Tabitha Brown’s House Rules—Avoid Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

If you've watched some of Tabitha Brown's videos, read her books, seen her TV show, or even tasted some of her recipes, you likely already have a sense of her warm and highly-energetic personality. Tabitha's star really started to rise after a video of her eating a vegan BLT sandwich from Whole Foods went viral. She quickly became an ambassador for Whole Foods, began sharing vegan recipes on social media, starred in her own children's series, Tab Time and as host of Food Network's It's CompliPlated, cofounded the hair-care line Donna's Recipe, created a line of seasonings with McCormick and a line of home products for Target, and authored four books (so far). She does this and so much more all with an effusive warmth and giant smile. Here's a glimmer of insight into how she does it all so seemingly effortlessly.

Tabitha at Home

Her home is a self-described paradise—and yes, you'll still find her in the kitchen.

Q:  When you're hosting or entertaining, do you want the kitchen to yourself? Or are you okay preparing the meal with people around?

I want to do things by myself. I don't mind guests being in there talking and stuff. But I don't really need your help—too often it can just slow things down. I like to get everything prepared myself. But sometimes I might let you come in and like, chop-up some stuff for a salad. But when I’m really cooking, honey, you’re in my way. 

Q: Now that cooking is part of your professional life, do you still enjoy cooking in your personal life?

Oh yes, I still enjoy cooking. I don’t do it as much now with my schedule, but I do enjoy it.

Q: Your backyard, where we photographed our cover, is so lush and tropical that it looks like you’re in the tropics but you’re in LA right?

I know what you mean. The previous owner’s favorite place was Hawaii. So, he designed the outside of the house and the landscape to remind him of Hawaii. People see it in the background of my calls and they’re like, “Where are you? On vacation?” And I say, “No I'm just at home in paradise.”

Tabitha's House Rules

It'll come as no surprise that the biggest rule in Tabitha's house is to make yourself at home, but here are a couple more "rules" she implements at home.

Q: Do you clean as you cook or do you tidy it all up at the end? 

Both, but it depends on what I'm making. I like to try to clean as I go because I don't like a whole mess in the kitchen. If I'm chopping and doing a bunch of stuff, then I’ve got to clean it as soon as I'm done before moving on to the next part. 

Q: Which are you? Someone who loads up the dishwasher with whatever's on the plate or someone who does a little rinse first?

Oh yes, we got to rinse it off first honey, because I don’t want that stuff clogging up my dishwasher. I don’t want to have to call the people to come and fix it. 

Q: Are there any rules around your house that you strictly enforce?

Oh, you know, not really but when you come into my house, you gotta make yourself at home right? But I will tell you this, the first time that you come I make everybody's plate and get them settled. The second time you come home honey, you’re at home. By then, you should know where everything is, go on and get it yourself. 

Maintaining a Healthy Vegan Lifestyle

With her plate so full, it's important for Tabitha to find ways to feel her best and maintain her contagious optimism. Here are some of the ways she does it.

Q: What are some important lessons you’ve learned after becoming vegan?

Well, it’s been a little more than six years for me now being vegan and my appetite for things have changed. When you first go vegan, you’re looking to mimic things that are like what you always ate before, right? I used to love chicken and burgers and things like that, so I was looking for those replacements. I ate a lot of processed vegan food. But as time went on, my body is like, I don't want that anymore. So now I look for more whole foods. Instead of a fake meat burger that you buy at the store, I like something made from black beans, quinoa, mushrooms, and peppers. I don't really crave that stuff anymore. Like the fake meats and stuff. If we cook for ourselves, we know what we're eating, you know, getting things that are processed, you don't really know.

Q: How much do your Southern roots affect how you create new dishes?

Back in North Carolina, my mom's meatloaf was one of my favorite things she made. Oh, she made the best. I had to figure out how to make meatloaf the way my mom used to, but vegan. So, I created my own recipe using the exact same ingredients except I used a plant-base ground with mushrooms. Amazing. Amazing. I was so proud of myself. I was like, Oh my lord. 

Q: What’s a go-to recipe for entertaining?

I love to entertain. I'm always thinking of what others will like when we gather—what's something everybody can enjoy, right? Deviled eggs were a family favorite growing up. They are always a tradition, especially making them around the holidays with my daughters. But now we call them “angel eggs” since I made them vegan. I pickle white mushroom caps so they get a texture like boiled eggs. Then I stuff the inside with the “yolk”, which is a seasoned chickpea mash. And then top them with paprika. They’ve been one of my most famous recipes and the funny part is that it was something that came to me in a dream.

Q: What’s a good tip you give people for eating healthy?

If you have to read a lot of ingredients on something you’re going to eat, you've already made the wrong choice. Especially if you can't understand what the ingredients are. Look for less-processed food where you don’t have to read anything. You know what a potato is, you know what rice is…etc.  

Q: Besides being vegan, how else do you take care of your health?

I’m a big juicer. I try to incorporate a lot of raw foods in my diet just for health benefits. And I drink a lot of water. Just trying to be very intentional about my health.  

Q: How do you balance your social media life, which is part of your career, and your home life?

It is hard. No one is present anymore. They're present in other people's lives on social media. People they don't even know. But I think it's healthy to balance that out with something in real life like meeting a stranger and having a real conversation. I think those are the little things that we can challenge ourselves to do to get free from our phones.