An Interview With Martita Mestey
Learn to say no. When you work for yourself you want to push for success but only you know when you’ve reached your max and need to say no to an opportunity. Trust you gut and be good to yourself otherwise you’ll burn out.
In this interview series, called “Chefs and Restaurateurs Helping To Promote Healthy Eating” we are talking to chefs and restaurateurs who are helping to promote and raise awareness about healthy eating. The purpose of the series is to amplify their message and share insights about healthy eating with our readers. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dini Klein.
Dini Klein is a food host, recipe developer, former private chef, and founder of the Prep + Rally family meal-prep service.
Dini has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, NY Post and on Goop, and she’s on a mission to help every busy family enjoy more and stress less with the Prep + Rally system. Her debut cookbook Prep + Rally hits shelves September 6th!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?
My story started when I was living in New York City. I was private cheffing for clients all over the city and got so busy that there was no time to properly feed my own family. You know the phrase; the shoemaker’s kids have no shoes? That was us until I finally figured out a system that worked for me. I started batch prepping staple foods in the beginning of the week using them differently each day to create completely different meals. That is the Prep + Rally method that I now share with the world on prepandrally.com and the Prep + Rally cookbook due out in September.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
I focus on creating delicious and nutritious meals for families that don’t break the bank or take hours to create. I love many types of cuisine and don’t have anything specific I focus on as long as it’s family-friendly and simple to execute. My goal is to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. I believe you can always have a homemade meal on the table with a little forward thinking and planning.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you started? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
I have always worn many hats and to this day have a very small team working with me. A few years ago I was asked to cater a 20 person, 5 course plated dinner party on a rooftop. Although a private chef, I didn’t generally do events like this and I especially didn’t do the décor, tablescape and party planning. They asked if I can handle it and I jumped on the opportunity not realizing what was really involved. I remember breaking down crying at Home Goods with my sister and brother in law (who I pulled in to help!) because I was just so overwhelmed. We strung lights, cut napkins in half because they had a last minute increase in guests and we had bought just enough napkins, dressed my brother in law up like a waiter, cooked in a new kitchen and just made it work! It ended up being a success thankfully but boy was it stressful yet hilarious at the same time. Lesson is…don’t take on more than you can handle and always outsource help. You are only as successful as your team!
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
My parents have always been so incredibly supportive. They’ve always been able to lift me up when I call them crying and are always offering to help in any and every way possible.
My husband Mike has always believed in my vision and always gives me the confidence to keep at it and reach for the stars. I am so lucky to have him as a partner. He inspires me daily.
Adeena Sussman was my mentor throughout the cookbook process as it is quite the complicated ordeal. She always pushed me to reach higher and not settle for anything less than my best. I look up to her daily and am so grateful for her guidance through this process. I wouldn’t be here without her!
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
Layers of flavor and texture! Just about every dish becomes better with a hit of acid, some crunchy toasted nuts and some fresh herbs to brighten it all up. It truly is an art form. Colors, textures and layers of flavor will give you a winning dish every time.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal’ for you?
A taco. I share lots of taco recipes on prepandrally.com because the whole family loves them and you can build them any way you choose. I love a meal that has a DIY component. Almond flour tortillas are my favorite, charred on an open flame. Load them up with eggs, salad, slaw, shredded chicken, hot sauce…it all works!
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
My inspirations are my kids! I have them on staff as my full time taste testers. Prep + Rally is all about using what you have to create brand new delicious and unique meals. When creating a new recipe or looking for a creativity boost, I look around and think “would my kids like that”. Some of my best ideas come from pulling random ingredients I have on hand and putting them together for family dinner. You get more creative when you have to use what’s in front of you!
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
Yes! My first cookbook: Prep + Rally, and Hour of Prep, a Week of Delicious Meals launches on September 6th! I am so excited to share brand new meal plans and a ideas for repurposing leftovers. We also have a section on my favorite egg dishes and of course snacks and desserts. My hope is that all readers will benefit from these brand new recipes and make dinner a stress free, delicious and healthy experience for all.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an initiative to help promote healthy eating. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Our main goal is to help people save time and money by providing healthy and hearty meal plans to make dinner and all meals stress free and exciting. When you follow the Prep + Rally Sunday Meal Prep, you are spending one hour in the kitchen prepping key food staples that will yield 4 delicious different dinners. No more of those repeat meals that get boring after two days. We are committed to keeping food fresh and light while saving loads of time and money in the process.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
While working as a private chef I was cooking for many families. When I fist arrived the kids were eating frozen pizza and Ortega tacos with melted cheese for dinner. I made it my mission to prep staples for these families so they can enjoy healthy meals all week long. Once I had my own kids I was already armed with all the knowledge to feed my own kids. I have since helped thousands of other families practice healthy and wholesome eating at home. I have even dedicated a whole section in the cookbook to healthy kids eating tips.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef or Restaurateur” and why? Please share a story or an example for each.
1. Always stay true to who you are. I keep kosher and always thought I should be the “kosher girl” since that’s what seemed like made the most sense. If you know me at all though you know I don’t do traditional Jewish food at all. I was trying to conform to be a certain person when it really was the opposite of who I was. Find your voice and shine!
2. Learn to say no. When you work for yourself you want to push for success but only you know when you’ve reached your max and need to say no to an opportunity. Trust you gut and be good to yourself otherwise you’ll burn out.
3. Hard work will pay off! Keep at it.
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Giada De Laurentiis. She was my inspiration from the very start and I have always looked up to her!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook @prepandrally. You can also visit my blog and website to view subscription models and details at www.prepandrally.com. Prep and Rally: One Hour of Prep, A Week of Delicious Meals is on sale now as well!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
How Chef Dini Klein Of Prep + Rally Is Helping To Promote Healthy Eating was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.