Hi, I’m Daphne. I’m a wife and mama of 4, an Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times-bestselling author, natural foods chef, and entrepreneur focused on innovation in food and beverage, beauty, and media. I currently co-host the daytime food and lifestyle talk show The Good Dish – check your local listings! – and I am the newest judge to join MasterChef Junior on FOX, premiering March 17. 

My newest cookbook, Eat Your Heart Out, comes out April 26 and details my go-to reset plan and 150 recipes free from gluten and refined sugar that I’ve used over the past five years whenever I want to reboot healthy habits and feel more confident and comfortable in my skin – and my clothes! It’s basically a clean eating reset for foodies like me who live for delicious bites.

Follow along on Instagram @daphneoz

I grew up in a huge, tight-knit family, and cooking and enjoying festive, memorable meals are one of my favorite ways we savor our time together. My mother’s family is part Italian and my father’s family is Turkish, so my upbringing and favorite ways to cook are deeply inspired by these incredible, passionate, unique food cultures.

My love of cooking started at my mother’s and grandmother’s elbows, making family meals that are still my favorites today – our family’s red sauce, German Chocolate cake on birthdays, my grandfather’s stuffed artichokes, or my grandmother’s famous salads. I  actually shared the recipe for her Eggless Caesar Salad as a video on my social channels that has been viewed over 9 million times – I promise, it’s worth the hype! It’s crisp and bright with romaine, lemon and garlic, one or two secret ingredients, plenty of pecorino and parmesan cheeses, and ultra-creamy despite no eggs. 

It makes me so happy when recipes and traditions I share end up inspiring someone else to feel confident in the kitchen, make a meal they enjoy, and share the experience with people they love.

I wrote Eat Your Heart Out because I was sick of feeling like if I wanted to be healthy, I had to suffer. I don’t like thinking about foods as “good” or “bad” – or restricting myself to the point where the focus is on deprivation instead of abundance and life feels small. Taking good care of ourselves should always be delicious!

I like to start small and simple – pay attention to how you feel when you’re eating and after your meal or snack. It’s amazing how many emotions we all have wrapped up around how and what we eat. Creating the healthy lifestyle that works and lasts for YOU is about making it easy and fun enough that you always feel like you are getting more than you’re giving up. That truly starts with letting ourselves become more intuitive and confident around our experience of food and (what should be) the joy of eating. That’s what Eat Your Heart Out is all about. A balanced reset to let you regain food confidence, written especially for people who love to eat!

I try not to look at taking a moment for myself as an afterthought. I actively schedule time to do what I want or need to do to feel in control of my day and like I get a chance to recharge at some point, too. Sometimes, that kind of self-care just looks like scheduling an hour in the middle of my day to answer emails so I’m not staying awake to do that at 11pm.  I always make sure I get 15 minutes of me time before I go to bed, to do my skincare (I’m a total junkie) and I like to lie with my legs propped up at a 90 degree angle on a wall – it’s incredible for circulation and so relaxing. I usually light a candle and listen to a music or a podcast, too.  I would love to start every day with a workout if I could. It’s the best endorphin rush and my most proactive, productive days always follow a morning sweat session. But most of all, cooking is my relaxation when I’m doing it on my time and for people I love!

In terms of upcoming projects, I cannot wait for you to check out my new cookbook Eat Your Heart Out and MasterChef Junior on FOX, premiering March 17!

Daphne wears the Lorena Gown in blush pink

Self-care can be summed up as making smart choices that matter. Where are you going to get the most bang for your buck in terms of overall joy in your life? Where can you whittle away things that do not matter that drain your energy and attention? We make a million choices every day: what to eat, what to wear, who to spend time with, what to prioritize, what to avoid, where we show up for ourselves and for others. You have to know what your personal priority list looks like in order to make your choices accordingly because those choices will shape your life. The best thing I’ve learned is that your version of living life to the fullest can and should be totally unique.

In a perfect world, give me time for a hot Epsom salts bath and great music!! I’d take a walk on the beach with my kids and our new puppy and a night out for dinner with my husband with yummy wine and great bread and homemade dessert!! Or a movie night on the couch in sweatpants!!  But realistically, after a long day taping The Good Dish in NYC or working on my other projects at home in FL, my favorite thing is just to spend a few minutes walking outside to reset my brain and then if I can get to bed early with a cup of tea, that’s the dream.

Watching my kids thrive is my number one priority. I love our family meal times because they share the most incredible, observant, funny things.  The world from a kid’s perspective is pretty magical. They do grow up so fast, and I just want to make sure they’re always looking to expand their world with bravery, compassion and confidence. Looking forward to more delicious, joyful moments like these! And to lots of travel! The Aquarian in me craves it.

I have a passion for inspired style that is elegant, creative, and feminine. I love the oversize bow, a memorable detail that makes the gown so fun to wear. Most of all, I love that the shape feels like it appreciates my curves while still being comfortable and confident. I love not having to think about my outfit as I wear it so I can focus on feeling like myself as I create memories and meaning in each moment!