Alison Roman

Alison Roman (born September 1, 1985) is an American food writer, chef and internet personality. She is best known for her viral recipes, such as #TheStew and #TheCookies, which were widely shared on social media platforms.[1][2][3] Roman has held senior positions at Bon Appétit and Buzzfeed Food, and served as a columnist for New York Times Cooking.[4][5]

Alison Roman
Born (1985-09-01) September 1, 1985
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Websitewww.alisoneroman.com

Roman is the author of numerous cookbooks, including the New York Times Bestseller Nothing Fancy (2019).[6]

Early life and education

Roman was born September 1, 1985 and raised in Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley area.[7][8]

Roman withdrew from the University of California, Santa Cruz at the age of 19, where she was studying creative writing, to pursue a career in the food industry.[1][7][9] She worked as a pastry chef at Sona in Los Angeles, Quince in San Francisco, and Milk Bar in New York City.[1][8][9]

Career

Bon Appétit and early career (2011–2018)

Roman began as a freelance recipe-tester at Bon Appétit in 2011 soon after the magazine had come under the leadership of editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport.[7][9][10][11] She quickly gained a full-time position at the magazine and eventually became a senior food editor.[4][9][10] The writer was featured prominently in the magazine's videos, articles and social media content.[4][10]

Roman left Bon Appétit in 2015 for a senior role at Buzzfeed Food.[4]

The writer's first cookbook, Dining In, was published by Penguin Random House in 2017.[8]

The New York Times, viral recipes and controversy (2018–2020)

In early 2018, a cookie recipe Roman developed for Dining In (2017) went viral on Instagram, and became so ubiquitous on the mobile app as to be known simply as #TheCookies.[12] Months later she joined New York Times Cooking as a regular columnist.[5]

Her second cookbook, Nothing Fancy (2019), enjoyed commercial and critical success when it was published the following year.[6][13][14] The cookbook stresses the value of "unfussy" ingredients and the importance of authenticity when hosting friends and guests.[15][16] Several of the recipes she developed for the book and The New York Times went viral, including the #TheStew.[1][2][3][17]

Her recipes and online presence gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic when home cooking increased.[18][19][20] Her shallot pasta recipe (commonly known as #ThePasta), was particularly popular amidst the food shortages and constraints of the pandemic due to its use of everyday, pantry ingredients.[17] New York Times Cooking later deemed it the most popular recipe of 2020.[21]

In May 2020, Roman was criticized on social media for an interview in which she made critical remarks about the product lines of Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo, both of whom are of Asian descent.[22][23] Critics claimed these remarks had racial undertones.[23] Roman later apologized, saying that her white privilege had played a role in her making these remarks, as well as influencing her initial reaction when criticized on social media.[24] During this time, Roman's New York Times column was put on temporary leave, with the intention to be reintroduced at some point in the future.[25][26]

Departure and continued career (2020–present)

In December 2020, Roman announced she would be leaving The New York Times to begin a "new chapter" elsewhere.[27] A representative from the paper stated that "Alison decided to move on from The [New York] Times and we’re very thankful for her work with us."[28]

The writer continues to share recipes through social media and a Substack newsletter.[28] She began a new series of YouTube videos in January 2021 titled Home Movies.[29]

Personal life

Roman lives in Brooklyn, New York.[30]

The writer describes herself as "half-Jewish" and regularly celebrates Passover and other religious holidays.[31]

Bibliography
  • Lemons (2015), ISBN 9780990785323
  • Dining In (2017), ISBN 9780451496997
  • Nothing Fancy (2019), ISBN 9780451497017

References
  1. Gagne, Yasme (April 29, 2020). "How Alison Roman cooks up viral recipes, from #TheCookies to #TheStew". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  2. Reynolds, Megan (October 22, 2019). "Alison Roman Is More Than #TheStew". Jezebel. G/O Media Inc. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  3. Gould, Emily (May 23, 2019). "Alison Roman Gives Instagram Food Trends A Good Name". Elle. Hearst Magazine Media. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. "Senior Food Editor Alison Roman Is Leaving, but At Least These Videos Are Forever". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. Sifton, Sam (2018-07-11). "Alison Roman! Alison Roman! (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  6. "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books - Best Sellers". New York Times. December 22, 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. "Alison Roman". www.prior.club. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  8. "Alison Roman – About the Author". Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  9. "Alison Roman, Writer & Cook". Into the Gloss. Glossier Inc. November 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  10. Vogt, PJ (2021-02-04). "The Test Kitchen, Chapter 1". Reply All (Podcast). Gimlet Media. Event occurs at 22:27. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  11. Moskin, Julia (2010-11-02). "A New Flavor for Bon Appétit (Published 2010)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  12. Aggeler, Madeleine (2018-03-02). "How I Ruined Instagram's Favorite Cookie". The Cut. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  13. "Best cookbooks and food writing of 2019". the Guardian. 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  14. "Alison Roman's "Nothing Fancy" and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  15. Grechko, Irina. "Alison Roman's New Book Sings The Praises Of "Unfussy" Food". Nylon. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  16. Chittal, Nisha (2019-10-14). "The dinner party isn't dead. It just looks different today". Vox. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  17. Abad-Santos, Alex (2020-04-22). "How Alison Roman became the reluctant, pasta-loving "prom queen of the pandemic"". Vox. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  18. Fischer, Molly (2020-03-24). "Just Give In to Alison Roman". The Cut. Vox Media. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  19. O'Connell, Michael (2020-04-09). "How Alison Roman Became the Face of Home Cooking, Apocalypse Notwithstanding". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  20. Abad-Santos, Alex (2020-04-24). "Recipe queen Alison Roman's popularity, explained by Alison Roman". Vox. Vox Media. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  21. Chambrot, Krysten (2020-12-16). "NYT Cooking's 20 Most Popular Recipes of 2020". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  22. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizzysaxe/2019/02/19/alison-roman-wants-you-to-buy-better-kitchen-materials/?sh=303f06cf7cbe. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. Carman, Tim (11 May 2020). "The Chrissy Teigen-Alison Roman debacle underscores the fundamental flaws of food media". Washington Post. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  24. Gostin, Nicki (2020-05-20). "Chrissy Teigen calls on New York Times to reinstate Alison Roman". Page Six. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  25. Tani, Maxwell (2020-05-19). "Alison Roman's NY Times Column 'On Temporary Leave' After Chrissy Teigen Feud". Daily Beast. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  26. Vanderhoof, Erin (2020-05-26). "Alison Roman Is Back and Seemingly Charting a New Course". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  27. Zhang, Jenny G. (2020-12-17). "After Months-Long Hiatus, Cookbook Author Alison Roman Officially Departs From the New York Times". Eater. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  28. Bitsky, Leah (2020-12-16). "Alison Roman won't return to New York Times after Chrissy Teigen drama". Page Six. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  29. Bitsky, Leah (2021-01-26). "Alison Roman launches YouTube channel after New York Times column ends". Page Six. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  30. Weinberg, Sarah (2019-11-10). "Chef Alison Roman's Brooklyn Kitchen Is Just As Cool As You Imagined It". Delish. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  31. Roman, Alison (2020-03-31). "Alison Roman's Passover Menu". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
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