Paris Hilton’s Love Language Is Lasagna

Paris Hilton’s name is synonymous with her over-the-top, exorbitant lifestyle. (This is a woman who once went viral for building a $325,000 “doggy mansion” for her pets, after all.) Playing up her celebutante nature is a tried-and-true formula for the heiress — and at first glance, her new show Cooking With Paris seems to be an extension of this brand. The show is shot in her palatial Beverly Hills home; Hilton cooks with appliances like a "sparkly Swarovski crystal-covered spatula thing." But beneath the surface of this fever dream of a series lies a surprising truth about Hilton.

For each episode, Hilton invites over a different celebrity friend to learn to make a new dish. She makes french toast with Kim Kardashian West; ravioli with Demi Lovato. Though she wears lace gloves no matter what foods she’s working with, one thing becomes clear: despite Hilton’s decadent lifestyle, her taste in food is simple. A preference for haute couture does not necessarily promise a love of haute cuisine; in fact, Hilton’s palate is borderline basic, showcasing a love of comfort food.

To get a better sense of the full range of Hilton’s food tastes, Bustle asked her some burning food questions. Below, Hilton’s thoughts on Red Bull, vanilla honey, and why she’d “marry” French fries.

You're on the road DJing about 250 days a year. What are the food staples that always come with you?

I bring Lucky Charms cereal, because they don't have that in a lot of countries. And I like those s’mores granola bars.

Like the Quaker Chewy ones?

Yes, I love those. And I like bringing my vanilla honey with me because when I have coffee or tea, I like to pour it inside of there.

What do you like to eat or drink before you perform? Are there any beverages you always have in the DJ booth with you?

Before I perform I don't like to eat a big meal, I'm jumping around and dancing and I don't want to get full. So I usually like to have something healthy, like watermelon or cherries. Then I love to drink Red Bull, the yellow one [that’s] the passion fruit flavor. It gives me lots of energy.

I didn't even know Red Bull had different flavors.

I hate the taste of the classic. You have to try that [passion fruit] one.

I will! You've obviously traveled the world. What's the best meal you've had in any country you've ever been to?

I think the best is in Italy. Just everything there: the pasta, the sauces, the truffles, the cheese, everything that they make.

What's your go-to restaurant in Italy?

There's so many of them. I like going to Cipriani in Milan, and they have [Cipriani] in New York as well. That's one of my favorite restaurants.

Of all the dishes you made on the show, which did you like the most?

I tried to make McDonald's fries and those were so good. And the fluffy frittata I made with Kim [Kardashian West]. I actually make that almost every weekend now for brunch for my fiancé. We love it.

How have you fine-tuned the recipe?

I don't use normal cream, I use this vanilla almond [cream]. It just makes it so sweet and it tastes like this fluffy dessert.

What was the dish you’d always make for your fiancé — or previous love interests — when you were first trying to impress them?

My lasagna, 100%. It was like the only thing I knew how to cook before the show. It was the first thing that I ever cooked for my fiancé after [we had dated for] one month. I made it for him, his mom, and his whole family when we were on a trip together for Christmas and everybody loved it.

Who taught you your lasagna recipe?

That's my grandmother's recipe. [I] changed it up a little bit but my mom taught it to me.

What's the best dinner party you've ever been to?

My mom has the best dinner parties. She just loves entertaining at her house. She always has these beautiful table settings and such a fun, eclectic crowd.

When you think back on it, what’s the best crowd she’s ever had over?

We've had so many fun nights, but I just like being with my family. I've always traveled so much that I didn't get to spend so much time with my family. So when it's my mom, her sister, my sister, and all the cousins; we're such a fun family. All of us getting together is really special for me.

Who’s the best cook in the family?

Me.

People claim oysters are an aphrodisiac. What food or drink actually gets you in the mood?

I hate oysters. [They’re] so gross and just tastes like slime. I like strawberries and whipped cream.

Marry, f*ck, kill: pizza, French fries, bagels?

I would marry French fries [because] my name is Paris. I wouldn't really "F" anything.

It's a metaphorical question.

[I guess] pizza.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.