Interviews

Paul Lowe on Crafting + Cooking -- Plus a Giveaway!

March 25, 2014

We're sitting down with our favorite writers and cooks to talk about their upcoming cookbooks, their best food memories, and just about anything else.

Today: Paul Lowe, cofounder of Sweet Paul Magazine, has a new book out that will have you assaulting your local craft store and revisiting old recipes with new eyes. 

Sweet Paul Eat & Make on Food52  Paul Lowe on Food52  

Shop the Story

There are those of us who craft with gusto, and those of us who decidedly do not. 

Paul Lowe -- half of the pair of Pauls behind Sweet Paul Magazine, and author of the newly released Sweet Paul Eat & Make -- is on a mission to convert those in the latter camp to the former. Eat & Make leads us gently into the world of crafting and home cooking, with cheer, beautiful photos, and lots of snacks along the way.

More: Paul also recorded a very sweet video for Food52ers everywhere.

The book is organized by Morning, Brunch, Noon, and Night, each of which includes an "eat" and "make" section. Serve Roasted Vegetable Shepherd's Pie on a trivet made of clothespins, or Norwegian Wood Cocktails atop homemade coasters. Thanks to Paul's accessible crafts and his acceptance of imperfection, we're all a little more likely to get friendly with our glue guns.

Today, he's also sharing a recipe for Breakfast Churros -- and giving away five copies of Sweet Paul Eat and Make. Craft on, friends.

More: Pick up a subscription to Sweet Paul Magazine on Provisions.

Sweet Paul Magazine on Food52  Sweet Paul Magazine on Provisions by Food52

You were raised by your grandmother and great aunt -- how did their style of cooking and crafting shape what you do today? 
I feel they are always with me. Everything they did was in great style and tasted really well. The cakes might have been a bit lopsided and the seams might not have been perfectly straight, but it was all wonderful.

My grandmother would always say "Perfection is boring." I try to show that in my book: everything does not have to be perfect, it just has to taste really good.

When you travel to a new place, what sorts of crafts or foods tend to catch your eye?
Whatever is local! I love trying new food and am always on the lookout for new materials to use. I love going to hardware stores and strange local shops; there are always so many cool things to find.

I did get lost in the souks of Marrakech, and had to hire a small boy to guide me out of there, but the finds were worth it.

Which are the most-used tools in your toolkit? In your kitchen drawers?
I could not live without my hot glue gun. I even have a hot glue gun tattoo on my arm -- talk about a serious crafter.

In the kitchen its my emulsion blender. I’m on this kick these days where I make mash out of everything. My latest craze is broccoli and olive oil mash -- it’s so good.

More: A standard potato mash is never a bad idea, either.

Mashed potatoes on Food52

What are your essential tips for setting a beautiful table?
Keep it simple. Go with one kind of flower, candles, and a mix of modern and vintage. Always place something unexpected on the table -- that way people who don't know each other that well have something to talk about and break the ice.  

What is your go-to edible gift?
My great Aunt's cinnamon buns are always a hit. The secret is to grate marzipan into the dough. She claimed she met her husband with those buns, so you know they are tasty.

If buns aren't your style, use your cinnamon to make Paul's churros, instead:

Breakfast Churros on Food52

Breakfast Churros with Cinnamon and Sugar 

Makes 18 churros

1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Want to win a copy of Sweet Paul Eat & Make? Tell us in the comments: What's your favorite DIY project? We'll choose five winners at random this Friday, March 28th.

All Sweet Paul photos by Alexandra Grablewski. Mash photo by James Ransom. 

Listen Now

On Black & Highly Flavored, co-hosts Derek Kirk and Tamara Celeste shine a light on the need-to-know movers and shakers of our food & beverage industry.

Listen Now

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Maggie Horikawa
    Maggie Horikawa
  • Darlene Martinez
    Darlene Martinez
  • Megan
    Megan
  • Kathy P
    Kathy P
  • Stephanie Lai
    Stephanie Lai
Marian Bull

Written by: Marian Bull

writer

105 Comments

Maggie H. April 3, 2014
i love pom pom garlands!
 
Darlene M. April 1, 2014
<3 Linen's And Tablewares.And Always a Fresh Flower. :-)
 
Darlene M. April 1, 2014
I <3 Linen's And Tablewares...And Alway's A Fresh Flower. :-)
 
Megan March 28, 2014
I like to make interesting planters for herbs
 
Kathy P. March 28, 2014
Would love this cookbook!!
 
Stephanie L. March 28, 2014
(Does bread count as a DIY??)
 
Tuhina March 27, 2014
Paper mache bowls to serve appetizers in. Unique !. I get my kids to pain them . My favorite kitchen DIY is bread pudding with different mixins
 
rachael March 27, 2014
LOVE Sweet Paul! My favorite DYI is sugared flowers
 
Shelley March 27, 2014
Churros!!!They look divine as does Sweet Paul.
 
Jen B. March 27, 2014
Favorite DIY - what a tough question! I love handwoven fabric.
 
Sandra R. March 27, 2014
I am hoping to get the magazine subscription for my birthday!
 
Joann March 27, 2014
I really love Sweet Paul. So inspiring! My favorite DIY project is bread. The smell of freshly ground spelt makes my day. The steamy goodness of freshly baked bread screams "comfort" and "joy".
 
EmilyB March 27, 2014
My favorite DIY...anything in the kitchen! Baked goods, flavored sugars, flavored oils and extracts!
 
Shannon March 27, 2014
homemade whole grain mustard! so many possibilities.
 
Button B. March 27, 2014
Just love to dye fabrics using natural ingredients...red cabbage, walnut...gives beautiful colours!
 
Ampa A. March 27, 2014
painting with chalkpaint doors, chairs and tables is my favorite diy project, my house looks lika a big chalk!! jajajaa
thank you so much
ps_ in spain CHURROS and CHOCOLATE are the official early breakfast after a great party night, I recommend you one of the best in Madrid, if someday you'll come to Spain, don't forget this Chocolaterie!!
http://www.chocolateriasangines.com/Chocolateria_San_Gines/Bienvenidos_a_San_Gines.html
 
Krista March 27, 2014
My favorite DIY is making flower petal sugar for baking and ice tea
 
Ibolya C. March 27, 2014
i love to make potato stamps and also home made pancakes!!!:)
 
Joyce B. March 27, 2014
My favorite DIY project is making fabric flowers; furniture makeovers are fun too! Looking forward to trying the Churros recipe in the morning :)
 
Vickie M. March 26, 2014
I love Paul and cant wait to own his cookbook. If his magazines were weekly I'd be in heaven.
 
Paula B. March 26, 2014
I love Sweet Paul!! I love DIY, I make jewelry and love crafts. Most of my jewelry is from found objects and mixed metals. FUn Fun Fun!
 
Becca A. March 26, 2014
I like to make DIY food!
 
natalie March 26, 2014
I love to give a quickbread as a gift - it's easy to make and i've never met anyone who didn't love a loaf of good banana bread
 
Erin L. March 26, 2014
I create belly dance costumes. This includes hand sewing sequins and beads.
 
K_Squared March 26, 2014
I love baking my own bread. I've recently grown a healthy sourdough starter & excited to venture into that realm!
 
drlbennett March 26, 2014
My favorite is quilting
 
Ayarir March 26, 2014
I love diy bread! The lovely smell of baked bread in your own house is great.
 
lakelurelady March 26, 2014
I love sewing pillows out of unusual fabrics like seed sacks. Table runners are also fun.
 
Double H. March 26, 2014
I love making DIY tote bags and then filling them with homemade goods or local goods from the farmers market! It makes a great gift all year round!
 
Chris G. March 26, 2014
Sea glass jewelry is my latest faze but now I am envisioning serving pieces or tray handles decorated with sea glass...
 
Sharon W. March 26, 2014
I enjoy mixed media-anything fabric, print and paint combined in a collage style. My cooking is similar- a mixed palette of colorful foods.
 
Linn March 26, 2014
I love making cards for friends and loved ones!
 
creamtea March 26, 2014
I knit lace with silk thread and tiny Japanese beads.
 
Rhonda March 26, 2014
Hickory smoked salmon and chilli smoked squid but its hard to choose between Italian dried sausages and homemade passage.
 
Lee E. March 26, 2014
It's been a while, but I used to love making envelopes and stationary out of old magazine photos.

Oh, do mixtapes count, too?
 
Linda S. March 26, 2014
I like making favors to match a luncheon theme...
 
birdiebee March 26, 2014
I love buying older homes and remodeling/fixing them up.
 
Alexandra H. March 26, 2014
I love making and packaging Chocolate Chip Cookies!
 
alia March 25, 2014
Making butter. It's so easy and so so good.
 
Hillary March 25, 2014
Collecting seashells on the beach and stringing them into a macrame bracelet. A lovely homemade gift for friends and family!
 
rob_fitzhenry March 25, 2014
There are tons of DIY Food projects -- love pickling and fermenting. So old school. Enjoy making simple pickles with cucumbers and span outwards by incorporating many veggies over the season to stretch the best New England has to offer.
 
Kels M. March 25, 2014
My mother has a heavy, gorgeous, blue-striped ceramic bowl like the one on the cover. I love it like crazy because it always seemed to be an omen of delicious things to come—granola, warm loaves of bread, chicken salad for a party & monster batches of zucchini bread.

Making granola has become one of my favorite DIY projects, as has preserving. This year, many of our holiday gifts for friends were sets of Loaded Granola & Winter Wonder Jam. I also love making DIY holiday cards and decorative posters.
 
Merry J. March 25, 2014
Hardware stores - yes! Always a treasure trove of unexpected crafting supplies and crafting gems. A place to think outside of the box for your DIY projects - like unexpected ways to create innovative lighting! Absolutely love Sweet Paul and hope to win his new book!
 
Claire O. March 25, 2014
I couldn't agree more that perfection is boring - can't wait to try the churros and hope to win one of the books! :)
 
CarmaFrancie March 25, 2014
These days it's curing meat. Made 15 pounds of bacon & 10 pounds of pastrami over the weekend and have a pork belly in the initial stages of pancetta.
 
miznic March 25, 2014
I'm a newcomer at this. Food and crafts go together? Excuse me while I run to our local Hobby Lobby and seek out this magazine for immediate inspiration...
 
Sheila E. March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY project is paint- anything to do with paint. Paint has the biggest impact for the least amount of money. People are creating their own wallpapers with paint, that's currently my favorite DIY.
 
JRod March 25, 2014
Love sewing. I do a lot of quilting but also enjoy making coasters, table runners, etc.
 
Sipa March 25, 2014
I would have to say knitting is my favorite DIY project.
 
Allison March 25, 2014
I love to sew- it is both relaxing and fulfilling. I wish I was better at it, however. :)
 
EmFraiche March 25, 2014
Gardening is my favorite DIY! Not super crafty outside of cooking and gardening.
 
Chef N. March 25, 2014
my fav DIY is making things out of old wine bottles. I love to recycle and have made herb planters and tiki torches among many other create ideas!!!
 
Tracie March 25, 2014
My Favorite DIY is making tissue paper flowers out of unique prints and colors. They're a bit tedious, but surprisingly beautiful for being made of tissue!
 
Madeline9 March 25, 2014
I've just learned to sew so I'd love to be a DIY fashionista (hah!), but I also love baking my own breads and pizza doughs.
 
Aubri March 25, 2014
I'm not the craftiest of DIYers but I once weaved rope knot trivets for a Christmas gift one year that I loved so much, I made some for myself as well! The tutorial was on Design*Sponge if anyone is interested!
 
HalfPint March 25, 2014
Photograph coasters as a Xmas present for my husband.

Each Christmas, instead of buy gifts, I send out edible care packages. My favorite, and everyone elses, were the s'mores kit complete with homemade graham crackers & marshmallows.
 
Jen C. March 25, 2014
I have always been super into crafts! And now that love is transferring into my cooking. I love trying new recipes and experiencing different flavors and combinations. Fave DIY? I love making crochet blankets. I've got a few in my house and always make one for my closest friends, especially when they're expecting. It's a cozy addition to my home that I can be proud of, even if it takes some time to create. It's always worth it.
 
Cathy C. March 25, 2014
i've been on a chalk paint kick trying to bring new life into my living room.
 
Natalia G. March 25, 2014
And I just wanted to thank sweet paul for the reminder that "perfection is boring. ". It is my new mantra!
 
Nomnomnom March 25, 2014
Christmas ornaments! We used to make them when I was a kid. But Easter eggs are probably the ultimate diy craft project in my history. My family used to dye Ukrainian eggs with beeswax and kistkas, stretching it our for weeks before Easter (and after). They do take a long time to make, but the final reveal at the end when you melt the wax off and see your final creation, is a special reward. Nowadays I am more into using natural dyes and plan to make a batch of more subdued eggs using vegetable dyes this year.
 
Natalie March 25, 2014
I can't do it all the time, but I love to weave on my triangular loom, making a triangular shawl or warm wool lap blanket, or perhaps weaving a smaller triangle to shrink, fold, and sew into a hat. It's a bit of a pain to put the loom up and then take it down again, and yes, people may have to dodge or duck around it in the corner, but it's so neat that you can make great gifts out of nothing. Even better if I can get my mom to spin some wool into yarn for homespun!
 
AntoniaJames March 25, 2014
Oh, goodness, I am the least crafty person on the planet. I did teach an entire lunch table of bored attorneys at a PLI conference one time how to use origami folds to turn their business cards into jumping frogs. (You flip them like tiddly winks.) Oh, what fun we had. For the record, I'm an expert knitter, and design and make mostly scarves these days. When I lived on the East Coast, I designed and knit my own sweaters and quite a few for friends and family. I have never knit anything for the house. ;o)
 
painting is my favorite diy. such a dramatic change can be achieved with minimal time and effort!
 
Desert D. March 25, 2014
Knitting afghans. I'm lousy at it, but I enjoy the process so much!
 
Lara W. March 25, 2014
Homemade bread!
 
Loretta N. March 25, 2014
Oh, so many to choose from, but to pick just one...hand crafted greeting cards, especially holiday cards.
 
Laura March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY is crocheting baby gifts for friends…. Mine are never completely perfect, so I really love the "perfection is boring" quote :)
 
Jessie March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY is anything I get to eat when it's done!
 
Rena H. March 25, 2014
anything organizational!! and glue gunning/crafting/beading with my 4 yr old daughter!
 
Leah March 25, 2014
I love sewing but also bake anytime I get the chance.
 
emilyt March 25, 2014
Baby wipes! Cut a paper towel roll in half (carefully; I use a serrated bread knife). Remove inner cardboard and place roll in tupperware container. Add two cups warm water, a squirt or two of baby soap, and one to two tablespoons of baby oil (I like the Burt's Bees apricot one). Lid the container, shake like crazy, and voila! Wipes for baby, your hands, whatever. Smells great; all natural.
 
Melissa P. March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY is making fresh flower arrangements. Always puts a smile on my face.
 
CrabCakes March 25, 2014
Christmas ornaments. My dad would come up with a new idea each year for use to make, using basic things like cork circles, toothpicks or walnuts. It still makes me happy to see them and remember the fun we had creating them.
 
Julie March 25, 2014
My favourite DIY is a make-your-own piñata! We tried it for my kiddos' birthday party using a yoga ball and it was a HUGE hit!
 
nysa March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY project is anything that inspires my tween to craft with me! This week she is knitting a small bunny for her best friend.
 
Kristen P. March 25, 2014
DIY cleaning products and product organizers.
 
Natalia G. March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY project these days is batik with gel glue. Just draw on fabric with the glue. Let dry. Paint over with acrylic paint. Let dry then hot soak the fabric for the glue to come off and voila!
 
Marlena March 25, 2014
Always painting. It does a world of difference!
 
gracieloo March 25, 2014
DIY Washi crafts!
 
Kristi M. March 25, 2014
I re-purposed my favorite horse's shoes into wall art. I think of him every time I see it, and I love that!
 
LLStone March 25, 2014
DIY Liqueur.
 
Marcia March 25, 2014
Restoring furniture! I love finding old/damaged furniture in the streets of NY and bringing them back to life!
 
Lygia March 25, 2014
my favority diy project was my bride bouquet with fabric flowers that i made!!!
 
Allison T. March 25, 2014
Japanese side-stitch books are fun to make and they're great gifts
 
Vicki S. March 25, 2014
This past Christmas I designed my own retro-feel wrapping paper and tags. I wrapped all the presents in it and it just felt extra special when I shipped all the gifts to neices and nephews... like a little extra love went with it. :)
 
Niknud March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY is mittens for the kids - a new pair each winter. The ones you get at target or wherever are so thin and they get soaked through in minutes. Nothing like a good pair of sturdy, warm wool mittens to keep little fingers warm. Bonus: you can make them in crazy colors so they don't blend in with the ubiquitous browns and blues in the lost and found bin. A place we visit frequently....
 
Jenali March 25, 2014
Last year I made homemade gift tags for Christmas gifts. It was a lot of fun and loved how they turned out. I can't want to try making more elaborate gift tags.
 
ravensfan March 25, 2014
Tie dye shirts for the kids.
 
mei55 March 25, 2014
I love to sew! baby blankets especially.
 
Christine C. March 25, 2014
I make children's clothing from recycled T-shirts.
 
Verena March 25, 2014
Love DIYs! Currently I also like to work with concrete a lot: candle holders, flower pots or vases ...
My next big plan is to create a coffee table out of euro-palettes which I could also use outdoors.
And cooking anyway :D
 
Maggie P. March 25, 2014
This week, I'm enjoying making my own DIY homemade curry paste. I love everything I see in Sweet Paul, and have enjoyed following since its inception.
 
Gemma March 25, 2014
I love to make all sorts of things! Cooking, knitting, sewing...it is hard to pick just one. Most of all, I love to make and give. So much of what we use every day is made by a machine and to feel a connection between the maker and user is magical :)
 
qktiles March 25, 2014
Hand embroidered table linens!
 
Jeanette C. March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY is one that the four generations in our family can join in and have fun doing together. Great times and great memories!!!
 
aileen March 25, 2014
My favorite DIY project is one somebody else made for me. :)
 
muse2323 March 25, 2014
I have a million things pinned to my DIY Pinterest boards but haven't tried my hand at many. Mostly they're to do with cooking--DIY extracts & spice mixes. But I'd really like to learn to crochet or knit my own slippers.
 
Cayla March 24, 2014
My favorite DIY is something simple: handmade greeting cards and notecards. :)
 
SuzannahJane March 24, 2014
Knit baby hats for friends and make wreaths for family for Christmas :)
 
Courtney B. March 24, 2014
I love making garlands to decorate the house! It's a great way to cheaply change things up for the season!
 
Bee March 24, 2014
My favorite DIY project is anything involving paper. Cards, gift tags, decorations, food packaging. It's especially a nice personal touch to add to store-bought gifts. Thanks for the giveaway!
 
thzhou March 24, 2014
I love calligraphy, and adding that little touch to whatever I'm mailing to friends, with a custom card or a handwritten note.
 
dana March 24, 2014
My favorite DIY project is homemaking things I could buy (bread, granola, hummus, etc.). It might be easier, and sometimes cheaper, to buy these things, but I prefer to make it myself so I know exactly what goes into it.
 
Megan March 24, 2014
I like to crochet
 
heyjude March 24, 2014
I look forward every year to making Christmas poppers with my granddaughter. We fill them with treats and stickers and arrange them in a circle around the tree.