Former dancer, fitness instructor, singer and actress, currently a radio DJ, cookbook author, professional emcee and voice-overs artist, Cheryl Miles wears many caps and aces all roles effortlessly. 

I first met Cheryl at a media event, pre-COVID, where we instantly bonded over Red Wine. Since then, I have had a chance to work with her on a few projects and in my short time knowing her, I have only come to admire her more. Sometime after the launch of her cookbook “Smitten in the Kitchen”, I had a chance to interview Cheryl via email – it took me a minute to compile her amazing answers and get this ready for publishing but I am glad this is finally live because I think Cheryl’s story is an inspiration and her cookbook is a must-have for anyone who loves cooking or simply loves love.

In this interview feature, we get up and close with Cheryl to talk about cooking, writing, self-publishing, and more!

LC: What first inspired your interest in cooking? 

Cheryl: While my mom was the queen of her kitchen, she made sure that all three of us could cook – myself and my two younger brothers. Cooking is a life skill and she wanted us to be well-equipped. 

I was personally motivated to start cooking at the age of 16. Having two younger brothers meant that my mom made really hearty, high-calorie meals. I wanted to make my own salads and low-calorie food and would follow recipes from my favourite fitness magazines.

LC: How has cooking, and food inspired love in your life?

Cheryl: Cooking is a truly intimate act. When you give someone your food, you give them your heart. It is a peek into your heritage, upbringing, and who you are as a person. For this reason, I was never really motivated or inspired to dote on my boyfriend with home-cooked meals until I met Matthew (now Cheryl’s Husband). Our courtship started very slowly in a charmingly old-fashioned way. It brought out a vulnerable side of me that I hadn’t explored or exposed in previous relationships. Because I felt so safe and secure and saw a future with him, he drew out my more domestic, feminine side that just wanted to nurture and protect him in return. 

During my single days, food was always a symbol of love whether cooking for friends at my annual Christmas bash or cooking for myself as an act of self-care.

LC: Your cookbook Smitten in the Kitchen is dedicated to little RG. Would you like to share a bit more on that for our readers? 

Cheryl: Thank you so much for noticing the dedication to RG in my cookbook Smitten in the Kitchen. RG was our 2019 Christmas miracle after doctors had told me I was “too old” at 44 to consider getting pregnant naturally, but there he was, two beautiful blue lines defying the odds. We called him (I just had a sense it was a boy) RG – short for Rice Grain – because, at 5 weeks, the embryo is the size of a rice grain. Unfortunately, at 8 weeks, he didn’t grow any bigger & no heartbeat was detected.

I commemorated his existence by scheduling my cookbook cover photoshoot as soon as I knew I was pregnant. Now, when I look at my cookbook cover and the smile on my face, I remember the joy of being pregnant with RG rather than the loss and heartbreak we felt when we lost him. The heartbreak is extra heavy because I turn 48 in August 2023 and the chances of having a baby at this age are slim. 

The idea for this cookbook was kind of inspired by my fave sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother” and came about right after our 2018 wedding. I wanted to create a collection of recipes that told the story of how I met Matthew in my single days. It was meant to be something we would give to our future kid so he or she would know the love that they come from. Getting pregnant was the unexpected icing on the cake and while it was heartbreaking to lose the pregnancy and the hopes and dreams that went along with it, my cookbook evolved to become a collection of love lessons, in addition to the recipes that fueled my journey. 

So yes, writing this cookbook was cathartic and really helped me through the miscarriage. Being able to create is the foundation of fertility and I hope that my story gives other women the courage to talk about the taboo subject of infertility and miscarriage and that it might redefine “fertility” as more than just being able to bear children, but to bring forth ideas and birth meaningful projects.  

LC:  Do you remember the first time you entered the kitchen and made something for a loved one? Also, the first time you experimented with a recipe.

Cheryl: The first dish I cooked for a loved one was for myself! I was 14 when I first made a cheese omelet and it was so satisfying! As for my cooking journey,  I was only able to fully experiment and expand my recipe repertoire (and kitchen gadget collection) when I bought my own apartment at the age of 40. It’s only when you have your own kitchen that you can really call the shots. 

LC: Can you tell us more about the love lessons in your book?

Cheryl: Most people think this is just a cookbook but it really is a book about building healthy relationships with yourself and others through food and the “Recipes for Love”. 

I hope these hard-earned, personal love lessons – and recipes – help those who are single to find love (metaphorically and literally) in their own kitchen first, before they find it elsewhere. I believe, love starts within ourselves and that’s what I hope people take away from the book.

LC: I love that the book comes with a curated Spotify list. What inspired that (apart from the fact that you are a Radio DJ by profession and of course, love music)?

Cheryl: My mum always had a transistor radio in her kitchen where she would sing and dance while she cooked. That memory of growing up with music in the kitchen is the main reason why I curated a playlist for each of the cookbooks. I also want people to enjoy cooking and not perceive it as a chore. 

LC: Can you share more about your Recipe For Love? What inspired this section?

Cheryl: This section is partly inspired by a song by Harry Connick Jr. called “Recipe for Love” which I’ve always thought was so clever and charming. And while you can’t make it by yourself, knowing what ingredients go into your recipe for love really resides within you.

The list works because as Tony Robbins puts it, “Clarity is power”. Dating just to “see where things go” is like jumping on a cruise to nowhere and expecting it to bring you to Hawaii. It’s fruitless. Loving with purpose and ON purpose is a game changer! 

LC: What is your favourite recipe and why?

Cheryl: I guess it would be the First Home Date Chicken Penne Pasta which was the first time I cooked something for Matthew and had him over. It’s super easy to make but impressive enough to serve for your first home date without feeling flustered and looking like a mess.

LC: Where do you see your books two years from now?

Cheryl: Knowing that my cookbooks have found a home in at least 5 different countries – Singapore, America, Australia, UK & Malaysia – warms my heart. And every time someone buys my cookbooks, I do a little happy dance. I hope that in two years the books will find themselves in more kitchens and inspire more busy professionals and beginner cooks to make cooking a part of their lifestyle. My journey as a recipe developer and cookbook author started when I officially revamped www.CherylMiles.com into a food blog in 2020, so I also hope that these cookbooks translate into more traffic for my blog. 

LC: Please tell us more about Miles Nixon Media, self-publishing and how you navigated this side of the book-writing process.

Cheryl: Cookbooks are the most labour-intensive and expensive types of books to produce. 

This is why I decided to do everything myself as the profit margin is a little higher when you self-publish. The downside is you also have to consider distribution, promotion and marketing. I took a gamble and launched Miles Nixon Media. I knew I wanted to reach people at a more intimate level. So instead of big bookstores, my cookbooks are stocked at a butcher, a gift shop and at Epigram bookstore at the Singapore Art Museum as well as on their online platform.

LC: What aspect of self-publishing was the most challenging and how did you overcome those hurdles?

Cheryl: As daunting as everything sounds, the hardest part about the cookbook production is still the washing up of all the pots and pans after each cooking or food photography session. The second hardest is now trying to lose the 10kg I gained having to eat my way through all the recipes. The food baby is an occupational hazard! 

LC: What has been the biggest highlight for you with the books?

Cheryl: The biggest highlight is the sense of accomplishment and pride. I’ve also met so many interesting entrepreneurial and creative people on this journey. I have plans to write more cookbooks and hopefully expand on my media services to help other home cooks turn their passion for cooking into someone profitable using social media and blogging to negotiate brand deals. In fact, I have already started a private Facebook group for recipe developers to come together and join forces! 

LC: Finally, I have to ask this: a radio DJ, dancer, singer, former performer, cook, wife, writer, entrepreneur, author- you wear so many hats, Cheryl. You got married in your 40s, you are always experimenting with new careers – you break so many glass ceilings and how! You are an inspiration to women in Singapore and worldwide. My question to you is: what is the recipe for the amazing Cheryl Miles? 

Cheryl: Firstly, thank you for the encouraging words but I honestly feel like I’m still trying to figure stuff out. So I hardly think I am qualified to give anyone advice but I can share two concepts that motivate me through it all. One, is the idea that it is not our jobs that define us but our “work” and two is always  “follow your bliss”. 

I’ve learnt that while your dreams might lead you in the right direction and fire you enough to follow their lead, your bliss is what leads you to be of service to others and gives you the chance to evolve and grow with life’s ebbs and flows. Whatever it is you do, I think it’s important to make the time and space to do what makes you come alive! 

Follow Cheryl’s journey at https://www.cherylmiles.com, and check out her cookbooks at https://www.cherylmiles.com/shop/. You can also follow her on Instagram here.

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