“Her job, I think, was to make sure I was always full.”
That’s how this week’s guest Peter Som describes his grandmother—the woman who shaped not just his relationship with food, but his approach to creativity, hospitality, and what it means to make people feel cared for.
You might know Peter as the fashion designer who’s dressed everyone from Michelle Obama to Beyoncé and whose work has graced the carpets of the Met Gala and New York Fashion Week. But there’s another side to Peter that his friends know well: he’s the person you want hosting your dinner party.
Peter joins us this week to discuss his new cookbook, Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home & Heritage [Bookshop], a collection shaped by his Cantonese upbringing in Northern California. In our chat, we explore how his early memories and his creative bent converge in the kitchen, especially during this season when food brings people together.
🎙️ The Interview: Peter Som
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes confession: I originally asked Peter to be on the show to talk about holiday hosting. But as I dove into his cookbook and once we connected, the conversation took a natural turn toward family and the emotional roots of home cooking.
Peter told me about afternoons alone after school, improvising with Campbell’s soup and American cheese while Scooby-Doo played in the background. About his grandmother choosing produce at the supermarket with precision. About how cooking became a quieter parallel track during his fashion years, a meditative counterbalance to the chaos of Fashion Week.
I had so much fun chatting with Peter. Here’s some of what we discussed:
How fashion and cooking intersect through texture, visual storytelling, and how they make you “feel”—whether it’s a great sweater or a perfectly braised short rib.
The family-style rules Peter swears by when hosting, especially during the holidays. (My favorite: Dim. Your. Lights!)
How Cantonese flavors and California seasonality collide in his recipes, from miso short ribs with charred garlic to his Grandma’s apple cake.
Why entertaining isn’t about impressing people. It’s about creating a vibe where everyone feels at home, even when the sweet potatoes get forgotten in the oven. (Yes, that happened to Peter. Yes, he recovered.)
Why asking family members about their food memories matters, and how this book reconnected Peter with stories about his grandmother he’d never heard before.
Plus, we put Peter to the test in our signature culinary game, where he improvises dishes on the spot using ingredients like potato chips, candy canes, and smoked paprika.
Two Quotes That Capture Peter’s Philosophy
On the real goal of hosting:
“People aren’t coming to your home for a Michelin dinner. They’re coming to hang out with you.”
On the parallels between fashion and food:
“They say you eat with your eyes. You’re scrolling online and you see a great sweater—it has to look great, but just like that sweater has to feel good, the fabric has to be right, the fit has to be right—that dish, which looks great and is all pretty, has to taste great. It has to nourish you, it has to bring you joy—that’s the hope.”
📗 The Cookbook
Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage by Peter Som
From culinary creator, lifestyle expert, and award-winning fashion designer Peter Som, a stunning cookbook of 100 recipes with unique and creative flavor combinations, paying homage to his identity, heritage, and family.
For Peter Som, nothing is quite as satisfying as the moment when everyone is gathered around the table and platters of food are set down for everyone to dig into together. In Family Style, Peter pays homage to his identity and heritage, with more than 100 powerfully flavorful recipes for breakfasts, dinners, desserts, and more—all unfussy, comforting, and creative. Perfect for an everyday meal at home, yet sophisticated, elegant, and visually stunning to impress any guest.
At the heart of each of the 100 recipes in Family Style are imaginative and personally unique flavor combinations. There are beloved nods to his grandma’s Cantonese flavor profiles, his mom’s deep love of French food, his Bay Area upbringing, and desserts that are “not too sweet”—the highest compliment in his family—and more.
We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Family Style here: Bookshop
🎁 Giveaway: Win a Copy of Family Style!
We’re giving away one copy of Peter Som’s Family Style to a Salt + Spine reader!
Two ways to enter:
Paid subscribers are automatically entered (no action needed—thank you for supporting Salt + Spine!)
Or, you can leave a comment below telling me about one dish you’re planning to make this holiday season
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and closes on Nov. 26.
🍳 The Recipes
This week, paid Substack subscribers will receive these three featured recipes from Family Style—subscribe today to get cooking!
