Nea Arentzen
Name: Nea Arentzen
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Profession: Recipe developer and content creator at Food52
Self-Description: Hi! My name is Nea and I'm a 27 year old recipe developer and content creator based in Brooklyn, New York. I was born in Sweden and grew up moving between Sweden and Norway, then eventually settled in Burlington, Vermont with my family. I currently have a full time roll at a food media brand called Food52, where I spend most of my time in the test kitchen baking, testing recipes, and filming. On the side, I develop recipes for my personal Substack and socials as well. I would say I'm a pretty happy person overall, and love to socialize and explore new restaurants in the city. I also love to be outside, so if I'm not in the kitchen you can probably find me out on a walk or in the park.
Words to live by: At the risk of sounding super cheesy, be kind, positive, and believe that good things can (and will) happen to you.
Words to your younger self: Take your parents seriously when they say networking will get you the furthest, and don't stop working on your passion because you never know where it can lead you.
On health & wellness
What’s one habit or lifestyle change that completely shifted your well-being? To listen to my body and do workouts depending on what my body is craving in the moment. I used to be the person who thought I had to do a hit or crazy strength workout every day, which only made me look forward to working out less. I realized I had to figure out a way to make working out more enjoyable, attainable, and more consistent.
What’s a piece of wisdom or a mindset shift that has transformed the way you care for your body, mind, or soul? I feel like I've done a really great job at trying to be as positive as I can in terms of my life and my career. Sometimes it's easier said than done, of course, but it's helped me in so many ways.
Is there a small but powerful wellness ritual you practice daily? Every morning I say the same few affirmations/manifestations. If anything, it helps bring me some sense of peace/security throughout the day. I also will add on anything that can help me feel more positive depending on how I'm feeling that day.
What’s one health or wellness product you swear by? Magnesium. It's made my sleep much better, helps calm me, and has reduced general anxiety over the years.
On business
What first sparked your love for cooking and food? I feel like this is such a common answer but I grew up spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandmothers. I also loved going to bakeries and cafes and trying new pastries, and I have a serious love for all things dairy (which sparks a lot of inspiration in the kithcen). I don't know about a dish or moment that hooked me, but swedish princess cake has always been one of my favorites to eat and bake, and I think attributed to my love of pastry.
How did you land your role at Food52, and what has surprised you most about working there? I was initially a freelancer, and the person I was in contact with sent me the application and after a few weeks, I was hired and in the office creating content. What's surprised me most is how incredibly much I've learned in the past two years. The amazing thing about smaller companies/those with a start-up mentality is that there's a ton of room for growth, so if you're willing to put yourself out there and step up, you can propell your career in ways you wouldn've have thought possible when you first start. It's forced me to become a much better public speaker, feel more comfortable being in front of the camera, and has made me a much stronger recipe developer.
Can you walk us through a day in the life at the Food52 test kitchen? The very first thing I do when I get there around 9/9:30 is check my email and look at what I have on my to-do list. I also will often spend some time doing some recipe r&d, and if I have a guest coming in, I prep for that. Then I head into the test kitchen usually around 10 (unless I have a meeting), where I start to gather all the ingredients and equipment. We almost always have a few meetings spread out throughout the day, but for the most part i'm in the kitchen testing and filming recipes until about 3, then I clean up, do the dishes, and the rest of the day is spent editing my videos, writing articles, and writing up my recipes. I try my best to get as early of a start as possible in the kitchen so I can be done cooking/baking by 3/330 latest.
Where do you find inspiration for new recipes—cookbooks, travel, cravings, accidents in the kitchen? So many different places! Restaurants, pinterest, bakeries, sometimes just brainstorming different ingredients that go together, social media, etc.
How has your own background or heritage influenced the way you approach food and recipes? Growing up partly in Scandinavia influenced me to cook with a lot of fish, potatoes, fresh herbs, and a LOT of dairy. It also drove me to be more interested in baked goods (from the whole idea of having "fika"), such as yeasted doughs, and pastries with lots of whipped cream and creamy fillings. It's had a huge influence on the way I cook and bake, and it's only increasing as I try to niche down to more Scandinavian-inspired food in my online presence.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone who wants to become a recipe developer or work in food media? Network as much as possible, don't wait for someone else to tell you you can/can't do something (start a blog, start a website, create content; anything you can do that shows your talents), and don't be afraid to reach out to people for advice/connections. Those are all the things that helped me the most in my career.
The full list of favorable mentions are linked below with a brief description.
What is your go-to gift to give people? My parents have a glassblowing company called AO Glass, and my mom separately has a denim apron brand called Tovewear, so whenever I can I like to gift people handblown glass (vases, champagne flutes, gnomes, etc) or an apron.
What is a recent purchase you made that you love? Omg my new Levis' Baggy Dad jeans. I could wear them every day if I could, and I'm probably going to buy them in a few more colors they're that comfy. They're the perfect mid/low rise jeans and have such a nice fit. If you need new jeans I highly recommend. I didn't want an overly baggy look so I stuck with my normal size, which was perfect since Levi's always stretch after wearing them for a little.
What do you never leave the house without? Headphones, chapstick, and always a mint or a pack of gum.
Book Recommendation: I'm currently reading Iron flame and if you haven't read the series yet, obviously start with the first book Fourth Wing, but it's so so good.
Podcast Recommendation: I've always really enjoyed listening to Giggly Squad with Paige and Hannah. No specific episode, they're all funny and easy to listen to.
Artist Recommendation: I've been loving ariana grande radio on spotify (yes, definitely a pop girl) but we also listen to a lot of Sunday (1994) radio in the test kitchen too. I love the radio playlists.
Makeup product: My all time favorite foundation is the dior backstage face and body foundation. It goes on like a second skin and has a really subtle glow. I love it so much. It's not cheap, but it's lasted me a really long time.
Skincare Product: My current favorite moisturizer is the Dieux moisturizer. It's formulated by the same people who do Skinceuticals (or so I've heard) but at a fraction of the price.
Small Business Shoutout: Tovewear for the perfect denim apron of course! Have to plug my mom whenever I can (:
Favorite store in another state or country: Again, shameless plug, but AO Glass in Burlington Vermont. If you're ever in the area, it's my parents glassblowing factory. You can go in and watch them blow glass (even get a lesson) and look in their store as well.
Hotel Recommendation: I love the Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY! It's so cute and the food is amazing.
Recipe: I love this Braided Pistachio Loaf (Swedish Pistagelängd). It's a classic in swedish bakeries and is my dad's favorite pastry.
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