. I had six girls over, and we just ordered Mexican food and drank wine and loved on each other. It just fed my soul so much. We need that camaraderie and sisterhood to survive. And I’m so happy that I have a book that’s a reminder of that for people.
CG: Was there a memory that you dug up during this process that was especially moving for you?
ML: We had to talk about some hard stuff. My Aunt Denise lost her husband, whom I’ve known since I was a baby, and that was a very hard time. And my divorce [from fellow country star Blake Shelton in 2015]. And my mom survived breast cancer. Most of this book is about the highs and the fun camping trips and all the cupcakes we ate, but it was really important for me to touch on the hard stuff because that’s when your circle really comes through. That’s when you really need to be lifted up.
CG: You turn 40 this year. You’ve accomplished so much already. What do you have left to do?
ML: I have so much I still want to do. Some days, I feel like I’m just getting started. Some days, I feel like I’ve been doing this for 200 years. It just depends on the day. But I’ve been still creating. I’ve never done a book, so it’ll be cool to have this book out the year I turn 40. I’ve been writing a ton, including with some other artists, which has been new and creative. The Vegas residency has been such a new journey from touring for 20 years, so that’s different for me.
I have a lot that I want to do, but most of it involves creating more music and just living. I’ve learned now at almost 40 to balance a lot better. I love to work, and I love my job, [but] I have to stop myself from just grinding away. I have spent more time enjoying the moment. Like last year, we took all of July and went out West in our Airstream. I didn’t wear makeup for like 40 days. It was amazing. I want to do more of those things, so not only are work goals still a priority for me, but I’m making life goals equally as important.
Chelsea Greenwood is a lifestyle writer whose work has been featured in InStyle, Teen Vogue, Self, Racked, Vulture, Brit + Co, SheKnows, and Vice. Follow her on Twitter @cpgreenwood.
