“Mom, I don’t have any of your recipes for when I go away on my own. I am going to miss your cooking and our family dinners probably most of all.” The format of a “cookbook” took shape in my head over the next few weeks” Today’s woman dreamer, Amy Matuza, is the author of Food for Thought: Twenty Minute Recipes from Mom. Based in Andover Massachusetts, She is quite the multi-faceted woman, with experience as a concert pianist, lawyer, strategic business consultant, and Mount Kilimanjaro summiter and more. In this interview, she shares how her children inspired the book, and two of the must-try recipes [including a vegetarian Chili with cornbread] Enjoy!

1. You wrote, wrote Food for Thought: Twenty-Minute Life Recipes from Mom as a sneaky way to continue imparting motherly advice to her adult children after they left home by disguising it in a “cookbook”. That is such an awesome concept! What inspired you to write this book? 

My children were my inspiration. The book initially took shape when our first child, Zoe, was born and I began jotting notes down in her baby book. There were so many things that I wanted to tell her and I was afraid of forgetting them over time. I would mark milestones, or write snippets about funny things she had done or said, highlight current events, etc. I continued the practice for our son, Zack, and then our youngest daughter, Aria. Fast forward to Zoe’s senior year in high school. One day she walked into the kitchen and said, “Mom, I don’t have any of your recipes for when I go away on my own. I am going to miss your cooking and our family dinners probably most of all.” The format of a “cookbook” took shape in my head over the next few weeks. I would write down some of the dinner recipes that I have made over the years and weave them among some of the most important stories from the kids’ notebooks.

1. You worked as a business consultant for many years before becoming an author. What were some of the challenges or learnings you had when writing your book? 

I was actually able to apply many of the skills that I used in consulting while writing my book. Writing code requires many iterations and a ton of testing before it successfully goes live in production. Writing a book is similar in that you write draft after draft until you are satisfied with the final product. I learned that like a consulting project, the direction you choose at the beginning of a project is not always the direction in which you finish. A writer must be flexible and able to pivot when something is just not “working” in their writing. As for challenges, writing during Covid was difficult because I had all three children at home doing remote school while I was working. I know many working moms were in similar situations and my hat is off to all of them!

RECIPES:

#1 - Vegetarian chili with cornbread

This is not your “normal” chili because it has no meat! However, it is outstanding and no one will ever know unless you tell them! It makes a lot so you can freeze it for multiple uses. When reheating, add a cup of water or beer to thin it out.

Ingredients:

3 (28oz) cans of crushed tomatoes

2 packages of frozen vegetarian burger crumbles

1 (15oz) can of each - kidney beans, garbanzo beans, whole kernel corn & black beans (drain the first three items)

2 (4oz) cans of green chopped chile peppers

1 Tbsp of minced garlic

1 white onion chopped

2 medium jalapeno peppers, chopped

2 medium sized bell peppers (I use one green and one red)

2 stalks celery, chopped

¼ cup chili powder

2 Tbsp black pepper, ground

1-2 Tbsp salt, as desired

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

1 bottle of beer (optional) (your choice of beer - we like Corona)

1 package premade corn bread

(Optional for toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips)

Directions:

The directions are simple. Put all of the above ingredients (minus the cornbread) into a large pot (at least 6 quart) and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the chili gets too thick, add water or another bottle/can of beer. Serve with cornbread, and if desired, top the chili with shredded cheddar cheese, a scoop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

#2- Salmon with couscous and cooked baby carrots

Ingredients:

.5-pound of salmon fillet per person (skin left on)

Grey Poupon mustard

Maple syrup

Soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Near East Couscous (5-minute microwave box)

Bag of baby carrots

Margarine or butter

Directions:

Place salmon skin side down in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with soy sauce until covered. Spread desired amount of mustard over the fish and then add maple syrup to glaze. All ingredients are subject to individual taste. Add salt and pepper. Put directly on the grill on medium heat for 14-18 minutes or until flaky, using the marinade to baste. If cooking in the oven, bake uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes or until flaky.

Cook couscous according to package directions. Empty bag of baby carrots into a pot of water, cover and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Drain and add a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper. No lie, this meal will impress even the toughest food critic!

4. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream? 

 My dream is for my book to become the go-to graduation gift for young people!

Thank you Amy for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!

Bio: Amy “Ame” Elizabeth Matuza is a wife to her incredible husband, Dmitry, and mother to three amazing humans - Zoe, Zack and Aria. She has been a concert pianist, lawyer, strategic business consultant, professional singer, board member of various non-profits, volunteer, marathon finisher, and Mount Kilimanjaro summiter. Ms. Matuza currently lives in Andover, Massachusetts, and enjoys doing anything active outside including boating, skiing, hiking, biking, walking with friends, and going to the beach.