“I remember sort of looking at it and saying ‘why not?’ I was doing everything I possibly could with food so why not add one more thing to the list. I showed up to the audition and then everything else was kind of a blur after that.”
“It’s really fun to open people’s eyes to new things. Anytime you have a collaboration, it’s fascinating for people because you have these two people that might both be in the food space, or maybe one is in the food space and one is a professional athlete or a DJ. I just like teaching people to appreciate food and where it comes from.” More Information: Knife Drop: Creative Recipes Anyone Can Cook will be released June 13, 2023.
DiGiovanni says that, while his heart might have “skipped a few beats” meeting Gordon Ramsay and being on the show, he wasn’t intimidated by the Hell’s Kitchen chef. “It sounds cliche, but I have always treated everyone like they’re just another person. It was a very unique experience,” DiGiovanni says. The relationship he built with Ramsay has continued. DiGiovanni has famously collaborated with Ramsay and a number of other chefs, athletes and musicians posting video recipes to his social media platforms. DiGiovanni has judged Ramsay’s beef Wellington, made Nutella iced coffee with Joe Jonas, and avocado ice cream with Tom Brady. He called the experience collaborating with Brady “surreal,” and he was quite impressed with the finished product. “I had never eaten avocado ice cream before. It was actually pretty good,” DiGiovanni admits. For DiGiovanni, the tutorial videos are a creative way to engage with fans. “It’s really fun to open people’s eyes to new things. Anytime you have a collaboration, it’s fascinating for people because you have these two people that might both be in the food space, or maybe one is in the food space and one is a professional athlete or a DJ. I just like teaching people to appreciate food and where it comes from.”
Photo credit: © Max Milla
BLUEBERRY BRIEGRILLED CHEESE Regular grilled cheese is delicious, but if you’re craving something with a better balance of sweet and savory, try this.
YIELD 4x sandwiches PREP TIME 5 minutes COOK TIME 20 minutes Credit line: Excerpted from Knife Drop reprinted by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2023 by Nick DiGiovanni.
Ingredients • 8 Thick Slices Of Sourdough Bread • 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise • 4 Tbsp Blueberry Jam Or Preserves • 6oz (170g) Sliced Brie • 1 Cup (140g) Fresh Blueberries • 2 Cups (226g) Grated Sharp White Cheddar • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Divided
Directions Using a pastry brush, lightly coat one side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise, about 1/2 tablespoon per slice. Place 4 slices of bread on a work surface, mayonnaise side down. On each of the 4 slices, spread a thin layer of blueberry jam, about 1 tablespoon per slice. Evenly distribute the brie, blueberries, and cheddar over the jam. Close each sandwich with a slice of bread, mayonnaise side up. In a large nonstick pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook on one side for about 5 minutes. Use a weight, such as a small pan lid, to press down the sandwiches. Flip and cook for 5 minutes on the other side, until the exteriors of the sandwiches are browned and crisp and the cheese has melted. Transfer the sandwiches to a serving platter. Repeat the cooking process for the remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.
