Mother Stories
Karen Mordechai from Sunday Suppers Invites Us Over
Written by James Kicinski-McCoy
Photography by Maia Harms
May 19, 2015
Talk about having your cake and eating it, too! Karen Mordechai, the author behind the popular cookbook Sunday Suppers not only has skills in the kitchen that most of us dream of, she also works out of the most bright and airy 1500 sq. foot industrial studio in South Williamsburg—right on the East River. To add to the dreaminess, many times she’s working alongside her beautiful 4-year-old mini-me, Sophia. So, grab your morning coffee and read through our interview below to hear Karen dish about motherhood, running a successful business, and she shares a couple of tips for those of us with picky eaters!
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- "Both my home and studio are fairly minimal, with lots of neutrals. It’s super simple."
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- "Absolutely. We joke that instead of babyproofing, we just got rid of things that didn’t work for us. It actually worked magically. It helped us to create a space that has emptiness with areas to then fill thoughtfully, and also room for fun things like dance parties and large art projects."
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- "I love clean lines and creating a room that feels calming, comfortable, and allows for life to happen."
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- "Our bedroom. It’s a sanctuary for me. As soon as I enter it, I feel calmer and more at ease."
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- "Sophia’s room is quite small, so we wanted to keep it fairly light, but playful. Of course, if it were up to her, she’d want the brightest, pinkest room possible."
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- "I think Sophia loves her big girl bed, which she says looks like Madeline’s."
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- "Our kitchen table—so many meals and conversations. Everything happens there."
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- We love all of this natural light.
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- "Everything has changed. I find that work has more ‘meaning’ in a sense, as does everything I do. In a way, it’s hard, because you can overanalyze your schedule. Your time is more limited, and I’m still learning how to balance it all—learning how to find time for me and my career, but still be present in the days and spend time with my family. I am still figuring all of this out."
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- "How insanely you can love another human. Truly, I had no idea."
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- "Sophia just felt right. It’s brave and strong and it is who I feel she is. Sophia’s middle name is Tamar, named after my dear grandmother."
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- "The dreamcatchers are made from found objects in Mexico. We went back to the beach where we got married and collected items with Sophia to make the dreamcatchers. One of them hangs in each of our bedrooms."
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- "I love Sophia’s attention to detail and storytelling. She is mesmerizing. I often wonder how that is going to translate later into who she is and what she does. I also love her crazy, big, infectious laughter."
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- Sophia's very own kitchen.
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- Artwork by Sophia.
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- "My mother parented in a simple and straightforward way. There was always good food, love, and a feeling of home—in this way, I think we are very similar. I feel strongly about creating this foundation and home for Sophia. In many ways, we are also very different, with me having a career and a much busier lifestyle. Exposing Sophia to many things in this world is important to me. I have definitely spent time to learn my own way of mothering that feels right to me. I allow that to empower me."
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- "Follow your heart."
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- "So many. I admire so many of the women and friends around me who are creative, inspiring, and real—the ones who are a good dose of honesty and aren’t afraid to speak of the challenges and the achievements plainly. I wouldn’t know what to do without those support systems."
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- "Cooking, exploring Brooklyn, and a serious dance party."
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- "Relaxed, easy, and a little bit of hippy in there."
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- "Yes, absolutely. I think fashion has changed, too. There are beautiful lines that are relaxed and still feel put-together."
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- "An oversized white shirt, ripped jeans, and linen everything. Oh, and kicks for shoot days."
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- "A black dress and flats. I gave up heels years ago and have never looked back."
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- "We have some great stores in Brooklyn and the city that are so well curated, like Bird, Joinery, and Steven Alan. For basics, I love Madewell and Elizabeth Suzanne."
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- "I love a few Ace & Jig dresses for the both of us, and a few great pieces from A.P.C. and Ulla Johnson. They have pieces that I know I’d wear forever."
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- "Nars for lipsticks. I love its matte sticks—they last all day. I’ve been wearing the hot pink one way too much this winter for a pop of color. For scent, I’ve been wearing an oil from WARM called Nolita. It’s a little beachy and musky, but super light."
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- "I am a photographer and founder of Sunday Suppers, which is a food/design/community brand in Brooklyn. We have a cookbook, dinners, and a small online shop."
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- Look how amazing Karen's studio kitchen is!
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- "I have a masters in photography. A love for food brought me to food photography, and eventually to creating Sunday Suppers. It was truly an organic start. We hosted friends over for a supper six years ago, blogged and photographed it, and from there it has grown exponentially."
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- "Being a mother has highlighted just how much I need the creative challenge and work in my life. After two months of having Sophia, I was itching to get back into the mix. For the whole first year, I kept Sophia close and had no help. I worked full-time and Sophia attended all my shoots. I took breaks for nursing and diaper changes. It was a challenge, and sometimes I question those decisions, but I feel lucky to run my own business and be able to blur those lines when I need to."
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- "Total work in progress, but one thing I’ve learned to do is to include Sophia in my work. She just loves it. She loves food and cooking, and going to markets with me. I’ve even see her shoot her food on my phone and she’s been really into Julia Child videos."
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- "I go in pretty much every day. It’s conveniently across the street from our apartment and I try to consolidate ‘meeting’ days so I can meet up with other creatives, colleagues, and clients."
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- "All the time—she loves the studio. It’s a big white space for her to run around in and just hang."
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- Sink envy.
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- "The studio is a space for food, design, and community. We use the studio during the week as our office, shooting space, and for creating new recipes. All these little operations come out of the studio. Sometimes we’ll rent the space out for other shoots and editorial work. On weekends, we host dinners and gatherings, so we’ve always got our hands full."
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- "Yes, the original concept of Sunday Suppers is a communal cooking dining space where guests come together, cook together, and then share a meal. We have now expanded into other things, but we do still host dinners and classes seasonally."
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- "I will be honest, she’s the best little eater I know! She’ll pretty much eat anything. Right now she’s really into beets and goat cheese. ‘The stinkier, the better,’ she says."
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- "I think it’s best to loosen it up and remove the pressure. I think some parents get too worked up over it and that can come across to the child. We like to have good food options available and it’s very important to eat with them! We sit down for lots of meals together, both at home and at restaurants. Often times, I won’t even offer her something new, but she’ll see us eating it, get curious, and then she’ll ask for it on her own. That seems to work miraculously. She feels like it comes from her, but really it’s the ease and experience that we create in our home."
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- "Sunday Suppers started five years ago in our home. A few friends gathered at our apartment. We cooked, dined, and made a toast. From there, our dinners evolved and we have since grown into a beautiful new space. Our community has expanded beyond our expectations. The concept, however, centers on simplicity and a love of food. Our food is attainable, focused on beautiful ingredients, and the season’s availability. I don’t think food should be intimidating or overdone."
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- "The date cake is amazing and a great way to impress your guests. We also love the granola—it’s so easy and great to have around."
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- "I love my job. I love being creative, growing, and challenging myself. I love being in a city that fosters this and in a community that inspires you to do what you love."
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- "We have something very exciting in the works for Sunday Suppers—please stay tuned! We will need all the support we can get!"
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- "The lines certainly blur, especially for us being a tiny family of three. We love spending time together, but Ken, my husband, and I try to have our date nights, even if they are at home. I will admit it is definitely a challenge, especially living in NY."
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- "I wish that I could figure out the ‘me’ part a little better. I find that I’m learning what I need for myself in order to be a better person, wife, and mother."
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- Always dancing.
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- "We love our town. It’s a little industrial and removed from the busier parts of Brooklyn, but it’s also super neighborhood-y for an urban location. We also live on the waterfront of the East River and that feels like a nice escape."
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- "Most fun days start with coffee and croissants at a local bakery, then an excursion and a fun family dinner out. We’ll leave the city sometimes, too, and head upstate for some sunshine and trees."
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- "We’re keeping this open."
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Wow, what a gorgeous, barefoot woman of color! Karen’s soles look so soft in pictures #1 and #22. In picture #1 they look slightly dirty. Love that! But it’s in pictures #42 & 43 that Karen’s beautiful bare feet really shine. Her long, slender toes look so alluring with that pedicure!