What Chef Melissa King Can’t Live Without

I’m obsessed with “SEE-tuh-fil,” “SEH-tah-fil,” however you pronounce it. I’m the biggest fangirl, and I literally can’t live without it. It’s something friends and family make fun of me for. My ex-girlfriends say that using Cetaphil was the one thing they took away from our relationship. They have it in their house, and it still reminds them of me. That’s how strong the association is. (I’m best friends with all my exes, classic lesbian.)

It is the most hydrating body lotion, and it doesn’t leave an oily greasiness or film — that’s something that can bother me when I put lotions on. I’m also highly sensitive to anything overly perfumed. I use this in the morning and at night after showers. I travel with a huge tub of it in my suitcase, and if I forget, I’ll have a panic attack. It is the dorkiest thing, but it truly is No. 1 on the list.

I’m a total princess when it comes to bedding. I need to feel good when I get in my bed, and it’s something I’ve splurged on my whole life. Even when I was a broke line cook, I always made sure to have a comfortable bed to come home to. We spend our days out in the world at work, and when I come home, I just want a safe little cocoon to nest in. Everything on my bed, from the pillows to the hypoallergenic duvet, is from Parachute. All the rooms in the house are Parachute. Even the throw pillows on the couch. It’s middle ground as far as affordability yet great quality. But the one thing I have to have is the sateen sheet set. It can’t be the linen ones. Sateen is silky on your skin. It can’t be anything else.

I also really like Korean products. Sulwhasoo is the daily moisturizer I use for my face. It’s hydrating. It’s only a little bit scented but nothing too overwhelming or perfume-y. I use it morning and night, and it lasts the whole day. I don’t really know the science behind it, like whether there are potentially harmful chemicals or not, but it just feels not overly harsh on my skin. I’ve been using it for years.

I can’t leave the house without them. I will have a panic attack if I forget them and have to run back home to get them. I feel like they’re just always in my ears all day. Whether I’m listening to music, teaching a virtual cooking class, or on a Zoom meeting, they’re like an extension of everything. I like that they’re noise-canceling because I can tune out the world. If I’m on an airplane, I can put on the noise-canceling and just be in the music. I always have music in my life, whether throughout the house or in my ears with my AirPods. I’m like a walking soundtrack.

I’d rather listen to Spotify than watch television, and I just have the fireplace going in the background. I’ll light the fire, light some candles, and then just be in music and explore new artists. I like that Spotify tells me about concerts around me because I travel a lot. And I love the curation of playlists and being able to share with friends and curate playlists together.

Looking at my Wrapped list from last year, there’s this band calledDRAMA; they’re one of my favorites. I also listen to a lot ofthe Beaches. All these artists are also personal friends of mine, but I’m a proud friend and I love their music. I joke that it’s “crying in the club” music. I have a whole “Crying in the Club” playlist. I have another public playlist called “The Kingdom,” usually things I’m listening to at home or in the kitchen. Sometimes, if I throw a pop-up dinner, I’ll put that on in the restaurant.

This matte-black Rimowa trunk was my first big-girl purchase when I started coming up in my career. One day, I was like,I need some solid luggage. In a way, it’s like a celebration of the fact that I’d reached this point of needing something like this for my work. I now own three, and I use them over anything else. They are on the pricier end, but good luggage is worth the investment. I travel a lot in my work and my day-to-day life, and I find this specific trunk big enough for my kitchen equipment, knives, shoes, and clothes — everything I need for traveling to a book event or pop-up. It’s lightweight, and I like the flexible material. I stay away from the heavy-duty metal ones. Those are quite heavy, and you can’t put as much stuff in them.

I have a few hair products I use regularly, but my barber introduced me to Firsthand clay pomade and I love how it feels. It’s not too greasy or shiny, and it gives just the right amount of lift and volume my hair needs. It lasts through the day, and I like the smell. I’ve used a lot of different pomades that are overly scented. This one is subtle, clean, and fresh. Perhaps bergamot? I don’t find it too masculine or feminine. I’m very drawn to clean scents but nothing too floral. I have one at home, one in my Dopp kit, and one in every place I stay. I go through quite a lot of it because I use it every time I do my hair.

I am such a Cali girl. I can’t live without avocados. Not just any avocado, either — ithasto be Hass. They have that depth of avocado flavor. They are great on avocado toast. Some of the other varietals can be a little on the fruitier side. These are buttery, which makes them the top avocado for guacamole. I make guacamole for friends all the time (the recipe is in my cookbook). I’ll even just eat one using a spoon with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a little pinch of sea salt. They have high fat content but the kind of fats that are good for your skin. I get them from Bi-Rite when I’m here in San Francisco, but I’m not sure what farm they get them from. Even when I’m in New York, I get them from whatever supermarket, but they kinda make me angry, likeWhy are these avocados not as good as what we get in California?

I’m wearing some form of Carhartt WIP on my body every day. I have the Simple Pant in multiple colors and materials. I wear them in the kitchen and on the streets in all walks of my life. I can dress them up to achieve more of an edgier street-style look, or I can dress them down and actually look like I’m on a farm and working in the field, ready to go pick some vegetables. I prefer a little more of an oversize cut in my day-to-day, but if I’m in the kitchen, I’ll sometimes size down for a tighter fit. I love the versatility.

I prefer the men’s cut, but I have some of the women’s versions as well. I rarely wear womenswear from any brand these days, but once in a while I’ll dabble with a pair of the WIP women’s pants, and I’m likeThese are cute. Online, they all look like the same pants, but when you physically try them on and you try them in different sizes or gendered cuts, they look dramatically different. When I walk into the brand’s Soho location, I can never walk out without buying a pair of pants. There’s something for everybody at Carhartt.

I’ve been wearing Vans since high school. I particularly love the slip-ons, just because I’m kind of lazy. I don’t want to tie my shoes. I slide on. It’s the Californian in me that just wants to slip on a pair of shoes and run out the door. When you look at Vans, they all look the same, but the Skate version has the thicker sole I prefer. It’s really cushy. They’re good on my feet when I’m in the kitchen or walking around a lot. I can wear them if I’m longboarding and skating around San Francisco. They go with almost all my outfits. Right now, I just have the black ones. I like pristine shoes, so I buy multiple pairs and the second they get a little bit dirty, I will replace them.

They used to make a nonslip version for people working in kitchens and hospitals, and I used them all the time because they were so much more stylish thanmost chef shoes, which tend to be these ugly giant clogs. I would love to collaborate if they ever want to bring those back.

This stuff is so good. I eat it every morning for breakfast and by the spoonful as a snack. I particularly love it on a nice piece of thick, crusty sourdough bread, typically fromTartine,The Mill, orOuterlandswhen I’m in San Francisco orShe Wolffrom the Greenmarket when I’m in New York City. I’ve eaten many brands of almond butter, but this specific one is the most delicious. It has shreds of toasted-coconut chips that are stirred in with just a little bit ofJacobsen sea salt. It is magic. I will go through a jar a week.

I’m a bar-soap gal, and this one is just so yummy. It turns your whole shower into a little spa. The peppermint is so fragrant, and it feels really invigorating and refreshing when you take a shower. I can even smell the peppermint through the package when it gets delivered to my house, and I get really excited. It’s to the point where I’m considering subscribing so it shows up automatically every month. But it’s obnoxiously large, so it lasts a long time. It’s so big that it’s a little awkward to use, but when you rub it on your body with the poppy seeds, it’ll exfoliate your skin.

I discovered this thing because my nephews and nieces liked being pulled around in awagonwhen they were little. I keep it in the trunk of my car and whip it out anytime I stop at a farmers’ market. It’s the dorkiest thing. Friends laugh, but I’m like, “We will not regret this by the end of our shopping trip.” I buy far too much produce to fit into a tote bag.

I am constantly running around throwing all these events and pop-up dinners, and it’s just so handy to have everything on paper whenever I need to reference it. All the condiments in here are things I have to reference quite often. The book includes things I made with my mom and my grandma since I was a kid, alongside dishes I made onTop Chefand the ones I make for family and friends when they come over for dinner.

Oftentimes, someone will ask me, “How did you make this?” And I’m like, “I have no idea how I did this” because I cook on intuition. But now it’s all here. It has all my go-to techniques from getting perfectly crispy salmon skin while cooking a fillet to searing a rib-eye steak for two to medium rare. The recipes are all measured by weight and can easily be broken up into separate parts. Like for my crispy salmon with corn salad, if you’ve never cooked a piece of salmon before, you can just focus on the salmon; if you just want the corn salad with the tomatoes and mushrooms, you could just make salad.

The accompanyingKing Mala Spice Mixis a pantry staple that I sprinkle on popcorn and on my eggs in the morning. There are Sichuan-style lamb skewers in the book that call for it too. It has Sichuan chiles, cumin, and coriander. It’s not overly spicy, but it just gives a little kick to any of your dishes.