This is the Palate Cleanser, aka our little break between dinner party themes, where I get to write about whatever I want.
Hey team! I am once again late with this email. In case any of you are sticklers for timeliness, I have a great reason. I was deep in the weeds producing a new comedy/cooking show for Dropout.tv and also throwing a cute ‘lil McBake Sale at Highly Likely. But you aren’t here for excuses, are you? You are here for the Palate Cleanser, so let’s get started.
I had drinks with a friend the other night. We were talking about social media and at one point she looked around, leaned in, and said in a hushed voice, “You know what? I kind of hope Tik Tok gets banned.” You know what? I kind of hope it does too. And while we’re at it, let’s get rid of Instagram (*see note*). I don’t say this because I’m against free speech or the sharing of information. It’s not even because I’m worried that China is spying on us. I’m just tired of all the charlatans.
A few years back, I went down an Instagram rabbit-hole on holistic health. Now, I can’t escape the algorithm. My search page is filled with self-help gurus, motivational quotes and tips on how to regulate my nervous system. Just look:
Now, don’t get me wrong, some of this information is incredibly helpful, and my nervous system desperately needs to be regulated, but I’m perplexed by how many of these supposed “professionals” either contradict or, on the other end of the spectrum, blindly parrot each other. Many claim to be experts, and if they don’t, they’re treated like experts anyway. The reason I bring this up is because, although I’m not a self help guru or a licensed psychologist, I am a chef, and I feel the same way about many of the people who cook on social media.
I’m not saying all food influencers are charlatans. A lot of them are extremely talented cooks who also make compelling content. Others are wildly entertaining novices. I’m on board with these folks! The ones that I can’t get down with are the fakers- those who will post anything in the hopes of creating the next viral food trend. While on press tour for Lessons in Chemistry, I was commonly asked “What do you think of all the food influencers out there?” My response was always the same. “They can be entertaining to watch, but does their food taste good?” That’s the most important thing, and therein lies the rub. I’m not talking about a delicious BBQ rub, either. I’m talking about how easy it is to pass yourself off as a great cook on social media, because nobody can taste the food you make. I’m tired of food on the internet not translating to real life. Food isn’t meant to be experienced online, it’s meant to be experienced in mouths - whether that’s eating in a restaurant or cooking a recipe written by someone who actually knows what they are doing.
Let me illustrate this point further. Remember that butter candle trend that went viral recently? (Or maybe it went viral years ago, I have no concept of time these days.) I got SO annoyed when I saw it, because I had played around with making butter candles a few years before. I spent hours testing them, but ultimately decided not to include them in any of my Ruined Table recipes because they don’t actually work. Sure, they light, but the butter tastes weird, burnt and chemical-laden. I bet they’re carcinogenic, too. Basically, they sucked, and I couldn’t in good conscience tell anyone to make them just because they looked cool and would probably go viral.
My friend Helen sent me this article from the New York Times recently. (Check out her fantastic newsletter about regenerative farming called The Link right here.) The title of the article is How TikTok Is Reshaping the American Cookbook. It’s about food influencers with little-to-no cooking experience who are getting enormous 6 figure book deals that are topping best-seller lists. The TLDR version can be summed up with a quote from one of these influencers: “I feel like I’m stealing someone else’s job.” Listen buddy, I get the sentiment, but in truth, the masses love you, and you deserve to get paid for your work. It really does feel like he’s stealing someone else’s job, though. But I’m not here to promote lack-mentality. There’s plenty for everyone and the pendulum will swing the other way soon enough.
I foresee a return to authenticity in recipe development, one where consumers realize the difference between people who have spent their lives learning the craft, who put tremendous amounts of time and thought into making usable, delicious recipes that work, versus those who’ll do just about anything for likes and shares. With constant access to everything, we need to be discerning about who we give our attention to, because when it comes to recipes and cooking advice, there are a lot of imposters out there, and very few pros. I hope you know which camp I fall into.
Speaking of recipes and cooking advice, I have a great new dinner party theme lined up for you. In the meantime, here’s a recipe for a scrumptious Chili-Lime Garlic Butter. You can slather it on toast, toss it with pasta, spoon it over a hunk of meat, broil it with some shellfish, or heck, you can even eat it alone in tiny slivers that melt on your tongue. Just please, for the love of god, don’t make a candle out of it. I’ll see you back here in a few weeks.
Stay messy,
McBroom
*Note* For the record, I don’t really want to ban Tik Tok and Instagram. I want to figure out a way to keep social media from sucking the life out of us. It’s like we’re in the Wild West, except instead of outlaws, we have trolls and instead of the gold rush, we have the algorithm. I guess the ‘For You’ page would be saloons in this analogy.
Chili-Lime Garlic Butter
makes 1 cup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dark chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane (~1/2 teaspoon)
1 lime juiced, (~2 tablespoons)
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt
Instructions
Combine the chili powder and cumin in a small skillet and dry toast the mixture over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Let cool to room temperature.
Combine the butter, garlic, lime juice, garlic salt, kosher salt and toasted spices and use a food processor, a mixer with the paddle attachment, or a spatula to whip it all together. Store in the refrigerator.