Photos by Michael Piazza
Growing up on Bainbridge Island off the coast of Seattle, exposure to haute cuisine was limited, admits Anna Rossi, who describes an “out-on-the-town dinner” there as a “Costco hot dog and Pepsi special on a Friday night.”
Today, Rossi is an Emmy Award–winning lifestyle host and TV personality, having earned early recognition as a finalist in season 3 of “Master Chef USA.” And although Rossi’s path to New England began with a simple brochure that boasted brick buildings and English ivy, it’s her story that takes you around the world.
Edible Boston reached out to Rossi during the summer of 2024 when she was traveling in France with her family.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
EDIBLE BOSTON: Where do we begin?
ANNA ROSSI: My first real job was in radio sales, then I transitioned to pharmaceutical sales. During that time, I entered the world of on-camera freelance work—picking up little gigs through Boston Casting, honing teleprompter skills—with a love for cooking always on the back burner. In 2012, I competed on “Master Chef USA.” The show offered an unbelievable launchpad, giving my cooking credibility and opening the door for brand partnerships in the culinary space.
In 2017, after having two kids, I joined NBC Boston as a culinary and lifestyle expert. When the pandemic struck, the world turned things upside down but in an effort to continue producing content, “The Chef’s Pantry” was born. Initially, it was a way to celebrate local food leaders and community connection but evolved into a vehicle for storytelling—sharing my “food love story.” Now, the show is included in the NBCUniversal portfolio.
EB: How did your food roots take hold?
AR: The real inspiration for me in the kitchen was my dad’s mom, Elizabeth Greist, who I called Oma. She loved to talk about the entire event of food. The journey would begin by tearing a recipe out of a magazine or frantically jotting it down from a show while ironing. Sourcing the ingredients would sometimes call for exhausting and adventurous trips into San Francisco or obscure towns. However, it was not uncommon for the star ingredient to have been left out completely by accident, or the recipe endured so many substitutions based on pantry availability it became an invention completely her own. Like it or not, she even had an in-house food critic: my grandfather. Surgeon by day, opinionated food judge by night. The greatest praise would be when he instructed her to “put a star by that one, Liz.” Her dinner party tales and recipe journeys had all the elements of an archetypal folk motif. Every time I go on set, I think of Oma and try to carry her optimism, humor and delight into space with me. It was her magnetic superpower.
My parents valued travel. They spent two years cycling and living abroad in northern Europe during the 1970s and made lifelong friends who became family. From the time I was in fourth grade, my parents and I would visit them often in Denmark and Sweden. When I was 16, I studied abroad in Sweden and lived with my godmother on her farm. She had a big vegetable garden, and I loved helping with the harvest, storing vegetables in the root cellar, foraging for rosehips, shearing sheep, felting wool for slippers and baking the weekly loaf of farm bread together.
But it wasn’t until I studied abroad in France when I was 20 that the world of food knocked on my door and I was ready to greet it with a curious and brave palate. From there, I walked 500 miles alone along El Camino Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Then I continued language studies in Italy after graduating. Even without sharing the same mother tongue, traveling made me acutely aware of the capability that food offers to connection, conversation and friendship. The beautiful and delicious common denominator is not only nourishment but also beautiful moments around a table that ignite laughter and contact.
EB: What brought you to New England?
AR: I chose the University of Vermont based on a brochure. I loved the brick buildings covered in English ivy! The best souvenir from my college experience was in my senior year when I rented a room from my theater professor, Dr. Lynne Greeley. Her partner, Laurence, is French and a trained chef with an unbelievable culinary library. Lynne was generous with compliments and so happy that I was up for cooking. I loved her praise and the adventure and escape of trying new dishes and techniques in their well-appointed kitchen.
After graduating from UVM, I moved to Boston. Eight months in, I met [my husband] AJ at Daisy Buchanan’s (RIP) and the rest is history.
EB: What has had the greatest impact on your culinary style?
AR: Perched on the North Shore near the water and farms, I think my food shares a story of coastal New England cuisine. My culinary style is a fusion of the love for sourcing seasonal and local ingredients. Technical knowledge from French fundamentals, a sensibility and simplicity in Italian cuisine and a joy for pickling and hygge moments from Denmark are all part of what I bring into the kitchen. Recipes are my favorite souvenir, so my culinary style is ever evolving.
EB: When sourcing ingredients, how important is organic and local?
AR: Investing in organic ingredients is a priority. We spend a lot of time sourcing food that is grown and raised with sustainable practices. Plus, local always tastes better because that means it is typically at peak season and freshness. It allows us to stay anchored in the season and support the local economy. We are lucky to live in New England because we have access to organic farms, cheesemongers, fishermen and clammers all within a stone’s throw.
EB: Do you adhere to a seasonal cooking style?
AR: One of the great gifts that New England offers is the defined seasons, like a confident page turn into a fresh menu, bringing in family favorites that live only during short windows in the calendar year. August is for “the Mayor’s Pasta,” which we serve with a raw sauce made with vine-ripe tomatoes. December is for Beef Wellington with slowly reduced mushroom duxelles, and in spring I start craving curds and cakes. How sweet is it to have something to look forward to, don’t you think?
EB: What was your career’s biggest influencer?
AR: It’s been an evolution thanks to saying YES and accepting opportunities, gigs, education and people who have invited me through doors that felt true to myself.
EB: How do you balance family and the demands of such a broad-based career?
AR: When our kids were little, it felt like parenthood was always going to include bucket seats and finagling expensive childcare. But that passed. In this season of parenthood, I’ve surrendered a bit to the chaos. What my house lacks in organization right now, I have made up for beating the bus home from work most days and staying present in a career I’m deeply passionate about. It’s OK to not be all the things all the time. Real privilege is choosing where you want to place your energy. I don’t take that for granted. Most importantly, I try to create space and opportunity to engage my kids in my work as much as they are up for it. I’m proud to be a hardworking mom. There are so many opportunities to learn from each other.
EB: Who usually cooks at home?
AR: In the kitchen, I’m the drumbeat and AJ is the jazz. AJ is talented and brings robust enthusiasm and technical know-how to the kitchen. He boasts guaranteed crowd pleasers and awesome signature dishes. I think it’s fair to say that I’m more likely to open up the fridge and pull together a weeknight meal everyone will be excited about with what we have on hand. We need both. It keeps it interesting.
EB: What is in your refrigerator?
AR: Currently, it’s filled with delicious butters from Normandy that we vacuum sealed and stuffed into our checked bag after a month of living in France recently. We always have a drawer full of a variety of cheeses and cured meats from our local cheese and wine shop, Vin Fromage in Wenham. I love jams and spreads, both sweet and savory for a simple breakfast, appetizer or light dinner. I like the kids to choose their after-school snack from the fridge so there’s a section of snacking produce and yogurts at the ready. We are definitely more of an “ingredient house” vs. ready-to-eat—leftovers aside.
EB: Can you tell us about your family? Do they have any favorite dishes?
AR: AJ and I both own our own businesses. His career is in mergers, acquisitions and processing. However, he is always an eager collaborator, and we share a love for brainstorming and executing creative concepts. Our kids, Max, 11, and Charlotte, 10, are busy with sports, friends, etc. We love our time all together.
Max loves the Chicken Marsala I make with loads of thyme, a medley of meaty mushrooms and a rich brothy sauce—no cream. Charlotte loves seared duck breast with crispy skin, the juicier the better. Swedish pancakes sprinkled with sugar and a side of bacon please them both on the weekend mornings. During Covid, cooking was really our only outlet for over a year, and these were a few of the discoveries. But don’t be fooled, they also love mac ’n’ cheese and hot dogs and we all love a good takeout night, thank goodness!
EB: What should we know about Anna Rossi? What’s the first thing that comes to mind?
AR: I am deeply loyal and deeply committed to people, projects and clients. If I say “yes” you get 150%. Sometimes people mistake my kindness for weakness. I can’t sing but I can cook—so there!
To experience New England through Rossi’s eyes—and palate—visit “The Chef’s Pantry” on NBC Boston10 or check out her website annaelizabethrossi.com.
This story appeared in the Winter 2025 issue.
