Diet plays an important role in Katie Lee Biegelthe work of, from the co-hosting of Food Network The kitchen to hosting his podcast, “All On the Table.” But food has also played a vital role in many important moments in the chef’s personal life, from childhood to today.

Katie Lee, 43, still remembers exactly what she ordered on her first date with her husband, Ryan Biegeland the meal the couple ate during their engagement in 2018.

“We met during filming Beach Bites and he was my producer, so we had a secret romance,” she reveals exclusively in her feature My Life in Food in the last issue of Us every weekon newsstands now. “We went for our first date in Puerto Rico to this little restaurant that was kind of a hole in the wall. And we had fried whole fish which was really delicious. We’re still talking about it. So a whole fish is always part of our special meals together. If we see it on a menu, we understand.

Soon, Ryan popped the question during a romantic getaway to Paris, and the meal on their table was a Pommes Béarnaise from Chez l’Ami Louis. The duo married in September 2018 and welcomed daughter Iris two years later.

Although she’s a chef, spirits are a key aspect of Katie Lee’s culinary experience – and she even has her own organic wine company, A little wildto keep you in good spirits.

“To me, food and wine are like the hip bone connected to the leg bone,” the Kitchen host said. We during an event celebrating the launch of Purvi PadiaIt is Festivities Holiday collection. “I love comfort food. And I kind of put wine in that category. And to be truly comforted by your food or wine, you need to know where it came from, how it was raised, how it got to your plate or glass, and how you’re going to leave the environment in the future as well. . »

Keep scrolling for more fun, food-filled stories from Katie Lee:

What special dinner would your parents prepare for your birthday?

I love this question. I actually ask this question on my podcast. I love knowing about people’s birthday meals when they were kids. When I was a kid, I always wanted my grandmother to make pot roast and mashed potatoes on my birthday. It was my favorite. And her homemade rolls.

Do you remember what you ordered on your first date with your partner?

We met during filming Beach Bites and he was my producer, so we had a secret romance. And we went on our first date in Puerto Rico to this little restaurant that was kind of a hole in the wall. And we had fried whole fish which was really delicious. We’re still talking about it. So a whole fish is always part of our special meals together. If we see it on a menu, we get it.

Do you have a snack you’re obsessed with?

I’m obsessed with Top Seedz crackers dipped in Bitchin’ sauce. It’s so good. I can’t stop. They have them at Whole Foods and you can also order them online, but I get several at a time because I go through them so quickly. They are really good.

What would be your last meal on Earth?

I love — it’s actually the restaurant we went to during our engagement in Paris — Chez l’Ami Louis. Their roast chicken and potatoes — Pommes Béarnaise — superb crispy potato pancake with garlic and parsley. And it is, for me, the ultimate comfort meal.

Is there a food you didn’t like as a child that you love now?

Tomatoes! When I was a kid, if there was a tomato seed on a lettuce leaf, you had to throw out the whole lettuce. I couldn’t be near a tomato. Now I eat them like crazy.