Later, it all proved to be “worth it” when she came back for 2017’s Season 14 of “Top Chef” in Charleston and won the show. Competing on TV while revealing her more vulnerable side catapulted her career. More cooking shows came on Bravo, MTV, and Food Network. Her social media fame grew. And she has been able to run a successful California-based restaurant: Playa Provisions, which she co-owns with her husband, Nick Roberts. While binging these “Top Chef” seasons during the height of the pandemic as a new mom myself, I related to the struggles Willaimson shared with the world on TV. The guilt of leaving her child was at odds with the drive to propel her career forward. She wasn’t the first—and certainly won’t be the last—parent going through this inner battle. Hers was just broadcast for the world to see and judge. Recently, I met Williamson at an event hosted by Ziploc in New York City. There, she cooked us a spicy, tomato fish stew (which, of course, was absolutely delicious) using the brand’s new reusable bags. Before the cooking demo, Williamson and I sat down for an intimate chat about motherhood, creative breakfast ideas, and letting go of “mom guilt.” Verywell Family: Getting food ready for your kid before school can often feel like a “Top Chef” quick-fire challenge. What are your go-to meals to make in a hurry? Brooke Williamson: I have several because my son is a big breakfast person. He always has been, because I make that the most important meal of the day. For myself, I do a lot of overnight oats and chia pudding that I can take with me. VWF: Chia pudding recipe, please! BW: For chia pudding, I will usually use coconut or oat milk, and sometimes I’ll put matcha in it. I try to keep it pretty simple because I will top it with a little granola or some crunch and fresh berries. Overnight oats get the same toppings. Sometimes I mix in a little yogurt. VWF: And what about your son’s breakfast order? BW: My son never liked cereal. That was frustrating because I could never be like, “grab yourself a bowl of cereal.” He liked it as a little kid, but as he got older he became more of an eggs kid. For a while, he was into making his own omelets. He saw a TikTok video of making perfect omelets and got dead-set on it. He makes a Japanese omelet that’s runny inside. He always uses chopsticks to make it—it’s wild. He can actually make a better omelet than I can. For quick meals, I always have leftover sushi rice in the house. It is something that we eat consistently. I’ll do egg-and-rice pancakes, and sneak in some vegetables there. [But] then he goes through phases where he’s sick of eggs. VWF: Tell us about these egg-and-rice pancakes. Sounds delicious! BW: It’s egg mixed into sushi rice. Usually, there is some frozen corn or something in there. And I top it with eel or teriyaki sauce because [my son] loves soy sauce. VWF: Favorite lunches and snacks to pack for kids at school? BW: I always try to pack some sort of fruit. My son is really into fruit. I never pack a whole apple, because he will never eat it. But if I cut the apple up, he will one thousand percent eat it. It’s like an aversion to biting into an apple. I swear he’s not high-maintenance. We also do a lot of fresh berries and grapes. My son loves strawberries. We get strawberries at the farmers market, rinse them, and always have them ready. We love to make popcorn at home, so sometimes I’ll make a big batch and [top] it with fun, different seasonings. I’ll add some garlic or onion salt to jazz it up. We are into a drizzle of melted butter, and I have this truffle powder. I don’t love truffle oil, but the truffle powder is delicious. [Then I’ll add] some sea salt. And a powdered cheese never fails. Recently, at work, I put a dish on the menu that is garnished with popcorn seasoned with turmeric and fennel pollen. So it is light yellow and tastes fennel-y. VWF: You often have to be away from your family for work. How does your family navigate that? BW: We’ve never had full-time childcare—from the moment my son was old enough to go to pre-school. [He started] at 2 years old, the day after his birthday. For the first six months of my son’s life, he came with me to work and was in a carrier in the office napping. It’s a constant struggle. Fortunately, my husband and I work together, so we are really good at volunteering to be the most involved parent that we can possibly be when we have the time to be that person. If I’m traveling, obviously my husband [picks up] the slack. But if I am in town, I make every effort to do drop-off and pick-up. It is easier now. My son is 14 years old, and he can be home alone. Leaving the house isn’t such a challenge anymore. He is an only child and enjoys being alone. I gotta tell you, it wasn’t until the pandemic, that he got really used to being home by himself. We just had no choice. We had to go to work, and there was only so much time he wanted to spend sitting in an office. We just figured it out. We have one kid. And again, we work together. VWF: Are there any rituals you do when you’re away to connect? BW: I always text and say good morning. I always call and say goodnight. I check in as much as possible without crowding his independence. I always text my husband and my son, “I love you,” before a plane takes off. It’s total superstition in my head that everything will be safe and okay if I tell them I love them before I take off. I’m on planes a lot, and I hate planes so that’s where that comes from. VWF: Advice for new moms that you wish you knew? BW: If you’re trying your best, it becomes apparent. The guilt that you feel leaving and knowing that other people are spending more time with your kid than you are—that does nobody any good. Today, my son can look at what I do and how hard I work, and it’s inspiring for him. When he was younger, there was so much guilt when I left. I finally got to a point where I realized that feeling of guilt is a disservice to everyone involved. So cut yourself some slack. VWF: Does your son think your career is cool now? BW: I honestly don’t think he cares. He grew up with me on TV, so he has no interest in watching the shows that I am on. He doesn’t think it’s cool. He thinks it’s cool when he gets something out of it, like if we get a hotel upgrade because someone is a fan, or somebody stops me on the street and asks to take a picture. But him watching me on TV or wanting to be a part of things doesn’t happen very often. Sometimes he will watch an episode if he’s in it, but otherwise, he has no interest. He actually came to a day of filming for this “Beachside Brawl” show that is now airing. He spent the day there. And I was like, “hey, this episode of TV that you were on is airing. Do you want to watch it?” He was like, “I was there. I saw it.” Okay! I have to not care. It’s not his burden to bear. VWF: How do you take care of yourself and keep yourself feeling centered? BW: I often don’t feel centered. When I am home, I make an extra special effort to keep myself physically healthy. I exercise a lot. I try to exercise every day—partially for my sanity and also because I know what I put myself through takes a lot out of me. I eat very healthy at home. I try not to drink during the week if I’m at home. I also don’t watch what I eat or drink when I leave town. So it’s extremes. VWF: What’s your workout of choice? BW: For exercise, I run and I play tennis. Those are two go-tos. I used to do a lot of spinning, but I got back into running and I love what it does for my head.
