The fortunes of bold and bright Steph de Sousa have risen greatly since a stint on Master Chef catapulted the mum of four into the TV-sphere and beyond. Editor in Chief Michelle Giglio caught up with Steph just after the launch of new book, No Stress Recipe Queen.
Steph de Sousa is sitting on the lounge in her PJs, chatting on the phone to me from Newcastle. She’s just gotten back from her first-ever book tour, completely energised after connecting with fans from all over Australia. And with 1.3 million Instagram followers, Steph has certainly built up a community of people who love what she offers: simple, budget-friendly and delicious family meals.
For Steph’s mission has always been about empowering people to cook – be they time poor, first-timers, or just inexperienced in the kitchen. “I love the idea of people who have never cooked, or have never been a particularly good cook, to see one of my videos or one of my recipes, and go: ‘I could probably do that.’ And they do it and have success and their family says ‘Yum!’ And that gives them the confidence to do it again.”
No Stress Recipe Queen builds on the success of her first two cook books, Air Fryer Queen and Easy Dinner Queen, combining a range of different styles. You’ll find ‘set and forget’ dishes, ‘fast and fab’ 30-minute creations, ‘and some beautiful desserts,’ enthuses Steph. “I think there’s something in there for everybody.”
The quirky recipe names are part of the fun Steph brings to cooking: ‘laksa that loves you back,’ ‘bachelor’s handbag dinner hacks,’ and ‘hot mess choc dessert.’ It’s all about appealing to the ‘ordinary person.’ “They are the one person that is not represented on the internet,” says Steph of her fans. “They are the Monday to Friday 9 to 5ers, they’re the double-income with kids, they’re the single mum, the retired grandparents that look after the grandkids.
“They are not dining at fancy restaurants, if restaurants at all. They’re not driving a fancy car. They’re not going on overseas holidays. They are just keeping their head above water and they’re in the trenches.
“I think those people just are very much underrepresented and they’re the people that I’ve been able to connect with, which I love.”
Rather than following trends, Steph’s inspiration for her recipes reflects her audience’s needs. “So at the moment I feel like the need is for time-saving dishes. So there’s ‘cook once eat twice,’ and slow cooker recipes.”
Budget-friendly is also key, says Steph. “You would be hard-pressed to find a dish in that book that is over $30 to feed four people. That really is my goal with everything I do. Times are tough, people are struggling, so that is what has inspired me with this one.”
While the book tour was gruelling – multiple signings in five states and territories in 12 days – Steph absolutely loved it. “I think what a lot of people don’t realise, is that (as) a cook content creator, I spend 99% of my days alone in my kitchen cooking. So for me, it’s really lovely to get out and to meet people. It fills my cup up.
“I get this really lovely insight into who my people are, and that insight helps me to service them better in the future.”
Steph has also managed to break into the overcrowded television market, launching The Frugal Foodie on 10 last year, with season two airing now. “It’s pretty hard to get a TV show going these days, as you have to get some pretty good sponsorship. But I’ve got some really great partners that I work with now on an ongoing basis, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep it going on for the long term.”
Filming season two was ‘even more’ enjoyable, Steph says. “I felt like I knew what I was doing this time which is always helpful. I think I understood more what people wanted to see this year so I was able to be a bit more specific with the recipes that are created for this season.”
Life since Steph competed on Master Chef in 2019 has been a full immersion in food, with the mother of four quitting her job as a human resources specialist at the Department of Human Services to compete. And she has not looked back.
“My children just think that I’m the crazy mum on social media now!” Steph laughs. “But they always cannot actually quite believe that I do what I do. And nor can I sometimes. “It’s really funny when we go out and about, and someone approaches me in the street for a selfie. (And my children say) ‘I can’t believe that happens to you, this is wild!’
“It’s a little bit crazy our life sometimes!”
The business has become a family affair, with her eldest, a daughter, scheduling social media content – and also noticing any feedback for future cooking ideas. Husband Neville also helps out, and whoever is around will always pitch in washing dishes or chopping veggies. “They are very supportive…It really is a family affair.”
The work days vary, depending on Steph’s schedule. She will try and do three days a month of producing content, cooking and filming as many recipes as she can, which are then edited. “But if I’ve got a home day, it quite often is me sitting on my couch in my pyjamas with my dog at my feet – this is me today – with my laptop on my lap.”
Days always end up the same in the de Sousa household. “My husband and I will jump in the spa at about 5.30pm for half an hour and then I’ll cook dinner with a glass of wine.
“For me (preparing dinner) is just the best part of my day. It’s the way I unwind. It’s that beautiful mindfulness at the end of the day where nothing else is in my head except what I’m cooking, and I just find it’s a really great way for me to just get out of my head and relax.”
The week we spoke, Steph was hard at work finishing off her next cook book, Baking Queen, part of a two-book deal signed with Harper Collins last year. There will be the usual doughs, cakes and biscuits, as well as ‘no bake’ treats, and savory pastries – all ranked in order of difficulty, depending on how much time someone has. With nearly four books behind her, Steph is enjoying the ride. “My books are beautiful, and they’re fun. They’re so bright and colourful.
“I think I stand out because I don’t think there are many people doing what I do. I’m after quick, easy, delicious. There’s room for errors, there’s room for movement. You don’t need to be perfect. people can see themselves actually cooking the (recipes).
“I just love to be able to give something to people to help them feed their family on a budget.”
