Tasty - Tasty Pride

Copyright 2020 by BuzzFeed, Inc.

Photographs copyright 2020 by Lauren Volo

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

TASTY is a trademark of BuzzFeed, Inc., and used under license. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN9780593136980

Ebook ISBN9780593136997

Cover design by Sophie Peoples

Photographs by Lauren Volo

Spaghetti with Turkey and Ricotta Meatballs adapted from Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home-Cooking Triumphs by Julia Turshen with permission from the author.

Asparagus Nests with Green Garlic Salsa Verde and Soft Eggs adapted from The Juhu Beach Club Cookbook: Indian Spice, Oakland Soul by Preeti Mistry with permission from the author.

Attea Family Banana PepperFeta Dip from Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One by Anita Lo and reprinted with permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries adapted from Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries from Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from Londons Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi, text copyright 2014 by Yotam Ottolenghi, LLP. Used by permission of Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Introduction

When I first entered culinary school in 2010, an instructor referred to one of the few openly queer students as twinkle toes in front of the whole classand I was infuriated. I was mad at the teacher for singling him out. I was mad at the student for not standing up for himself. But most of all, I was mad at myself. Because even though I was a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I didnt say a word. Instead, I stood by and let it happen. And I knew that for the rest of that day, and for the rest of my time within those culinary school walls, while I was in the kitchen, I would continue to pretend to be someone I wasnt.

I had started working in restaurant kitchens as a high schooler in the Midwest several years earlier, and had run into very few cooks who looked or acted like me. At the time, I was coming to terms with my own sexuality, but was not yet ready to share it with the world. There hadnt yet been many outwardly queer chefs writing cookbooks or appearing on television, so I just assumed my culinary aspirations didnt align with my sexuality. Restaurant kitchens have historically been portrayed in media as spaces that reward cisgender, straight, white men. So, for the sake of my future career, thats the identity I committed to while in the kitchen. I was a proud gay man when I was with my friends and family, but in the kitchen I was someone else.

It wasnt until I moved to New York in 2017 and found a community of queer cooks who were loving, supportive, andto my pleasant surprisewildly successful that I began to publicly celebrate and embrace who I truly am, both inside the kitchen and out. Fueled by this renewed sense of confidence and pride, my professional life changed for the better. Now, as a food writer with the honor of working for Tasty, one of the largest and most recognizable food media brands in the world, I want to use my reach to showcase the talents of queer cooks. I hope to provide others with that same sense of pride I felt when I first moved to New York and witnessed my community thriving. I want to pass on the gift of finding joy in each others successes, and thanks to Tastys support, I am finally able to do so.

With this cookbook, I wanted to curate a collection of recipes and stories to show people like my younger self that queer professionals are thriving in the culinary industry. I wanted to present the incredible accomplishments of queer cooks, proving just how much they shape the food world. Most of the recipes in this book come from people who were complete strangers to me before the project began, and many of them are the pioneers who have paved the way for more inclusive, loving, and accepting kitchens. From Julia Turshens comforting spaghetti and turkey meatballs (see ), these recipes illustrate the rainbow of diversity and talents within the community. Whether youre a member of the community or a supportive ally searching for mealtime inspiration, youre sure to find a recipe youll love within these pages.

Beyond the fantastic recipes, what makes this book so special are the stories behind themstories of love, acceptance, and pride. Along with a recipe, I asked every contributor to share how food has shaped their identity. Here are recipes that celebrate the triumphs of our community, like Bill Yossess Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake ( ) charmed a new girlfriend. Food has the unique power to connect, nourish, and inspire, and thats exactly how I hope youll feel as you cook your way through this book.

But Tasty Pride is not simply a cookbook; its also an investment in our community. All the contributing cooks were paid for their recipes, and, upon the books publication, Tasty and Penguin Random House have committed to donating $50,000 in total to GLAAD, the antidefamation organization founded by LGBTQ+ people working in the media.

Thank you to the wonderful queer cooks who made this book and its subsequent donations possible. Your stories will resonate within the hearts of many, and your recipes will bring loved ones together. And for those who feel as though they need to hide or change who they are in order to succeed in the food industry, this book is proof that you can be 100 percent authentically yourself, both inside and outside the kitchen.

WITH LOVE AND PRIDE,

Jesse Szewczyk

Contributors

Aaron Hutcherson

Alana McMillan & Sabrina Chen

Alex Koones

Amelia Rampe

Andre Springer

Andy Baraghani

Anita Lo

Anna Hieronimus & Elise Kornack

Antoni Porowski

April Anderson

Arnold Myint

Art Smith

Ben Mims

Bill Smith

Bill Yosses

Bo Durham

Brian Hart Hoffman

Bryan Petroff & Douglas Quint

Casey Elsass

Charlie Monlouis-Anderle

Deborah VanTrece & Lorraine Lane

Diana Yen

Edd Kimber

Elazar Sontag

Elizabeth Falkner

Elle Simone Scott

Eric Kim

Frances Tariga-Weshnak

Gabriella Vigoreaux

Hannah Hart

Iliana Regan

Irvin Lin

Jake Cohen

James Park

Jesse Szewczyk

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jessica Battilana

John Birdsall

Jonathan Melendez

Josie Smith-Malave

Julia Turshen

Justin Burke-Samson