FITS

Ana Hito

By Ella WizniaJul 31, 2024

Ana Hito is a mother, baker and cook who formerly worked as an editor for Goop. We love following her ambitious, food-driven projects - a couple Summers ago she opened 2 (!) restaurants across the street from each other on a small island off the coast of Maine. Before that she founded It's A Dinner, a series of farm-to-table dinner parties highlighting hyper-seasonal produce hosted at her family's farm in upstate NY.

We've known each other for most of our lives as our grandparents were best friends, but didn't become close until we were adults. She currently splits her time between the remote island of Rapa Nui and her home upstate, where we caught up with her and her gorgeous family.

Where is home for you? What does "home" mean to you?

My mom is from the USA and my dad is from Rapa Nui, a remote island off of Chile, which many people know as Easter Island. I currently split my time between Rapa Nui and upstate New York.

Home is wherever my things are. I love collecting beautiful objects… baskets, pottery, linens, etc. I love making a space feel warm and welcoming and interesting and truly could do that anywhere with the right decor and mementos.

What's the most challenging part about living in Rapa Nui?

When your life is so dependent on the weather, it can be difficult to plan things and create structure.

How would you describe your personal style?

Montana rancher meets prep school tennis player. But I also love a delicate floral moment.

What is your relationship with sustainability like?

When you live on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, sustainability is your life. We grow food for our animals, we grow the food we eat, we build with local materials, we hardly have any waste. We live very simply off the land and with the land.

What’s a normal day in your life, here and in Rapa Nui?

USA: I wake up and take my daughter, River, on a hike. When we get back we'll have breakfast, and I do any food prep I need for the day while River plays or naps. During the Summer, we go for a swim most days and have a little picnic by the lake for lunch. River is a really chill baby and so in the afternoon when I have meetings or events, she normally comes with me. We always have dinner together as a family and read River a book before bed.

Rapa Nui: First thing after we wake up, (my partner) Thomas makes us a fire so we can make coffee. We get on our horses and feed / check on all our animals. River comes with us of course, she could not have been more than a few weeks old when we first rode with her. When we get back home I turn on my Starlink and get to work. While I work, Thomas takes the baby fishing, and when he gets back he makes us lunch from whatever they caught. At some point we'll go to the well and bring back water for the animals. In the evening we normally go for a swim before dinner and then come home to make food and go to sleep with the sun.

How did you start cooking for yourself and others?

Even though I grew up on an organic farm, my parents were horrible cooks. So I started experimenting with the produce that we were growing and fell in love with how cooking brought people together.

I found that I love creating a space where people can gather and grow, and I feel the most genuine way to do that is through sharing a meal. I think I get my love for hosting from my grandma, she loved throwing parties and so do I.

I'm always inspired by the seasons. I love the being reminded of the little gifts each new season brings. I find that the colors, smells, tastes and feelings of the changing seasons inspire most of what I do.

What is your favorite thing to cook/bake right now?

Galettes. I love baking with whatever fresh produce is coming off the farm and galettes are such a fun way to experiment with different flavors and combinations. I truly believe they are the perfect hostess gift, and they look so chic on your counter.

This summer I launched a new project called Friday. The concept is that we make and deliver beautiful food for the weekend. Our first few drops have been galettes exclusively delivered to the Hamptons, but we'll be expanding and adding more items and delivery locations shortly. We see ourselves as something between a private chef and a meal plan, so you can enjoy your weekend to the fullest.

How do you make friends as an adult?

I think the key to meeting people is being inquisitive and open to connecting to people who are different than you. I feel like I am more inclined to pursue a friendship with someone who's lived a very different life than me, because I'm so interested in their stories and experiences. I have one friend in her 80s who I met at a General Store two summers ago. We started chatting and next thing I knew we were driving to her house.

What’s your #1 entertaining tip for a dinner party?

Do whatever it is you need to be the most chill you. Whether that's ordering in, cooking a day ahead, asking everyone to bring their own dish, etc. Because people can really pick up on your energy and if you aren’t relaxed and happy, no one is going to have a good time.

How has motherhood changed your relationship to your body?

Truthfully, I have always been pretty self conscious. And to a degree I still think I am, but since having River, I spend a lot less time thinking about how my body looks and more time appreciating and respecting what my body can do.

What are you looking forward to?

I can’t wait for my daughter to start talking. I am really grateful that I was raised between these two different worlds of New York and Rapa Nui and I am so excited to get to share it all with her.

Rapid fire!

Favorite book? Susan White’s New Astrology for the 21st Century

River's favorite book right now? The Dutchess Bakes a Cake

What podcasts are you listening to now? I always listen to Huberman Lab

Last great documentary you watched? Some Kind of Heaven

Go-to cocktail? A very very dirty martini.

What did you have for breakfast today? A breakfast salad… Greens, vinaigrette and sautéed peas.

Thank you so much to Ana for having us over!

Check out her current project, Friday, over here
See more of what she's up to on her Instagram here.