At the end of 2022, Maxine Sharf found herself laid off from her decade-long career in the tech industry. A few years before, she launched a cooking blog as a passion project that has since blossomed into her entire world. “It quickly became my favorite thing to work on,” says Sharf. “I was obviously upset the day I got laid off, but I also felt an internal pull that maybe this was my chance to chase my dream.”
Photography by Amy Neunsinger
Today, Sharf’s Instagram account has amassed an impressive 3.1 million followers who come for the mouthwatering recipes, and stay for her infectious positivity and feel-good energy. “For me, cooking is what I do to relax and unwind,” Sharf details. “It almost feels like a meditative experience. When I’m in the kitchen, the rest of the world and the worries of the day tend to melt away.”
Her affinity for food started where it begins for a lot of us: growing up in her family kitchen. Sharf attributes her love for all things cooking to her mother, who also happens to be her best friend and trusty sounding board. “Usually, a new recipe idea starts as a daydream,” she says. “I’ll start thinking about the ingredients, flavors and the different methods I could use. Oftentimes, I’ll call my mom and we’ll talk through dishes together.”
Earlier this spring, Sharf hit a major milestone publishing her debut cookbook, Maxi’s Kitchen, a beautiful reflection of her multicultural heritage and love letter to kin and cuisine. “I was really excited by the idea of creating a body of work that lived together — a collection of recipes that felt connected and referenced one another,” Sharf shares. “The book is truly a collection of my favorite family recipes, but I also wanted to bring my own perspective to the table.”
Here, we caught up with Sharf to get a little life update and she shares a few insights into her personal world and a favorite recipe from her New York Times best-selling cookbook.
Her current hyper-fixation: Sticky sweet and sour ginger tofu. It’s so quick and easy.
How she’s staying grounded: I have a morning routine that I try to stick to every day. I usually walk the dog first. After that, I do some kind of workout like pilates, strength training or a jog. Then I do a 10-minute meditation. I’ll also write two or three pages of stream-of-consciousness, which helps me get all the creative ideas swirling around in my head onto paper.
On hosting the dinner party of the summer: I recently hosted a really fun summer steak dinner party. Steak feels so special but is actually very low-prep. It reminded me that centering a meal around the grill is such an easy way to host without having to spend all day in the kitchen.
Where she’s headed this summer: My husband and I are heading to Puglia, Italy, and Mykonos, Greece. Going to Europe in the summer feels like such a treat.
Her personal mantra: Believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to dream big.
What she hopes you take away from her new cookbook: I hope readers feel like cooking can be a really enjoyable, relaxing experience. I know a lot of people view cooking as a chore. But I think once you have your go-to recipes, cooking becomes a really desired part of your day. Almost like a form of self-care.
Mom’s Benihana Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main
Buttery, salty and packed with umami, this fried rice has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. My mom based this recipe off the fried rice at Benihana, where she used to be a waitress in college, and it quickly became one of her signature dishes. When she was dating my dad in her early twenties, she’d surprise him after work with chocolate chip cookies and a big batch of this fried rice. What makes it even better is how versatile it is. Sometimes we swap the chicken for sliced mushrooms to keep it vegetarian, or go with bacon for a richer, more indulgent version.
4 large eggs
4 tsp. avocado oil or other neutral oil, divided
1 7 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
1 medium carrot (3 ounces), cut into small dice
½ medium yellow onion (5 ounces), cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups Jasmine Rice
½ stick unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with a sprinkle each of salt and pepper.
2. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until scrambled, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and the chicken to the skillet. Spread the chicken into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and cook, stirring, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the carrot, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion starts to soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the rice, the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring until everything is combined, about 2 minutes.
6. Create a small well in the middle of the rice and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the well. Cook, undisturbed, until the butter melts and the rice is crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the rice to mix up the buttery pieces. Cook, tossing once or twice, until there are more crispy bits, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the scrambled eggs and mix, breaking them up into smaller pieces with a spatula. Add the scallions and cook for about 1 minute, tossing two or three times until combined. Divide among bowls and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Day-old rice is best, but fresh rice works, too. Use 1½ cups uncooked rice to make 4 cups cooked.
