Chatting with Two-Time Emmy Winning TV Host and Entertaining Expert Tamron Hall – And Who’s on Her Dinner Party Playlist

Homeworthy recently had the delightful opportunity to chat with Tamron Hall, a familiar face across TV screens thanks to her two-time Emmy-award winning talk show, The Tamron Hall Show. The veteran journalist and bestselling author recently came out with a new cookbook alongside her friend, Emmy and James Beard winning culinary producer and chef, Lish Steiling titled A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure, Fun in the Kitchen. As an expert host with beautiful homes in the Hamptons and New York City, Tamron sat down with Homeworthy to share insights into her design inspirations for her homes, décor and hosting tips, her culinary journey, and how she seamlessly blends elegance with practicality to create inviting spaces that inspire confidence and joy.

HOMEWORTHY: Your new book, A CONFIDENT COOK: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure, Fun in the Kitchen, delves into all things cooking, hosting, and confidence. What is your number one piece of advice when it comes to preparing for and executing a successful dinner party with friends?

TAMRON: My number one piece of advice is, don’t feel compelled to add a million things to the menu. You’re not a restaurant, you want to be able to enjoy and entertain. One of the things I love about our cookbook is that we have a section called “Move the Crowd”. These are phenomenal recipes, some you can make ahead, which allows for more time to socialize. When I first started to cook, I would feel the need to make multiple side dishes and take on way too much heat, no pun intended. With the book you will find great crowd pleasers that take advantage of, for example, an overnight marinade, or overnight preparation which is always great.

HOMEWORTHY: The majority of the book was dreamed up and written in your Hamptons home. Can you explain how you were influenced by the design and ambiance of this space and its surroundings? 

TAMRON: My home in the Hamptons is a place that really came at the right time. It was a home I purchased before the Pandemic, never imagining this would be the refuge for myself and my child who wasn’t even a year old at the time. We moved in and turned half of the house into the studio for the show. There is an appreciation of farm to table. Not far from where I live there is a farmers’ market. I know locals who run markets, so that great appreciation of fresh produce, of farm to table, not only resonates with me as a person who lives in the Hamptons but also as the granddaughter of a sharecropper, a farmer.

HOMEWORTHY: When decorating this home, what elements did you prioritize to create a welcoming and functional space for entertaining guests?

TAMRON: I wanted a home that appeared elegant but was durable. Much of the upholstery is indoor/outdoor which means that I can take it off and have it cleaned. It’s all white and people come to my home and say, “oh my goodness, you have a dog, you have a baby, and everything is white!” but it is actually all material made for outdoor furniture which is really soft. My priority was to make sure that friends with children and friends with pets would feel welcomed but also give them the ability to appreciate a little elegance and a little style.

HOMEWORTHY: We know you also have a beautiful New York City apartment. Does each home and their respective neighborhoods inspire different menus and different styles of entertaining? 

TAMRON: Absolutely. My home in the city is an open space which lends itself to more communal dining. It’s a true city home and encapsulates the hustle and bustle of the city. A lot of the things that I do in this kitchen are not the same. In the Hamptons, we have an outdoor space and a pizza oven. In the city, it’s more indoor cooking which is why I love the Shrimp Boil in the book. A lot of people think of shrimp boil as something to do outside and at the beach but this recipe can be done in your home and still has all of the texture and delicious flavors of a beach or poolside shrimp boil.

HOMEWORTHY: How do you balance functionality and aesthetics in your kitchen design to make it a confident and inspiring space for cooking and entertaining?

TAMRON: It’s always evolving. Part of the book is about building confidence in the kitchen. This journey began in 2008. I was the person who felt the need to buy everything in a store because I thought it would make me a better cook. We all know that’s not true! You can buy the best knife, the best spatula and it does not ensure a delicious meal. For example, one of the things I’ve always wanted to do is give my son the appreciation of having a home that is free of paper plates. I know that sounds crazy, especially when you have a young child. My dad loved family dinner and my parents loved sitting at the family table together for dinner. The aesthetic of our home is really a balance of the fact that I was a late to the party mom and the reality of having a child in a home to have those family dinners. The accessibility of the kitchen is important. My son loves to cook so we have a set up on the lower shelves that he can reach for himself. I want him to have that independence in the kitchen. I look for my major cooking utensils to be within reach. Neither of my kitchens are big spaces but I want to be able to reach and move freely while having an open island in each of them so I can have people sit in the kitchen with me and talk and enjoy watching me prepare the meals.

HOMEWORTHY: What are your go-to places for finding unique and stylish home decor pieces? Do you have any favorite shops or markets in New York City or the Hamptons?

TAMRON: Jung Lee is not only a friend, but she happens to be one of the most stylish designers. She has simply exquisite taste and helped me source items for both my Sag Harbor and New York City homes.

HOMEWORTHY: What do you always have in your fridge no matter what and why? 

TAMRON: There are so many things I always have in my fridge. That is part of the book! We teach you how to always have your fridge and pantry stocked. Whether it’s red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or capers, there are certain things that I always keep as I evolve in my journey to become a confident cook. But I guess the number one thing is milk. My kid loves milk and I do too. Yes, I still drink a little milk, which I think surprises some people.

HOMEWORTHY: What is your favorite dinner to serve when having guests over?

TAMRON: That’s a great question. I love a delicious roast chicken. I think it’s so versatile and allows you to pair it with so many things. In our book we have a roast chicken that is in a dry brine overnight and takes seconds to prepare. By the time you take it out and let it sit for 30 minutes you have a beautiful roast chicken. It is one of the moistest roast chickens I have ever had. A good chicken really goes a long way and is a crown pleaser. I also love a beautiful whole fish! That may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you just haven’t tried ours.

HOMEWORTHY: Do you prefer a formal tablescape, with name cards and fine China, or a more casual one?

TAMRON: I do like the formality of dining but without the name cards. As I mentioned, I have a lot of pieces from Jung Lee. I have a beautiful platter that was gifted to me by my dear friend André Leon Talley for Christmas and it brings back so many memories. I like for people to sit where they want but I like the structure and formality of beautiful stemware and flatware. One of my most treasured items is a full set of China I purchased in Florence that I absolutely adore.

HOMEWORTHY: What is a must-have in every tablescape?

TAMRON: I think flowers or candles. Even when it’s just my husband, my son and myself, I still enjoy a bouquet of flowers and a nice candle. Something about that adds a level of elegance to even a lunch.

HOMEWORTHY: The most memorable event you’ve hosted at home and why?

TAMRON: I am fortunate to say I’ve had so many. Maybe the first time I had my brother and his family visit New York, and I was confident enough to prepare the Christmas dinner for everyone. We had friends over, my family over, and it was a big milestone in building my confidence. I started to set out on a journey to become a confident cook. That dinner was a promise I made to my dad. I was going to give myself a year to work up my confidence to do a holiday meal and I was able to do that at my home at the time in Tribeca.

HOMEWORTHY: What kind of playlist do you have for a dinner party? 

TAMRON: I love that you mention that, both Lish and I put together playlists at the end of our book! I love a variety, anything from French Hip-Hop to Aretha Franklin to Beyoncé, Marvin Gaye to the Hotel Costes series and on. Carla Bruni is a frequent guest on my playlists. I like an eclectic mix. I want my playlists to always feel unexpected and I love a playlist that can set off a conversation.

HOMEWORTHY: Dream dinner party guest list? (This could be people you know personally, from history, etc.) 

TAMRON: That’s a great one. I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest at Patti LaBelle’s house, she is always ready down to prepare a delicious meal so I would love Patti to come by. If Aretha Franklin, my dear friend, was still with us I would want to sit with her and Patti and watch them judge my cooking. Based on what I know they loved to cook, and Aretha used to tell me I needed to get on the bus with her and travel because she had a great kitchen on her bus. But I would eat up too much time listing every dream dinner party guest. The bottom line is, it’s just people who like to have a good time and have good conversations.

HOMEWORTHY: Easiest recipe to follow in your book?

TAMRON: There are a few but one that is a great crowd pleaser would be the bucatini. I think it’s a lovely and sophisticated dish that still translates to being family friendly. The burrata that pairs with it is phenomenal. It is a great, simple dish but with a lot of flavors and is something that everyone would enjoy.

HOMEWORTHY: Go-to late night snack?

TAMRON: Ice cream in bed.

HOMEWORTHY: Biggest mistake people make in the kitchen that hinders their experience? 

TAMRON: Wanting it to be perfect and trying to clean while you cook. I think you can tidy your area, but it is easy to get distracted if you decide to wash the dishes and then miss a critical part of the cooking. I try to say don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. When I’m cooking, I’ve learned that you can become distracted with tidying up. I also think a big mistake is forgetting ingredients I read the recipe and lay everything out and act as my own prep chef. If I do my chopping first and then go to the recipe, it sets me up for success. Nothing is worse than when you’ve launched into a recipe and suddenly it says you need sliced garlic, so you need to step away from your meal on the stove and try to find the ingredient and get to slicing while making sure nothing burns.

Pre-order A Confident Cook, coming out September 3, now on Amazon.