One gaze into Antoni Porowski’s sultry dark eyes is all it takes to understand why People magazines readers picked the “Queer Eye” star as the “Sexiest Reality Star” of 2019. Had I been following him in action as one of the “Fab Five” self-improvement coaches on the smash Netflix series, I wouldn’t have been surprised to discover he’s as adept at helping the cooking-inept step up their dinner game as he is modeling form-fitting boxers in viral underwear ads.
The Montreal native owes his cooking prowess to his Polish grandmother. After relocating to New York City to study acting, he worked various food service jobs in between auditions. His gig as personal chef to “Chopped” host Ted Allen, formerly the food and wine expert on the first “Queer Eye” series on Bravo, led to the screen test that won him that role on the Netflix reboot. That history is covered in his first cookbook, “Antoni in the Kitchen.”
His second, “Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30), keeps the focus on his stylish, speedy recipes, photographed in his chic Manhattan loft.
Everything I’ve tried thus far has lived up to their seductive promises: crispy chili powder-rubbed chicken thighs roasted on a sheet pan with grapes, red onions, and rosemary sprigs; skillet-seared scallops with cherry tomatoes and fresh mint; sizzling cabbage “steaks” brushed with apple-Dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled with walnuts, dried fruits, and herbs to dress up a bed of quinoa.
All are healthy enough to put you on the path to six-pack abs, and the flavors are, as he puts it: “different enough but still familiar, like parting your hair the other way for a change.”
That one-liner speaks volumes in explaining Porowski’s broad appeal: witty, clever, and to the point — just like his recipes.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
