Ingredients:

• 2 slices of prosciutto

• Olive oil

• 3 ears of corn, shucked (about 3 cups of kernels; keep the cobs!!)

• 3 - 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 shallot, minced

• 2 cups orzo

• Grated pecorino or parmesan, for garnish

• Finely chopped chives, for garnish

• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a parchment lined baking sheet, lay prosciutto slices down flat so there is no overlap. Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly shriveled, golden, and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. (Pro tip: make a few extra slices to have as a chef treat because it’s so darn tasty and better than any potato chip I’ve ever had)

2. In a medium pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and corn kernels. Sauté until kernels are bright yellow and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the kernels into a blender and let cool slightly. Keep the pan nearby to cook the orzotto! Once the kernels are cooled slightly, blend with chicken broth until smooth. Strain the corn broth through a fine mesh strainer into a medium pot, add the corn cobs, and gently warm over low heat. Let the cobs infuse with the broth for 10 minutes before proceeding to the next step.

3. In the same medium pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Add orzo to toast for about a minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Now the fun part!! Ladle in about 1/3 cup of the warm corn broth at a time, stirring constantly, waiting until each addition is fully absorbed before adding more. Once all of the corn broth is added and the orzotto is fully cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper. Depending on how much “juice” your corn released, you may need to add more broth to finish cooking the pasta all the way through.

4. Transfer the orzotto to a large serving bowl. Top with as much pecorino/parm as your heart desires, chives, and finish by crushing the crispy prosciutto overtop. Serve and enjoy immediately, which is easy because it’s so delicious :-)

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Ingredients:

• 4 ears corn, shucked (about 4 cups of kernels; reserve a few of the kernels for garnish)

• 1/2 tbsp white miso paste

• 15 oz whole milk ricotta

• butter (for toasting the bread)

• 12 slices mini milk bread or 4 slices regular milk bread, sliced on the thicker side*

• salt, to taste

*You can totally use any bread for this! This is just what I’ve chosen to use. You can often find milk bread at local Asian grocery stores or bakeries. If you want to take a stab at making it at home, NYT Cooking and King Arthur have good recipes!

Directions:

1. With an immersion blender or in a blender, blend the corn kernels until they have released all of their liquid. Double strain the corn juice (depending on your corn, you should have about 1 cup of corn juice) into a pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the juice goes from a thin liquid to a lush pudding (you should have about 1/2 cup of pudding). Turn off the heat, stir in the miso, and set aside to cool.

2. While the miso corn pudding cools, toast your bread. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat and add your bread. Toast until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool (this will prevent the bottom from steaming and getting soggy).

3. Once the miso corn pudding is cool, add it to a blender with the ricotta and blend until decadently smooth. Give it a taste here and stir in salt to taste (you might find it’s salty enough from the miso, so definitely adjust to your palette!).

4. Transfer the miso corn ricotta to a piping bag and pipe a big ol’ squiggle on your toast. Garnish with the reserved corn kernels (I like to char mine for a little razzle dazzle) and enjoy :-)

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* Drumroll * And now making their substack debut, please welcome: strawberry corn pastries and cacio e pepe corn pastries.

For this recipe, one batch of the corn custard is divided and used to make 4-5 sweet and savory pastries. Even if you don’t feel like making the pastries, the corn custard itself is definitely worth making :-)

Ingredients:

Corn custard:

• 2 cups whole milk

• 2 ears corn, shucked

• 4 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 tablespoon freeze dried corn powder (optional but really bumps up the corn flavor)

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, cold

Cacio e pepe corn custard:

• 1/4 cup pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano

• black pepper

Strawberry corn pastries:

• 1 14 oz sheet puff pastry (my fave is Dufour), defrosted

• 1/3 cup strawberry jam

• 8 oz corn custard

• 4 thinly sliced strawberries, for garnish

• 1 egg beaten + 1 tsp water, for egg wash (this will be enough for the savory pastries also)

Cacio e pepe corn pastries:

• 1 14 oz sheet puff pastry (my fave is Dufour), defrosted

• 8 oz cacio e pepe corn custard

• pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano, for finishing

• black pepper, for finishing

• charred corn, for garnish
  

Directions:

Make the corn custard: Remove the corn kernels and blend them with the milk. Strain the corn milk into a medium pot and add the corn cobs. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Do not let this mixture boil! Rather, gently warm and let the cobs steep until the milk begins to steam, and then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, freeze dried corn powder, and salt, until slightly pale.

Discard the corn cobs from the milk. A ladleful at a time, slowly stream the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Do this until all the milk has been incorporated. Pour this mixture back into the pot on the stove and return to medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens into a glossy pudding consistency, this happens faster than you might think! Typically within 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter. Divide the pudding into two separate bowls. In one of the bowls, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Make the cacio e pepe corn custard: In the remaining bowl, add a few good cranks of freshly ground black pepper and the pecorino/parm. Whisk to combine. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Bake and assemble the sweet pastries: Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the puff pastry into even medium squares, you should get about 4-5 depending on the size of your puff pastry. Using a knife, create a border about 1/2-inch thick around the perimeter of each square, but do not cut all the way through. Using a fork, prick the center of the square a few times. Place the squares on a parchment lined baking tray about 1 inch apart, brush with egg wash, and place in fridge while oven preheats. Bake for 18-20 minutes until firm, dry to the touch, and deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before assembling.

Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, press the pastries down inside of the scored border. Add a heaping tablespoon of strawberry jam and spread along the bottom of the pastry. Fill with 2oz of the corn custard and finish with a thinly sliced strawberry. Repeat with remaining pastries.

Bake and assemble the savory pastries: Preheat oven to 400F. Using a large round cookie cutter, cut the puff pastry into circles, you should get about 4-5 depending on the size of your puff pastry. Using a knife or a smaller cookie cutter, create a circular border about 1/2-inch thick around the perimeter, but do not cut all the way through. Using a fork, prick the center of the circle a few times. Place the circles on a parchment lined baking tray about 1 inch apart, brush with egg wash, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper around the perimeter, add 2 oz of the cacio e pepe corn custard to the center, and place in fridge while oven preheats. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the custard is slightly puffed and jiggly and the pastry is firm, dry to the touch, and deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before assembling.

Top each pastry with a generous grating of pecorino/parm, freshly ground black pepper, and a few kernels of charred corn. Best enjoyed at room temp or slightly warm!

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It’s a perfect liqueur on its own for spring and summer, but can be jazzed up as a spritz with prosecco or sparkling water. I personally love having it at the end of a meal or alongside some charcuterie for aperitivo hour.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 500 g ripe cantaloupe, thinly sliced

• 15 oz vodka

• 20 oz water

• 150 g sugar

Directions:

1. In a large jar or container with a lid, add cantaloupe and vodka. Cover, shake, and let steep in the refrigerator for 3 days. (Proceed to step two after your melon mixture has steeped)

2. Combine water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the vodka and cantaloupe until no chunks of melon remain. Double strain into a clean container, add the cooled simple syrup, and stir to combine. Transfer to a bottle, seal, and refrigerate* until fully chilled before enjoying! Garnish with a skewer of prosciutto and mozzarella pearl for the ultimate snack/drink combo :)

*Store the meloncello in the refrigerator for up to to 1 month

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Yield: 10 large cookies

Ingredients:

for the cookie dough

• 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) butter, melted and cooled

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (100 g) dark brown sugar

• 1/2 tablespoon lime zest (about 2 large limes)

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) tamarind concentrate*

• 1 egg

• 1 1/4 cup (162 g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

for rolling the cookies

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon lime zest

for the fish sauce toffee (recipe adapted from Rachel DiNunzio)

• 2 tablespoons (28 g) salted butter

• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (75 g) granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

*These only use a little bit of tamarind concentrate, but most stores only sell medium-sized jars. Worth it for the recipe and you can use the leftovers to make….well…pad thai :-)

Method:

Make the cookie dough. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dark brown sugar, granulated sugar (first measurement) , lime zest (first measurement), and melted butter until combined. Add egg and tamarind concentrate and whisk until smooth. Fold in flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

Roll and refrigerate the cookies. In a small bowl, using your fingertips, toss the granulated sugar (second measurement) and lime zest (second measurement) to combine until very fragrant.

Press the tops of the cookies into the chopped peanuts and then roll in the lime sugar to coat entirely. Place back on the parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. (I find it easier to adhere the peanuts and lime sugar while the dough is a smidge soft, which is why the dough is refrigerated 30 minutes before this step)

Make the fish sauce toffee. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Add sugar (third measurement), butter, and 1 tablespoon of water to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium, and stop stirring. Swirl the pan often until the mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and add baking soda and fish sauce, quickly stirring to combine before dumping the mixture onto the parchment lined tray. Use an offset spatula to spread the toffee into a thick, even layer. Let cool completely (about 10 minutes) and then chop/smash/break/ into rough pieces.

Bake the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet tray with parchment and arrange 5 cookies on each tray. Top each cookie dough with a shard of the toffee. Bake for 12 minutes, until puffed and slightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and sharply bang the pan on the counter a couple times to slightly deflate the cookies and create a rippled edge. Use a circular cookie cutter or lip of a cup to scoot cookies back into a round shape. Let cool completely before enjoying.

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Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup finely ground pistachios

• ¾ cup butter, room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

• Green food coloring

• Cherry or seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and ground pistachios in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla paste, and beat until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed evenly.

3. Add the flour mixture and mix on low. The dough will be *very* crumbly at first, but don’t panic! It will come together after a couple minutes of mixing. Once the dough is almost combined, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix until combined. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, slightly flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it is about 1/2” thick. Use an oval cookie cutter (I used the second smallest cutter in this set) to cut out the cookies and place them 2” apart on parchment lined sheet trays. Use a 1/4 teaspoon to indent the dough to create the ‘pit.’ Wrap the trays with plastic and place the cookies back in the fridge for at least an hour and up to over night. (You can also freeze the cookies at this point which is what I did for my cookie boxes! Bake straight from the freezer but add an additional 2-4 minutes for the bake time.)

5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Add a dollop of jam into the cookie indentations. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Perfect for an aperitivo party, anyone who loves martinis, or just for the hell of it :) hope you love ‘em as much as I do!

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 cups + 2 tbsp whole milk

• 4 tsp corn starch

• 3-4 oz amaretto

• vanilla ice cream, for the cups

• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium-low heat, add 2 cups milk, chocolate, cocoa powder, and sugar. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

2. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the corn starch slurry to the hot chocolate and stir until thick and smooth. Stir in the amaretto (amount based on your strength preference) until combined.

3. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each mug (alternatively spread a thin layer around the inside of the mug) and pour in the hot chocolate. Finish with a pinch of salt atop each mug and enjoy <3

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 oz pancetta, cubed

• 1 cup small pasta, such as pastina, tubettini, acini di pepe

• 3 cups chicken broth (maybe a lil more if you like a really brothy soup)

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons pecorino, grated, plus more for garnish

• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, cook pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp on all sides. Transfer pancetta to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. If the pancetta rendered a lot of fat (more than 1/2 tablespoon), remove it but do not wipe out the pot, that’s good flavor babe!

2. Add the pasta and chicken broth to the same pot and simmer until pasta is cooked through. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, whisk together eggs and pecorino until combined. When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, and slowly stream in a few ladles of the warm broth to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. After you’ve added a few ladlesful and the bowl with the egg mixture feels warm to the touch, add the brothy egg mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the crispy pancetta, extra grated pecorino, and (optional but not really) a few good cranks of black pepper!

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Fast-forward to today, I still make biscotti every year for the holidays. I like to switch up the flavor each year, so I humbly present to you the biscotti of 2025: luxardo cherry, pistachio, and chocolate.

Yield: About 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract

• ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped

• ½ cup luxardo cherries, drained, patted dry, and roughly chopped*

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate, divided, roughly chopped

*Luxardo cherries are definitely a splurge here. If you use them, do not throw away the syrupy goodness they come in! It’s great for cocktails/mocktails or topping ice cream, yogurt bowls, and more. Trader Joe’s sells amarena cherries, which are a cheaper alternative. You can also just use dried cherries!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. Line a half sheet tray with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter in a large bowl until light, then add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add in half of the flour mixture on low speed and when almost completely combined, fold in the remaining flour, pistachios, ¼ cup chocolate, and cherries. The dough will be thick, so the final folds are a bit of an arm workout!

4. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 3 even pieces and shape into a log. I find the best way to do this is with a series of little pats on the top and sides of the dough. The dough will be quite sticky so I like to keep a small pile of flour on the side of my work surface to add as needed. Place the logs on the sheet tray, leaving as much room as possible in between. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes before moving the logs to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut the logs on a diagonal into about ½-inch-thick pieces. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, flipping the cookies halfway through. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

6. Melt remaining ½ cup chocolate in the microwave in 10 second intervals or gently over a double boiler. Dip the bottoms of the cooled biscotti in the melted chocolate and use an offset spatula to scrape off any excess. Transfer to a parchment lined tray and refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20-30 minutes. To feel like you’re at nonna’s house, serve with tea or coffee. Regardless, they’re delicious any way, any time of day :)

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Yield: 12 Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, melted & cooled

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• 1 egg, room temp

• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

• ¼ cup canned sweet potato puree

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 12 graham crackers

• 12 marshmallows

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until combined. Add the egg, sweet potato puree, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the sweet potato mixture until no dry streaks of flour remain, try not overmix.

3. Using a 2oz cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

4. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack positioned in the middle. On a parchment-lined tray, place a graham cracker down and add a marshmallow on top. Flatten a cookie dough ball with your hands and mound it over the marshmallow. If some marshmallow peaks through that’s ok! I actually prefer the look of having some melty marshmallow poking through the final cookie. Repeat with the remaining dough; I usually fit 6 cookies per tray.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and edges are starting to brown. Remove from the oven and bang the pan on the counter a few times to flatten and create a rippled edge. Optionally, use a biscuit cutter or cup to scoot the cookies into a round shape. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Serve warm for an ultimate marshmallow pull and enjoy! (If serving after cookies are completely cooled, I recommend re-warming them a bit for that gooey marshmallow moment.)

All the comfort of sweet potato pie, baked into a soft, spiced cookie. Make it for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or just for yourself because you deserve it 😚

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You won’t find any heavy cream or milk in this recipe, I use a roux and chicken broth to thicken the filling. The end result is a *bit* lighter, very chicken-y, and still super comforting.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, sliced

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup white wine

• 3 cups chicken broth

• ½ cup frozen peas

• 1 (12-or 14-ounce) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (cut into 4 squares if making individual pot pies)

• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425F degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Sear chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until evenly browned and cooked through, an additional 8–10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.

2. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, stirring occasionally, until mostly softened, 3–5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender, 5–8 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly until it is evaporated.

3. Add the flour on top of the veggies and stir to coat them all. Cook, stirring constantly until the flour has started to turn light golden brown, 3–4 minutes.

4. Slowly add the chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to combine, be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan! Once all the broth is added, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat medium-low. Cook until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 minutes.

5. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken (the bones can be saved to make stock! and the crispy skin is an excellent chef treat!) and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the shredded chicken and peas and stir to combine. Season one last time with salt and pepper.

6. If making individual pot pies, ladle the pot pie mixture equally into 4 bakers and place a square of puff pastry overtop, letting some of the pastry hang off the sides. If making one large pot pie, place the whole sheet of puff pastry over the skillet, letting some of the pastry hang off the sides. Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush it onto the top of the dough. Cut three slits in the puff pastry and sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place the skillet on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (easy cleanup!) to catch any drips as it bakes.

7. Bake until deeply golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before eating.

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I promised myself that 2025 was going to be the year I start advocating for myself when it came to my UGC work. I think my difficulty in doing so stems from the fact that, well, frankly, there are no fucking resources out there for content creators. I’ve gathered bits and bobs of others’ practices by word of mouth, but I have not found a single resource online or in print, for how to create fair rates for content creators. Like many other creators I know, I tried to figure it out with each collaboration I landed. To this day, I still don’t know if I’m underselling myself. I think many creators are probably in the same boat, but if creators take low pay (guilty as charged, but working on it!) it sets a precedent for low pay for other creators. Everyone’s time is valuable, quality content deserves fair compensation, and let’s be real, with the rising costs of living + inflation + tariffs….it’s hard out here.

I really admired Carla Lalli Music for her transparency surrounding the costs of YouTube content creation, so here I am sharing my finances on the internet in the hopes that it helps other creators feel more comfortable navigating the wild west of UGC rates, or at the very least feel more empowered to talk about it.

As a side note, content creation isn’t my full-time gig (maybe one day!). Now let’s get into the good stuff. I started to take UGC work more seriously around April of 2024. From April-December last year I grossed $6,675 from working with 10 brands, some I worked with on multiple projects throughout the year. Here’s my current rate breakdown:

• reel/tiktok: $500

• carousel (mix of photos & short vids): $300

• static post: $200

• recipe development: +$150

• usage: +$200

I stack my rates, so for example if a brand wanted a reel and recipe development the final rate would be $650. I’m sure some may think these are too low and others may feel these are too high. Would love for others to share what their rates look like in the comments!! Pay transparency starts with us talking about it. I’ll send these in a rate sheet when a brand asks, but 99.9999% of the time there’s a negotiation that follows. Always shoot your shot and ask for more! You may be surprised when a brand comes back and says yes. I always keep in mind that each brand is different and has different budgets. And once you accept a lower rate for a project with a brand it becomes hard not to pigeonhole yourself with that rate after you’ve accepted it before. All this to say, I have been…flexible…with my rates to work with dream brands and to get experience. A helpful concept from friend and fellow creator, Kristiana Noel, is that if you want to work with a brand but they can only afford a smaller budget, the project scope should be smaller as well. That shift in perspective has been really useful for me to advocate for my worth if I really want to work with a brand but they can’t meet my full rate.

“But it’s just a food video! How much time could that take to justify your rates?!” Well thank you, I’m so glad you asked. In most cases, it usually takes me 2-3 hours to film something from start to finish for a project. Then the grueling work of editing begins. I feel indifferent about the task of editing itself, but it’s such a time suck. I typically spend 1 hour editing, add an extra 30 minutes if there’s a voiceover, too. Not to mention the time spent over several emails going back and forth with the brand to nail down concepts, rates, timelines, etc. And don’t forget about the time it takes to grocery shop for ingredients! (That’s another Q I have: are people including ingredient costs in their rates or do they include it as a separate charge in their invoice?) If there’s recipe development involved, I like to test at least 2 times to ensure the consumer has a reliable recipe. So let’s say, an extra 4 hours for r&d and an extra 30 minutes or so to write the recipe. So that puts the time estimate for a single video with recipe development at about 8ish hours of my time, if I’m being modest. I’m only a one woman production so my time is my most valuable resource. Although what the viewer ends up seeing is only a 30-45 second video, the time, energy, and thought a creator puts into that final product is much, much more.

At the end of the day, I love food content creation. The 8-year-old Jess who used to record a cooking show on her parent’s camcorder would be so proud of what I’ve built today. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to catch the attention of some of my favorite brands, let alone be given the privilege to create for them. However, I need to remind myself that it shouldn’t come at the cost of undervaluing myself, my time, and my creativity.

Thank you to every single brand I’ve collaborated with for letting me be a part of your journey. And a huge shoutout to the food creators who are killing it out there! I could list a ton, but to name a few: @bakeswithrach_, @cucina.mingrina, @terrencebakes, @audreys.table, @kristiananoel, @pete.candia, @aprettykitchen, @eatswithyasmine, @foodbaby.bklyn_, @butteryslicey, @gabbyphi

Would love for people to sound off with some of their favorite creators, food and beyond, in the comments. I’d also love for this to be a resource for fellow creators, so please share your thoughts, experiences, etc!!

chat soon, jess