Reader TTS

Diane Morrisey, 58, originally got on Instagram to spy on her kids.  Then one day in 2017, the mother of six posted a photo of a birthday cake she’d made for her daughter, Frances.

Users noticed. “My kids were like, ‘Mom, you got so many likes!’ I’m like, “What’s a like?”   She started regularly posting shots of food, beautifully photographed and arranged. “I was an

art major in college, so I have always been creative with a good eye for composition,” she says. Later in her career, she ran the Prepared Foods department at Whole Foods. “I learned how to

present food in a creative and attractive way ... so the jump to composing pretty food pictures for Instagram was not a big one. I understood what looked nice and what people responded

to.”  “You Got This! Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love” hits shelves March 25. Courtesy Simon & Schuster COOK WITH DIANE Morrisey shared three recipes from _You Got This_ 

for AARP members to try: SHEET PAN JAMBALAYA While this preparation isn’t an authentic version of the Louisiana classic, this sheet pan rendition will certainly be a welcome addition to your

recipe arsenal. CHICKEN AND BARLEY SOUP WITH LEMON AND DILL This soup is loaded with the perfect balance of tender chunks of chicken, hearty barley and vegetables in a flavorful broth.

STRAWBERRY-OAT BARS This variation is super versatile because you can make them with any combination of jam and berries that you want. A fan base quickly formed — not just for the food,

but also for Diane’s genuine encouragement and down-to-earth delivery in her posts, ending with a “you got this!” message. New chefs could appreciate her patient explanations, while

seasoned cooks could enjoy unexpected ingredients or techniques. Popular recipes on her page include decadent Roasted Garlic Garlic Bread and sweet-and-salty Carmelita Bars, and twists on

old-school classics, like a green bean casserole topped with onion rings. Today, her Instagram following has hit an impressive 1.4 million followers — a big surprise to her, considering she

didn’t always consider herself much of a chef. “When I got married 30 years ago, I really didn’t know how to cook,” she says. “I had strong cooking influences — my mom and my grandmother,

who came over from Italy — and I have been the recipient of amazing food all my life. I paid attention. But when I got married, I was like, ‘Oh yikes, I actually have to do this.’ ” Her

forthcoming cookbook, _You Got This! Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love_, includes more than 100 recipes and captures the same pep-talk energy she needed all those years ago.

“Cooking is 90 percent confidence and 10 percent being able to read a recipe,” she insists. “You learn by getting in the kitchen. You can’t be afraid.” Here, AARP catches up with Diane about

the new cookbook, her best hack for plating food and her unconventional path to the food world. _This interview has been edited for length and clarity._