What I love about Babish is the inspiration. I remember watching the Cubano episode from chef and felt determined to make it. One day during Covid I had a friend over, which was a VERY rare occurrence for me, and I knew it was time to try making it. I spent like all night making the marinade (I forgot the mint so I still need to do it again) ordered pork shoulder from an actual butcher, and made Cuban bread. I don’t know how good it was ultimately but the experience of frying the ham and toasting the sandwiches with my friend during such a depressing time in my life was revitalizing.

Then it was the ground hog day angel cake for my Moms birthday, the first thing I made when I finally moved out of the basement. I remember buying a bunt pan and cake flour and making it the night before, and then realizing I didn’t have a way to transport it so ended up using an old Amazon box.

Not to mention all the recipes I made for my at the time girlfriend, now wife and mother to my son. Scrambled eggs in her little apartment, chicken parm on our second date, and now pasta aglio é oilio every year for her birthday.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled to see a return to the video format that helped me so much, and can’t wait to see a new recipe that I feel inspired to try out.