“I kind of felt compelled” - RHONY star Erin Lichy on what inspired her first cookbook

The New York-based businesswoman turned author, Erin Lichy, who is also a cast member on Real Housewives of New York City, in a recent interview with People, opened up about her upcoming cookbook. She made her debut as an author with She's a Host, which is scheduled to be released on October 28, 2025.

The reality television star and real estate agent Lichy discussed with People her inspiration to write the book. Primarily, her fans showed immense interest in her signature North American and Middle Eastern breakfast dish, shakshuka, on Instagram. Interestingly, Lichy cooked her signature shakshuka, which is made with eggs and a tomato-red pepper sauce, on Real Housewives of New York City. Licchy talked about the response she received after making the shakshuka and said:

"I think I got the idea when I realized that people really cared and loved my shakshuka recipe. It was just such a great response and people were saying how they didn't know what shakshuka was before I had posted it."

Erin Lichy, who is a native New Yorker, was born and raised in Manhattan and is married to Abe Lichy, with whom she shares a daughter, Layla, who is 7, and two sons, Levi and Elijah, who are 9 and 4, respectively. The 37-year-old Lichy, while talking about how busy she is most of the time, shared that fast recipes are extremely important to her, mainly because of her kids, for whom she has to cook three or four times every week.

Mentioning her upcoming cookbook, She's a Host, Lichy said that it features several easy and kid-friendly recipes that can be cooked in no time. One of the many easy recipes the book contains is chicken and broccoli stir-fry.

The reality TV star turned cookbook author, Erin, after making her signature shakshuka, talked about how she should share a bunch of other recipes that she makes regularly that most people have no idea about. Lichy said:

"I kind of felt compelled to share a lot of other dishes that are so regular to me that maybe most people wouldn't have known about."

Erin Lichy opens up about her grandmothers

Erin Lichy calls her maternal grandmother "the cookbook of the family", who was originally from Iraq. Lichy recalls:

"Her love language was through food. She was cooking at all of our meals and every single big holiday. I spent a lot of time with her just as child care, really, and she would just always be cooking, so I was around such a homey chef."

She makes it quite clear that it was her maternal grandmother for whom she was interested in cooking in the first place, which eventually became "not only familiar, but comforting and exciting too."

While talking about her paternal grandmother, who was from Yemen, Lichy said:

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"When I'd go to Israel, I'd spend time with her. She was making things like jachnun and malawach, which are also doughy recipes, but very, very different than what my [maternal] grandmother would make."

Lichy explains how both Middle Eastern dishes are different, yet they are somehow connected.

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