In The Kitchen with Allie Daisy King

Some kitchens feel purely functional. Others feel like an extension of the person who lives in them, full of colour, mood, memory and small everyday rituals.

Allie Daisy King’s kitchen is very much the latter. A writer, visual storyteller and lover of whimsy, Allie approaches cooking the same way she approaches life: intuitively, playfully, and led by feeling rather than rules. For this edition of In the Kitchen With, we spent time cooking alongside Allie as she made her signature White Ragu, talking creativity, comfort food, romanticising the everyday, and why beautiful cookware can quietly change the way you move through your home.

Let’s start right at the beginning. For anyone new to your magical little corner of the internet, how would you describe your world? Between the writing, the colour, the outfits, the apartment… what ties it all together?

Oh gosh, I feel like whimsy is the word that ties everything together. I try to incorporate a sense of playfulness and fun into everything that I do, whether that’s how I dress, how I write, or how I live in my space.

That whimsy really carries through into your home. It feels warm, playful, dreamy, and unmistakably you. How do you approach creating a space that feels lived-in and creative, but still cohesive?

I am addicted to Canva. Truly. When I moved into this home, I spent hours every day mocking it up, decorating and redecorating until it felt just right. I also like to sit with things for a while before committing. I need to be sure I really love something before I bring it into my space.

That instinct to experiment, sit with ideas, and trust your gut feels very you, and it shows up in your cooking too. You’re a writer, a visual storyteller, a lover of colour… do those creative instincts show up in the kitchen the same way they do in how you dress or decorate?

Oh, unquestionably yes. I’m the kind of cook who looks at ten different recipes and then makes my own version based on bits and pieces, plus my own opinions. My kitchen mostly runs on vibes.

Which feels like the perfect segue, because today you’re making your signature White Ragu. Where did this recipe come from, and what made you fall in love with it?

During lockdown, I set myself the task of creating a really herb-forward, white-based ragu. Through a lot of trial, and honestly not much error, because nothing involving pasta can be that wrong, I landed on this recipe. It’s become the ultimate comfort food for me.

When you’re actually cooking it, what part of the process do you love most? Is it the chopping, the slow simmer, the plating… or that first bite?

I make this dish when I feel like either my family, my friends, or myself need some nurturing. My favourite moment is when the white wine is reducing, I always steal little bites of the sausage at that point. Coated in white wine, it’s utterly delicious.

You’ve been cooking this across a bit of a dream team, the Pumpkin Dutch Oven, the Iced Matcha Casserole Pot and the Hermes Blue Skillet. How does each piece play its role in bringing the dish together?

The Pumpkin Dutch Oven is both deeply adorable and incredibly functional. A Dutch oven is the only way I’ve ever cooked this ragu, it’s the perfect vessel.

The casserole pot is ideal for pasta; it gets everything perfectly al dente.

And the Hermes Blue Skillet? There’s honestly nothing better for cooking a soffritto to the perfect texture.

Sounds absolutely delicious! Your kitchen is full of colour, so these pieces feel right at home. How do Crumble’s designs fit into your aesthetic, and does beautiful cookware actually change the way cooking feels?

I really believe in buying something beautiful once, and buying it well, instead of filling your life with cheap, ugly things forever. (Which is pretty much the opposite of what my parents did with their kitchenware… sorry guys.)

With how competitive and disposable everything feels now, I want pieces that feel special and lasting. Crumble fits that perfectly, heavenly colours, great quality, and things you actually want to look at every day.

Okay, hypothetical, if cookware had personalities, who are we dealing with here? We already feel like the Pumpkin Dutch Oven is the whimsical friend of the group.

Absolutely.

The Orange Pumpkin Dutch Oven listens to The Cranberries, watches Nora Ephron films, and reads Dorothy Parker.

The Matcha Casserole loves a trinket trot, runs an Instagram account dedicated to finding the best matcha in town, and is definitely an Olivia Dean stan.

And the Hermes Blue Skillet? She loves tennis, fresh-cut white roses, and homemade lemonade.

Okay, LOVE, I can totally see them all having these personality traits. When you’re cooking for others, friends, dinner parties, what kind of atmosphere do you hope to create? And how do food and space help set that tone?

I want my home to feel like a warm hug after being out in a cruel and weird world. A little oasis.

Food always sets the tone, I truly believe that. I’m the kind of person who keeps chocolate chip cookies in the fridge “just in case.” I want friends to feel comfortable enough to let their walls down and just be.

You’re a writer, so food often becomes metaphor, memory, or mood. When you think about your relationship with cooking right now, what story is it telling?

Honestly? That I want a hot chocolate with whipped cream.

The hot chocolate feels like me refusing to fully grow up, holding onto whimsy for as long as I can. The whipped cream is pure indulgence. It makes me feel like I’m in a rom-com, wandering through a New York holiday market… instead of sitting at my desk with a dent in my head from headphones, editing footage all day. A little romanticising goes a long way.

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, about creativity, self-expression, or even cooking, what would you say?

Be more open. Try more foods. Don’t be such a picky eater. Experiment more, with clothing, opinions, everything. Don’t lock yourself into absolutes before you’ve lived enough to really know yourself.

I love that philosophy. And finally, looking ahead, what’s next in your Crumble kitchen? Is there a recipe or ritual you’re already dreaming up?

I really want to host a housewarming café at my place. I’m imagining making a big batch of hot chocolate in the Pumpkin Dutch Oven, with a towering pile of whipped cream beside it.

(You can probably tell I’m very hot-chocolate deprived right now.)

I’d also love to make a stock in the Matcha Casserole using my vegetable scraps, something nourishing, thoughtful, and very me.

OMG, I absolutely love these ideas! We can’t wait to see them come to life!

Cooking, for Allie, isn’t about perfection or precision, it’s about care, comfort, and creating a space where people can soften, stay a while, and feel held. Whether it’s a slow-simmered ragu, a hot chocolate crowned with whipped cream, or a kitchen filled with colour and personality, her approach reminds us that food is as much about feeling as it is about flavour.

Thank you, Allie, for inviting us into your world, and your kitchen. We’ll be taking notes on whimsy, warmth, and always keeping chocolate chip cookies on hand, just in case.