Antoni Porowski revisits his heritage ... and his path to Queer Eye fame
Amid the tortilla chips, burrito fixings and foil-wrapped trays laid out on Deanna Muñoz’s kitchen island, she lands on a plate of chilies rellenos.
Chunky poblano peppers stuffed with melty cheese, lightly battered and deep-fried — “This is something I maybe know how to cook, but ...” she tells Queer Eye’s food expert Antoni Porowski, trailing off hesitatingly.
If you watched season 4’s A Tale of Two Cultures episode of the Netflix reality show reboot, chances are you shed at least a few tears.
A Latino art advocate, Kansas City, Mo.-based Muñoz felt stuck, opening up about her lack of confidence to express her passions and connect with her heritage.
Despite identifying as “150 per cent Chicana,” the second-generation Mexican-American subject (“hero” in Queer Eye parlance) struggled with her inability to make Mexican meals or speak Spanish.
“I’m living in a world where I’m not Mexican enough and I’m not white enough,” says Muñoz. Her story resonated with Porowski. Thrust into the spotlight when Queer Eye premièred in February 2018, self-doubt surfaced.
“I certainly felt that as well. I felt that discomfort: I’m not enough of a chef. I’m not gay enough. I’m not Polish enough,” he says. “That’s something that I still revisit every now and then, but it’s one of those things where ... you’re always going to be too much of something or not enough of something to somebody else.
“Just focus on how you feel and how you identify.”
In writing his debut cookbook, Antoni in the Kitchen (Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019; with Mindy Fox), Porowski reflected on his own heritage.
Born in Montreal to Polish parents, many of his family’s food traditions were rooted in Central Europe. Growing up, he describes his relationship with Polish food as “complicated.”
Although he loved it as a child, he later pushed it aside, feeling “ashamed” of his name and the lunches he brought to school.
It wasn’t until, as a Concordia University student working as a server at his Auntie Ewa’s Stash Café — “the rite of passage for anyone Polish Canadian in Montreal” — that he “fell back in love with the food again.”
In the book, recipes for fortifying Polish meals — Tangy Zurek (“The Polish hangover soup”) and Meaty Bigos (hunter’s stew) — sit alongside “healthyish” weeknight dishes (Smoky Chicken Skillet Fajitas), his favourite recipes for entertaining (Alsatian Tarte Flambée Three Ways; Spicy Fennel Frico), and takes on American comfort foods, including an exceptionally cheesy Turkey Meat Loaf (a cheese lover, Porowski generously tucks an entire block of cheddar inside), and Herby Mac and Cheese with Peas (one of his top 10 culinary mantras is “frozen peas for president”).
“When I was writing the cookbook, I felt like what a beautiful opportunity to really honour those recipes and those dishes that I had, and show how I’d been able to evolve them,” says Porowski.
“It ties into my cultural identity (in that) you take the things that your parents taught you and you figure out how to make it your own.” Recipes excerpted from Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski with Mindy Fox. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Serves: 6-8
Zakwas:
1/2 cup (125 mL) rye flour
■
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
■
1 bay leaf
■
Soup:
5 oz (150 g) thick-cut smoked
■ bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch (6-mm) pieces 2 medium onions, coarsely
■ chopped
2 1/2 lb (1 kg) kielbasa or
■ bratwurst, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) slices
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise
■ and cut into 3/4-inch (2-cm) slices
1 large parsnip, quartered
■ lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch (2-cm) slices
1 medium celery root, peeled
■ and cut into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) cubes
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley,
■ plus finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
■
2 tsp (10 mL) dried marjoram
■
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground allspice
■
Kosher salt
■
1/4 cup (60 mL) drained prepared
■ horseradish
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground
■ white pepper
Garnish:
Sour cream
■
3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs
■
( for 1/2 egg per serving), peeled and halved
2 cups (500 mL) coarsely
■ chopped dill pickles (about 4 medium) Chopped fresh dill or parsley
■
1. For the zakwas: Pour 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water into a heatproof 1-L jar or glass bowl. Let cool to warm.
2. Stir the flour, garlic and bay leaf into the warm water. Tightly cover/seal the jar or bowl with plastic wrap (use a rubber band or two to hold the wrap tightly) and let sit in a warm, dark place (like a cupboard) for 4-5 days; “burp” the mixture every 2 days by removing the plastic wrap to let the air out, then resealing it (this will prevent a little culinary explosion).
3. Alternatively, you can seal the jar or bowl with cheesecloth (more breathable), held tightly with a rubber band, and you will not have to burp the mixture.
4. The zakwas is ready when it has a pungent fragrance, a solid, spongy deposit on top and a light brown-grey liquid at the bottom.
5. Scrape off any green or mouldy bits that appear on the top (a healthy sign of the fermentation process and not dangerous!), and remove and discard the bay leaf.
6. Strain the zakwas through a sieve into a bowl; discard the solids. You’ll have about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) liquid. Use however much you have; the exact amount is not important.
7. For the soup: In a large Dutch oven or other wide heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl.
8. Add onions and cook, stir as needed, until tender and lightly golden, 12-14 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
9. Add the kielbasa or bratwurst to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to the onion mixture. Pour off and discard the fat from the pot.
10. Add the carrot, parsnip, celery root, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, marjoram, allspice, 1 tsp salt (5 mL) and 7 cups (1.75 L) water to the pot, bring to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender but with a little bite, 12-15 minutes.
11. Add the zakwas, horseradish and onion mixture to the pot, return the soup to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth is flavourful, 10-12 minutes. Stir in the white pepper. Season to taste with salt. Remove and discard the parsley sprigs and bay leaves.
12. Spoon the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a big dollop of sour cream, a hard-boiled egg half, the chopped pickles and some dill or parsley, and serve.
Note: Factor in 4-5 days of fermentation time to make the rye sourdough soup starter (zakwas).