Blondie's Debbie Harry Just Wants a Big Bowl of Buttercream

The Blondie singer let's us know what she's cooking up in the studio and the kitchen these days.
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Photo by Brad Barket

When your music career spans four decades and 40 million albums sold, chances are you’ve experienced your fair share of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But Debbie Harry isn’t shy about what fuels Blondie these days: smoked fish and vegetable juices. But that's not to say that Harry has lost her edge; next month Blondie releases Po11inator, the band’s 11th studio album—featuring collaborations with Sia and Charli XCX—and this month they’ll co-headline an Australian tour with Cyndi Lauper. This is what she'll be eating, drinking, and thinking along the way.

You’re a music and fashion icon. What status have you’ve reached in the kitchen?
There are a few things that I can do really nicely. I don’t spend a lot of time cooking for myself, but I enjoy making a nice dinner for other people.

What’s your specialty?
Clean things. There’s nothing like a great sauce. It’s always an experiment. Sometimes I do really well, and sometimes I’m a horrible failure. And because I’m so weight-conscious, I’ve grown accustomed to salads and raw foods. It’s nothing that falls into the category of fine dining—or even cooking—but making a good salad dressing is an art.

How do you make yours?
I like something lemony, or maybe some sesame oil, a little bit of cayenne pepper to give it a little jolt. It varies. Some of the Japanese dressings are quite nice. They’re light and feel really good on the palate.

Is there anything more ambitious you’ve been meaning to try?
My mother used to make a gorgeous leg of lamb. I tend to be more of a vegetarian now, because I just love the animals and don’t want to eat them. But there are occasions when I feel like I really need some meat. I’ve never made a roast; the closest I’ve come is a couple of really big turkeys. That was a lot of fun, basting and all that! I can focus, you know? Part of the substance of being a good cook is being able to focus and having a good sense of time. That’s my specialty.

Any other memorable recipes from your childhood?
My mom gave me her recipe for a Dutch dish called cabbage pudding. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, but it was really quite wonderful, chopped meat wrapped in layers of cabbage and baked slowly. She’d make it in a round casserole dish, then dump it upside down on a plate, and serve it with a white sauce. Probably the reason I liked it so much was that it looked like a cake. As a kid I thought, “Ooooh, it’s dinner, but it’s cake!”

When’s the last time you ordered in?
I never order in. I like to go out. Even when I’m on the road, I don’t really order room service. When I order food in my room, I’m not paying attention; I’m doing a million other things. When you’re eating, you should be eating—looking at the food, tasting the food in the atmosphere. I find that to be part and parcel to a good meal.

Blondie got its start performing at legendary New York City venue Max’s Kansas City, and you also waited tables there. Were you a good waitress?
I think I was. I was fun, you know? That was the thing about working there—an interesting clientele. The place was funky but chic, and I was always interested in the artists and musicians. I waited on a lot of people: Janis Joplin, James Coburn. It was an A-list place. And, you know, serving a steak to the Jefferson Airplane was pretty far out.

Is there something you have to have backstage when you’re touring?
A nice bottle of Chardonnay. I usually can rely on Cakebread for a good one. Once I was at a festival in Europe—I can’t remember where—and the promoter was really into wine. He brought out of a bottle of Chardonnay that I probably would have slept with if it had been a person. So delicious.

Have you found that bottle since, or was it a one-night stand?
That was a one-time experience. I’ve had some nice wines, but I’m not an expert. When I taste something that’s good, I just know it’s good.

Wine is a pretty tame backstage requirement, considering. Blondie never had any of those “no brown M&Ms” demands?
Gee, no, I don’t think so. We just try to have a very reliable menu for ourselves. We have roast chicken, smoked salmon, vegetables to make juices. We always have a juicer.

Okay, so no M&Ms. But do you have a sweet tooth?
I do! I love chocolate after a meal. And I love the combination of chocolate and white wine.

Are we talking Hershey bars or fancier dark chocolates?
I’m sort of a gym fanatic, so I’m more into the dark chocolate. But there are times where I just want to lick that bowl of icing, you know? I just want a big bowl of buttercream!

That sounds pretty rock-n-roll.
You think so, huh? [laughs]

Speaking of icing and cake...