Joey Skladany - Basic Bitchen: 100+ Everyday Recipes—from Nacho Average Nachos to Gossip-Worthy Sunday Pancakes—for the Basic Bitch in Your Life: A Cookbook

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First Tiller Press hardcover edition May 2020

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Cover design by Patrick Sullivan

Interior design by Matt Ryan

Recipes developed by Alexandra Utter

Photography by Davide Luciano

Food styling by Claudia Ficca

Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Skladany, Joey, author.

Title: Basic bitchen : 100+ everyday recipes-from nacho average nachos to gossip-worthy sunday pancakes-for the basic bitch in your life / Joey Skladany.

Description: New York : Tiller Press, 2020. | Includes index. | Summary: 100+ everyday recipes for every basic bitch in your life, complete with tips and tricks, by food writer, TV/radio personality and executive editor at ChowhoundProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019056188 (print) | LCCN 2019056189 (ebook) | ISBN 9781982138387 (hardback) | ISBN 9781982138400 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Quick and easy cooking.

Classification: LCC TX833.5 .S583 2020 (print) | LCC TX833.5 (ebook) | DDC 641.5/12dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019056188

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019056189

ISBN 978-1-9821-3838-7

ISBN 978-1-9821-3840-0 (ebook)

It didnt take Tory Burch flats and a twelve-step meeting to arrive at this conclusion, but the process of 1) acknowledgment and 2) wholehearted acceptance wasnt easy, given the terms negative association with vapid sorority girls void of any cultural exposure or influence. But in a society where everyone seeks to be special and prides themselves on their differences, there is one common bond that inevitably unites us all: basicness. And while some are more basic than others (would I ever be caught dead in Uggs? No. A polyester flower crown from the Forever 21 sale bin? Well, maybe), I do relish lifes most simple pleasures, such as imbibing bottomless mimosas, lighting a Farmers Marketscented Yankee Candle, and eating avocado toast on flaxseed-heavy bread. And thats entirely okay! Life is complex. Humans are complex. There should be zero shame in celebrating the most basic clothing, food, drinks, and activities that give us this reliable pleasure.

Perhaps the biggest misconception about being a basic bitch is that we lack sophistication or the desire to seek experiences that challenge our basicness. This could not be further from the truthfor me, at least. In fact, I am so obsessed with traveling the world, trying different foods, and learning new things that being basic is my respite from the exhaustion and chaos of everyday life. I look forward to the moments when I can mindlessly binge-watch Friends while chugging ros out of an oversize wineglass. I crave the cooler months when I can stroll through Central Park in comfy flannel and suede Chelsea boots. Its my basicness that grounds me and, like my unapologetic ritual of starting to play Christmas music in July, prevents me from grabbing a bottle of Xanax or texting an ex-boyfriend as a way to distract myself from my damn-near-impossible to-do lists.

When it comes to food, specifically, there are plenty of meals associated with the basic bitch lifestyle. Loved ones cant seem to grasp how I partake in $300 dinners with exotic proteins and hard-to-pronounce sauces, only to wake up and crave a simple peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. My response? Hi, I have these things called taste buds, and peanut butter is and always will be effing amazing (seriously, if you dont like peanut butter and/or lack a desire to eat it straight from the jar, this raises some major concerns). You can have your flourless chocolate cake () and eat it too. Plus, many basic bitch dishes capitalize on health trends and superfoods, so they boast things such as fiber and collagen that ultimately make you feel good, or at least trick you into thinking you do. Youd think its like, science or something.

My relationship with cooking basic cuisine started when I was in middle school. It was an easy way to harness my control-freak tendencies (yay for steps and precise measurements!) and concoct meals that were small on difficulty but big on bold, satisfying flavors. This usually came in the form of pasta or ground turkey with excessive amounts of herbs, spices, and cheeses added. Gourmet? Far from it, but I was so impressed with my ability to whip up an uncomplicated, delicious dish that I would challenge my family members to do better. This ultimately resulted in Iron Chefstyle battles where wed scour the internet for recipes and duke it out for temporary bragging rights. To this day, we still attack Thanksgiving and Christmas with the same competitive spirit, and I may or may not still cry if I lose.

Through these culinary journeys, Ive also found that the best recipes are those that are effortless, inspirational over aspirational, and, most important, dependable. I want friends and family to feel they can revisit, revise, and reimagine these tastes without having to invest in a cooking class or ridiculously expensive supplies. I also hope they can relive some of the familiar flavors of their youth, since its okay to crave that spinach-and-artichoke dip () you cant stop thinking about from that super-trendy health store in Beverly Hills. Just because #TBT cuisine has become ingrained in our day-to-day culture (and almost comically so) doesnt mean it is any less appetizing. Theres a reason dishes develop cult followings: People know exactly what they want, when they want it, and theyll do whatever it takes to satisfy that craving. Make the damn dip or aai bowl, smile adorably once youve mastered it, and enjoy it perhaps behind closed doors, because you know the double chininducing faces you make when something is that good.

So whether youre an awful cook, a recent grad, or someone who just enjoys their meals basic, the purpose of this book is to arm you with over one hundred tried-and-true recipes that are not only delicious but super easy to make. Youll also learn some things along the way, such as pantry necessities, cooking tips and tricks, and how to shop at a farmers market (no, I dont rely just on my Yankee Candle for these wonderful smells). You dont have to become the next Ina Garten (though shes fabulous and a true representation of basic bitch in peak form), but I do hope youll feel confident enough to embrace the basic bitch lifestyle and use it to create some marvelous and memorable dishes. Basic foods are always the biggest crowd-pleasers, after all.