For Haylie Duff, food and family go hand-in-hand.
Do you remember as a kid the first time you had one of your favorite foods?
I grew up in a family loved to cook and we all love to eat.
Credit: Cooking Channel
Im a kid from the South.
I think that probably my favorite food as a kid was like fried okra with ketchup.
I made okra actually for Ryan [Duffs 16-month-old daughter] as one of her first vegetables.
I threw okra with tomatoes, made it really soft so she could eat it.
She ate so, so much of it.
And she was like, What is that?
and I thought, Oh, I have a L.A. girl.
Did she come on the road with you at all?
She did more of our locally-based episodes.
When we were traveling too far, its too hard to take her out of her little routine.
I love seeing you and your mom onReal Girls Kitchen.
Theres a real family aspect that you bring to the show.
My mom is a riot.
Im always trying to get her to come and do the show.
I basically force her.
Shes like, like no.
just dont make me.
Does she or your sister, Hilary Duff, appear at all inHaylies America?
They didnt this year because Im traveling and on the road so much.
Matty [Duffs fiance Matt Rosenburg] is not in this one either.
Ry-baby is on this year, but for the most part, Im away from home.
You have so many fun guests on the show.
Are there any surprise appearances?
What can viewers expect to see thats new compared toThe Real Girls Kitchen?
Were taking everything on the road.
Were going to some of my favorite cities and cities that I have always wanted to go to.
Would you say that healthy foods still have an influence in this new show?
Yeah for me, my outlook on food is healthy decadence.
Thats something that comes across in this series too.
Every episode kind of has a different feel because every city is a little different.
Im not cooking in a restaurant every time or a kitchen every time.
Haylies Americapremieres Thursday, Sept. 8 at 10 p.m.
ET on the Cooking Channel.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
