Questions + Answers With: @grossypelosi
If you’re here via @grossypelosi’s IG, HI! I’m Emma — a friend of Dan’s who hails from Dallas, TX and this is my blog. I’ve been writing this for 10 years, and EMMASTHING has become a community of no bullshit storytellers, open books, and bad ass bitches. I’m just your average 30something who overshares and can make a story out of anything. I’m not a fashion blog or food blog — I’m just a blog about nothing, yet everything. So basically, I’m the Seinfeld of blogs. Thank you for stopping by, enjoy the grossy show, and follow me on Instagram if you feel so inclined!
Welcome to my new monthly installment “Questions + Answers With:” in which I force people I know, love, and admire to answer a bevy of questions I send them so you too can know, love, and admire them. To kick-off this series I should’ve started years ago, I chose to spotlight the one and only grossypelosi (Dan Pelosi is his God-given name, but we speak in Instagram here). I met Dan years ago through a college friend. They were dating at the time, and my friend told me “Dan reminds me so much of you—he’s like the gay, male version of you” so I knew I’d fall in love instantly. SPOILER ALERT: I did.
Dan is impossibly creative, kind, warm, personable and has created a enviable life for himself in NYC, full of all the stereotypically fabulous New York things we can only dream about: an apartment that he’s transformed into an oasis of art, bold colors, and live (and thriving) plants, a gaggle of gay friends, each more beautiful and creative than the last, and an annual Christmas Cookie party that he’s contemplating selling tickets to in 2020 because of its mass popularity (for the record: I got an invite this year, I just couldn’t make it). Dan also cooks a lot. Like, every night. All weekend-long. He loves food and he’s damn good at it, boasting friendships with the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen clan (most notably Andy Baraghani and Molly Baz).
To know grossypelosi is to love him, and I want you to know him. So keep reading to learn who he is, what cooking means to him, and shop his list of kitchen must-haves.
Grossypelosi (AKA Dan Pelosi) grew up in Connecticut as a chubby Italian-American prince. He was a curious little meatball who spent most of his time watching his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents create and eat edible love in the kitchen. After almost going to culinary school, he did a sharp pivot and attended the Rhode Island School of Design, studying Interior Architecture and Design. He did a year studying in Rome, Italy before graduating and moving to San Francisco where he worked primarily for Gap, Inc. There, he did everything he could to make their stores and marketing shine. Toward the end of his 20s, Dan took a Creative Director role in Portland, OR (best city on Earth (this is Emma. Ok, back to Dan)) for an experiential retail agency and, after a few years, left the west coast to move back east to NYC—where he’s been for the past 6 years. Yes, he’s older than he looks, honey! Dan currently works as a Senior Creative Director for the Ann Taylor brands—Loft, Ann Taylor, and Lou and Grey.
After years of watching my family cook, my time to shine in the kitchen came while I studied for a year in Rome. Suddenly, 30+ college kids (including myself) were living in a foreign place without a standard collegiate cafeteria to feed them. As my friends stared at me with hungry eyes, the mom in me took over. With three kitchens on site, I had no excuse! I spent my mornings in Rome at the farmers market in Campo di Fiori, buying groceries for lunch and dinner. I would then collect money from my “kids” and take care of meals for the week. Most nights, we would all hang out and cook, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than during those times. The cherry on top was when my parents came to visit in the spring and saw me in action. They ate my food and were just so proud *insert Italian kiss*
Pasta. That’s the short answer. Once you have the holy trinity — olive oil, garlic and salt —down, the rest is history.
Anything with a yeasted dough, which I hate to admit. I just am not great at it. I love cinnamon rolls so much and try to make them often, but cannot get the rise I need. Annnnd now I need to go call my therapist. Excuse me.
Honestly, the cauliflower crust at California Pizza Kitchen is so fucking lit.
This is a BIG question. My 97-year-old grandfather Bimpy (who I still call several times a week for recipes, even if he has told them to me several times) because he has the best stories and advice, and I never want to forget it. His wife, grandma Katherine, passed away several years ago but taught me how to cook from the youngest age I can remember. I still make her homemade pastas and have her original Italian Christmas cookie recipe cards she wrote out herself. Next is my Grandma Millie who made some delicious Portuguese food and always had a story to tell. My father, who would cook dinner for us Monday through Friday and grew produce in the yard that tasted so perfect. And last but not least, my Mother — the most adventurous person in the kitchen I know. We would spend weekends in the kitchen when I was a kid, cooking way too much food (something I still do today, every weekend). Forever curious and unafraid to fail, my mom is that person who eats something in a restaurant and says “I’m gonna go home and figure out how to make this!” And then actually does, every time.
I honestly don’t know what else to do. It just makes so much sense for me. Everything from finding the recipe or creating my own to buying the groceries and making the recipe (and documenting every step on my Insta story, obviously), to finding the perfect way to plate it and serving it to my nearest and dearest (but not before I snap a pic for the ‘gram. This is unspoken routine if you know me and eat my food). I love it, all of it. I feel so lucky that it’s come so naturally to me, and I’m able to share my meals with the world.
@grossypelosi’s 17 Kitchen Must-Haves
The perfect nonstick pan does not exist. No really, it just doesn’t. Eventually things are gonna stick. I have had my CHOC by DeBuyer pans for a few years and they are holding up well, but I LOVE knowing that when the time comes to replace them, they are not overpriced and they will still be available and at the same cheap price. DeBuyer is an iconic brand in the kitchen and the basics are always in stock. MOST IMPORTANTLY, the handles come in the best colors ( I am a color queen), and I personally had to get the full primary color set, in 9" yellow, 11” blue and 12” red. Trust me—I use them all.
My typical Saturday or Sunday (or both) is spent in the kitchen alone taking my time with a few good recipes. It can get lonely, sure. But having this perfect wooden spoon with an adorable smiley face on it (a gift from my friend Philip who got it for me in Tokyo, of course) makes me smile every time I use it.
TWO SALTS IN BULK
Please picture me screaming "BULK SALT” as I lay on my deathbed. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you need two different kinds of salt in the kitchen: Kosher salt for all your basic cooking and baking needs and also the highest and holiest task I know—salting the fuck out of your pasta water. You know when you accidentally swallow salty ocean water? That’s what we’re going for. Diamond Crystal is my go-to brand, and I go through it at a terrifying rate.
Crunchy, crystal-y sea salt is the perfect finishing salt. Set it out on your table for guests, throw it on a salad, put a bit on top of your chocolate chip cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. You can even keep some in your bra for when you’re at a restaurant and wish they knew how to use sea salt. Maldon is the only option—a tub of it!
I bought my Magic Bullet the DAY it hit the shelves of Target, and it’s still kicking and saving my life on the reg. I use it constantly for my homemade salad dressings (that’s a whole other article), to grind coffee beans, and even to make a little whipped cream at then end of a bad day. Yes I have a Vitamix, but I don’t use it nearly as much as my Magic Bullet.
A dutch oven is the undisputed Queen of the Kitchen (also my nickname)! Everyone needs one or, if you’re me, five. My go-to is this Le Creuset. It’s the perfect size for a nice sauce and pasta moment, to bake a bread in, or to roast a nice chunk of meat. Plus, the color options are endless. Check out Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Sur La Table for exclusive color options!
Because you’re gonna get really kinky with your dutch oven, and you’re gonna need to clean the hell out of it. Browning, burning, sauces, spills — they all leave a mark, and nothing removes them better than Barkeeper’s Friend. I have a date with it and my pans most weekends.
I used to think when a recipe called for any amount of fresh lemon juice, I could just squeeze away, eye ball it, maybe even leave the seed that fell into the recipe in there for someone to choke on, and everything would be just fine. Turns out this is not the case! I mean, have you made Alison Roman’s THE DIP? It matters. Citrus juicing and measuring is a pain in the ass, and this handy tools makes it a breeze to squeeze and measure at the same time. DM me when you realize your life is forever changed!
Paprika was the first app I ever downloaded on my iPhone (yes, even before Grindr), and it still blows my mind to this day. It allows you to download your favorites recipes from the internet instantly and turn them into a recipe card in-app. You can then edit the recipe, make notes, add all the ingredients to a shopping list, set a timer for each step, and cross out each ingredient when you add it to the recipe. MOST IMPORTANTLY, your phone will not go to sleep when the recipe is open, so no more sticky phone screen. Are you crying yet???
I beg you to throw away the fabric pot holders your aunt Susan gave you when you moved into your first apartment years ago. No one needs to see them. She got them on sale at Walmart and whoever designed them should have been fired immediately. Swap them out for these cork trivets from IKEA. I have 2,000 of them. They are easy to clean and store and best of all, cork is a very sustainable material!
I have to admit, collecting ceramics is a bit of a problem for me. Catch me at 3am on Etsy looking for vintage Heath ceramics in rare colors or designs. I am obsessed with making food, and equally obsessed with how it’s served and plated. I have entire area of my kitchen that I call my “prop library” — it’s all ceramic vessels for serving food. A LOT of it is heath, which I fell in love with in my 20s living in San Francisco. These platters and bowls are just perfection.
Your new nonstick pans and dutch oven are gonna last a lot longer if you use rubber utensils on them. (Or your new best friend, the smiley face wooden spoon). Muji (because Japanese design is perfect) makes gorgeous rubber utensils that are one solid form — so no more losing the top of your spatula in the batter! I have this spoon, a spatula, and a few others utensils on my list.
A BAREFOOT CONTESSA COOKBOOK OR TWO
No one loves a recipe more than when it comes from an Ina Garten book, and I just so happen to have them all. She is my go-to and has been for years. If you are just starting your cookbook collection, I cannot recommend Ina’s more highly.
MIRROR CHROME KITCHEN AID MIXER
As a kid, I always thought I would have to wait until my wedding registry to get my KitchenAid Mixer. Then, in my late 20s, I realized I am an independent woman and can buy my own! Of course, I opted for most expensive finish — MIRROR CHROME. I truly have never seen a more beautiful machine. And I also take lots of selfies in it (check #kitchenaidselfie for evidence). You can, of course, get a much cheaper one and it will work exactly the same!
Speaking of spending too much money on beautiful things, I present to you: The Moccamaster. I fell in love with the Moccamaster this past fall when I saw it on the countertop of a friend with extremely good taste. I inquired, and as soon as she said “in comes in like 26 different colors,” I had already added it to cart. It doesn’t do much more than a regular coffee maker, but the coffee tastes as good as the Moccamaster looks, if not better.
My drag name is Amanda Lynn (GET IT?). You may not need a drag name, but you definitely need a mandolin. This Japanese one is perfection, because #Japanesedesign.
Honestly there just isn’t a cuter sheet pan out there. It’s like a little baby sheet pan, and I have four. I use them for when I only want to bake three frozen cookies, a piece of fish and a few veggies for myself, or when making my chicken parm and I need the PERFECT vessel for drudging my chicken through the flour and bread crumbs. They are simply handy AF.
Lasagna is my love language. It is deep and layered and thick and endlessly cheesy. Because of this, it requires the correct depth of pan — nothing too shallow. You will will use this pan for many things, but calling it your lasagna pan will make my grandmother happy. Do it for her!
If you’re now in love with Dan (which, how could you not be?), give him a follow on Instagram so you never miss incredible, delicious, fantastic content (he posts more content than me, which is saying something).
See you in March for another “Questions + Answers With:”!
xox,
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