Q&A With My Baby Momma Can’t Cook Book Authors

The authors behind My Baby Momma Can’t Cook Book dish on exes, eats and everything in between.

Cooking with your ex—what could possibly go wrong? For Wilmington author Tasha Johnson and her former partner Chef Hot—aka Atlanta chef Hollis Favors—the answer is surprisingly little. 

What began as an inside joke seven years ago is now My Baby Momma Can’t Cook Book, a collab blending Southern soul food, family lore and a healthy dose of personality. From NC comfort dishes to ATL-style bites, the new cookbook brings two sides of Southern cuisine to the table.

While Johnson and Chef Hot are no longer romantic partners, they share two things: a daughter and a commitment to their friendship. More than a collection of recipes, the cookbook is a reflection of that relationship—one that keeps their family coming back for seconds. 

But their best recipe for success? Learning to team up, put their daughter first and prove you don’t need a shared kitchen—or a shared home—to make co-parenting work. We tap the duo for intel on the lore, regional favorites and the secret ingredient for a solid partnership.

Dish the lore behind the Chef Hot nickname?

Chef Hot: I’ve been cooking for God knows how long. I started when I was 11 or 12, and when I first became a chef, I burned myself a lot. So I decided to get a big tattoo over one of my biggest burns with the word ‘HOT.’ I just started calling myself that and it went along with me being a chef. 

What does each of you bring to the table?

Tasha Johnson: He says I can’t cook—but I have a passion. His presentation is better, but I love to write, so that’s where it came together. He does ultimately cook better than I do.

On the menu?

CH: Coming from my end, it’s more bar food. It’s Southern. You deal with soul food—barbecue ribs, chicken wings, things of that nature. Everybody here cooks a certain way. Mainly quick bites, like appetizers.

TJ: Even though we’re both Southern, it’s two different styles of Southern. In NC, we do more of the baked dishes: mac and cheese, lasagna, collard greens, cornbread—more family-style.

NC fave?

TJ: Mac and cheese. I have to double down
on that.

ATL standout? 

CH: My lemon pepper and Buffalo hot wings—Atlanta’s finest.

Secret ingredient to a solid partnership?

TJ: The key takeaway for me is, at the end of the day, we still have to parent our child. And it’s so much easier when you can get along.

CH: Our common denominator would be our daughter. We never stepped on each other’s toes in any way because I was always there—as the father should be. And that built our relationship to the point where we became friends. Having that bond when we decided to write the book made it even easier.

So… can Baby Momma cook now?

TJ: I’m now able to cook in sizes I need—not overcook or undercook, and not overseason or use a seasoning I might not need. 

CH: ‘Why are you putting that on that chicken?’

TJ: That’s been it from day one. He has definitely taught me to pay more attention to those things.

*Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.