Tastemaking with Kit Keenan
Introduction and Interview by Aida M. Toro
If you’re taking a stroll through Manhattan’s picturesque West Village, then you’ll be sure to spot Kit Keenan. Keenan, 23, is a stylish cook known for What’s Kit Cooking and award-winning fashion designer’s daughter, Cynthia Rowley. Aside from being a cook, she is a well-known influencer and fashion designer.
Although Keenan is only 23 and has accomplished more than the typical twenty-something, her quest has just begun. Keenan and I spent a delightful afternoon at Sant Ambroeus in the West Village having lunch, where we had a constructive conversation surrounding her love for cooking, fashion, and so much more.
Why did you start cooking?
I started cooking because of my mom. My mom has taught me everything that I know. Everyone knows my mom is an entrepreneur and I was inspired when she would come home and cook for me and my sister after long nights of working, especially after fashion week events. This would be a time for my mom, sister and I to bond. With that said, food has always been a connecting force in my family. Once I got a little older, I began taking my family recipes and curating them as my own with an elevated touch.
Where do you receive inspiration for your culinary creations?
I eat out a lot because it’s part of my job as an influencer since I attend a lot of tasting events and more. I also live in New York City, so I get to try out many amazing new restaurants where I get to experience different foods that I wouldn’t be exposed to. A lot of my cooking also comes from my dad’s side of the family, as they are third-generation Italian Americans from Brooklyn. For me, Italian culture is so much fun to learn from, in terms of the culinary space, as I thought Italian food was what I’d witness my dad’s side of the family eat. After going to Italy this summer for work, I was looking at menus and speaking to chefs and realized that Italian food wasn’t just what I would have with my family over in Brooklyn.
How do you feel fashion and food play a role in today’s society?
There’s so much overlap between fashion and food. I think about it a lot because my brand and persona online really bridge this gap. In a lot of ways, I feel it’s all about the creative process and self-expression. For me, when I’m putting an outfit together, I think about my mood, color, textures, my shape, which is similar to what I do when I am creating a dish. When I am creating a dish, it’s about color, balance, and feeling. Therefore, you have to look a little bit deeper because there could be a certain spice that has nothing to do with fashion at all. In the fashion space, there’s a lot of resistance to this specific cross-over, especially when it comes to including chefs or culinary influencers. Lately, they’ve been included recently. I think it’s cool to see influencers like Sophia Roe and Wishbone Kitchen, who are people that have started to bridge that gap.
What can you say is your favorite dish you’ve created thus far and where did you receive inspiration for this dish?
There are so many! It’s so hard to choose a favorite, however, I could say one of the favorites that I see people remaking is my Rigatoni Piti remake. I grew up going to Bar Piti in the West Village, way before Kendall Jenner stopped by. It’s my favorite neighborhood Italian spot where you pay cash only and their most famous dish is the Rigatoni Piti. I remade an easier version because I always get questioned by my audience on where they should go out to dine when they are in New York City, and of course, I always recommend Bar Piti.
How do you feel you empower women as a cook and influencer?
Something I’ve been thinking about recently is that I get some criticism online because I am not a professionally trained chef. I love sharing my love for cooking as well as my recipes. Something that I’ve been thinking about recently is that this sort of structure and label is outdated because there is such merit in going to culinary school and learning about the history of all these foods, techniques and so much more, however, I gained inspiration from the women in my family who weren’t professionally trained chefs and taught me everything I know about cooking. With this said, I get to share the knowledge I’ve gained from female family members throughout different generations, which I feel is empowering. In terms of being an influencer, I feel there is so much responsibility that I have and empowerment that arrives from this community of women that are part of my audience. I learn from every one of them, and that to me is empowering.
What’s your definition of food?
For me, food has always been about connection. It started as a familial connection because I felt the kitchen was a place where I had that bonding time with my mom since she was always working. Now it’s turned into a different connection because I am building connections with my audience and not only do I get to share my love for cooking, but inspiring people to fall in love with cooking like I have and just making it approachable and easy where no one has to be professionally trained or have some sort of innate talent. Anyone can do it!
What are your goals for the rest of 2023?
My bigger goal for 2023 is to make cooking approachable and easy, especially for young people living in cities in small spaces where they don’t have room to store a bunch of appliances, cookware, and all of that stuff. It’s about bringing that spirit of connection through cooking for everyone and bridging this gap between fashion and food because it’s something I didn’t see growing up. In recent years, we’ve seen more of a shift in how fashion and cooking are connected, which is something I want to be a part of because these are two of my favorite things.
Keep up with Keenan and her culinary adventures via her Instagram: @kitkeenan.
