The Health Diaries

How Cookbook Author Alison Roman Finds Balance in Chaos

‘Basically, I have no routine and no consistency.’

There are many ways to live a healthy life. The Health Diaries is a weekly series about the habits that keep notable people living well.

Home chefs love Alison Roman and her “highly cookable recipes.” The Brooklyn-based author of the hit cookbook Dining In got her start in restaurants, including a stint at the restaurant Quince in San Francisco and as a pastry chef at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City, before eventually making the transition to developing recipes and writing. Now, she shares her sweet and savory recipes with the masses: Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies are not only delicious, but Instagram famous.

Roman, who is a columnist for the New York Times and Bon Appétit, spoke to Medium about her lack of routine, wildly out-of-schedule eating habits, and her goal of achieving more balance on social media.

Every morning I wake up around 7:30 a.m.-ish. But each day can be different, and I don’t really have a morning routine. I wake up, wash my face, moisturize, and brush my teeth. That’s kind of it. I’m not really a breakfast or coffee person — I don’t think I’ve had a coffee yet today.