Dolly Parton Compares Cooking to Songwriting: “The Better I Write, the Better I Cook”

Cooking a good recipe and crafting a good song both require all their elements to work together to be successful. Dolly Parton knows a lot about this, with cooking and music. Her legendary music we know and love. However, Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George have been working on a cookbook of favorite and family recipes. Good Lookin’ Cookin’ gives fans a look into the world of Dolly and Rachel’s kitchen.

The cookbook, out on September 17, is an endeavor that the Parton sisters undertook to showcase their family history, childhood stories, and their sisterly bond. Recently, Dolly and Rachel spoke with AllRecipes in anticipation of the cookbook release, and the two had much to say about the intersection of cooking and music.

While discussing the holidays, Rachel—who is also a singer-songwriter like her sister—compared hosting to performing. “If you’re onstage, you’re connecting with your audience. When I’m in the kitchen, I want to connect with the people that are at my table,” she said.

[RELATED: Dolly Parton Releases 40-Year-Old Track with Sister from Upcoming Family Album]

Dolly Parton and Sister Rachel Talk Cooking, Writing Songs, and How the Two Often Intersect

Dolly, however, shared that her approach to cooking is more like writing the songs than performing them. “I cook like Mama: a handful of this, a handful of that,” she shared. “Rachel is very creative in the kitchen, but she wants to make sure it’s going to taste good, too. She’s not as sloppy as I am.”

She continued, “Cooking is like writing a song,” adding, “Some of my best songs I came up with while cooking my best food, and vice versa. The better I write, the better I cook.” 

Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton also shared that they love potato dishes—“Potatoes are our holiday,” said Dolly—and included a smorgasbord of potato recipes in the book. So many, in fact, that they were repeatedly asked if they needed quite so many.

“When we were putting the book together, they kept saying, ‘Are you sure you need another potato recipe?’ and we said ‘Yeah—we love potatoes,’” Dolly admitted.

The Parton sisters have also released the newest single from the upcoming album Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA—Faith, Family, and Fables. The 37-track album includes archive recordings of family members who have passed, as well as features from Parton’s nieces, cousins, and of course her sisters. The album covers the rich history of Dolly’s paternal Parton family and her maternal Owens family, and features talent from both sides.

Good Lookin’ Cookin’ comes out on September 17, while Dolly Parton & Family comes out on November 15.

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