My 5 Best Recipes in Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook Juneteenth & Black Celebrations

Watermelon and Red Birds is my second cookbook collaboration with author Nicole Taylor. This recipe collection is unique in its scope and the way it is organized. It is the first Juneteenth-focused cookbook in existence! Instead of the typical table of contents divided by breakfast, lunch, or dinner; it is organized by the components that make up a great celebration, be it Juneteenth, anniversary, or birthday:

• Spice Blends

• Red Drinks

• Festivals & Fairs

• Cookout & BBQ

• Potato, Green, & Fruit Salads

• Snow Cones, Ice pops, & Ice Cream

• Cake! Cake! Cake! (And a Couple of Pies)

• Everyday Juneteenth

In the foreword, Stephen Satterfield writes, “These recipes are illustrative of [Nicole’s] gifts, moving us seamlessly from the historic to the contemporary, with ingredients and rhetoric together reinforcing a clear thesis—’I put on for my people.’”

For my part, I helped Nicole develop, refine, and test recipes she already had percolating in her notebooks. Sometimes an author has a glut of ideas and needs help focusing them down or exploring their variations. This project was also a test of strength for us during the COVID-19 pandemic with unstable grocery prices, shortages, and adjusting to a new way of working. Our proof of life and joy are here in this book. These stories are here to stay. If you don’t have a copy, buy one here.

So, what are my 5 best recipes in Watermelon & Red Birds?

Of the recipes I developed…

It’s always difficult for me to choose favorites among a pile of treasure, but I chose these recipes based on their ease and riffs on classics.

• Savory Elephant Ears - I had never heard of elephant ears before meeting Nicole, so I had a fun time researching them. They are large discs of deep-fried dough that are finished with cinnamon sugar. Our version makes it savory with a cheddar and black pepper sprinkle.

• Wavy Fries with Blue Cheese Dip & Lemon Pepper - We originally wanted to include waffle fries, but it’s not easy for a home cook to get the tools to make them. We opted for a wavy cutter to bring about that festival feel with the flavors of the famous lemon pepper wings of the South.

• Apricot Lamb Chops with Green Garlic Chimichurri - A luxurious treat, worthy of celebration. It’ll be easiest to get lamb and green garlic in the Springtime, a little bit ahead of June. For those that have my first cookbook, Showdown, you know that I love being around the grill. Lamb chops cook very quickly and go great with grilled apricots that get even better when their sugars caramelize.

• Chile Marshmallow Pies - I had so much fun recreating Moon Pies! They were one of my favorite gas station treats on family road trips. Our version whips up homemade marshmallows spiked with jalapeno and lime. Rounds of chile marshmallow get sandwiched between buckwheat graham crackers and the whole thing is dipped in chocolate.

• Devil’s Food Ice Box Cake - We developed our own recipe for chocolate wafers and that’s the hardest part. The rest is easy! Layer the homemade wafers with chocolate cream cheese filling and freeze it. When it’s set, press pecans into the sides before you slice it up.

As a vegetable-forward person…

For a plant-based menu, there are plenty of options! These are my favorite vegetarian items, but many of the recipes can be adjusted easily. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, there are two chapters dedicated to frozen desserts and cake.

• Meatless Baked Beans

• Zucchini Corn Dogs

• Summer Peas, Green Beans, & Corn Salad

• Garlicky Okra and Rice (minus the fish sauce, of course!)

• Corn Ice Cream Sandwiches

As a person who loves meat…

You do not need a grill to enjoy these cookout recipes. I included oven method alternatives that do not skimp on flavor.

• Beef Ribs with Harissa

• Rodeo Turkey Legs

• Chorizo Corn Chip Nachos

• Late Night Steak Tostada

• Blueberry & Beef Puff Pies

The recipes I revisited …

In the years after publishing the Watermelon & Red Birds, I found myself looping back toward these recipes.

• Strawberry Lemonade

• Pork Chops with Dukkah

• Quick Pickles (especially the red onions)

• Broiler Salmon with Romesco

• Roasted Nectarine Sundae with Honey Vanilla Ice Cream, Pistachio Brittle, and Caramel Sauce

I would love to hear if you cooked any of the recipes and posted them to social media. Make sure to tag me or send them along via email to randwiches at email dot com.

My 5 Best Recipes in Showdown: Comfort Food, Chili & BBQ

I’m asking myself the question that makes me audibly gasp when others ask it. What are my 5 favorite recipes in my own cookbook? In college, I remember learning about positioning—in the sense of regarding a particular kind of person when you consider their background and preferences. The answer to every subjective question in the world can change when you think about someone’s positioning. At the time of publishing Showdown, my favorite recipes were different from the ones I’m choosing now. It’s like I’m on a boat in a sea of my own creations and I’ll pull up different dishes on different days.

Today, I’m writing to you as a 39-year-old who has published, developed, or tested 13 cookbooks. My palate has expanded to include many new cuisines that I had not yet tried when I was 32 years old. I can also tell you the recipes that I revisited in my everyday life and what were successes to people who bought the book. If you don’t have a copy, those in the U.S. can get a signed one here. For worldwide shipping, click here (these copies are not signed).

So, what are my 5 best recipes in Showdown?

As a meat-forward person…

I look to these recipes for fun weekend projects or if folks are coming over. They have sub recipes and may take a day or two of prep, but they’re worth it. Some protein components like chili, meatballs, bacon, chicken, and burgers can be flash-frozen for later.

• Cocoa Coriander Chili

• 20K Meatballs Under the Sea (Sub Sandwich)

• Make Your Own Damn Bacon

• Chicken Mole Torta

• Baa-Daas Burger

As a vegetable-forward person…

When you feel like you’ve had enough meat for the week or want to accommodate those with plant-based diets, these are my hearty, savory meals I like to make.

• Black Bean and Pepita Balls

• Smoked Vegetables and Fruits

• Roasted Stuffed Poblano Flatbread

• Potato Salad with Wasabi Sesame Seeds

• Mushroom Hoagie

As a person who does not have a grill…

Listen, I live in New York, I know how hard it is to find space to grill. It’s not always easy to camp out for a public grill at the park, too. These recipes are perfectly fine with an oven or toaster oven. In all honesty, it’s much cleaner than breaking out the grill.

• Dirty South Biscuits and Gravy

• Cherry Chocolate Meatballs

• Shumai, Oh My

• Pulled Chicken Mole

• Crunchy Elote

• As a person who has a grill…

My friend, thank you for your trust. These are some of my favorite projects. Finding out that my charcoal grill could also function as a smoker blew my mind. When you’re done grilling, consider smoking some extra veggies and fruits for later.

• Homemade Tasso (so you can make The Smokemonster chili)

• Grilled Flakey Flatbread

• “I Like It Shallot” Burger

• Adobo Wangs

• Grilled Stone Fruit

The recipes I made the most…

I haven’t counted the times that I’ve made these dishes, but I have a pretty good idea of what is in rotation. The thing is, the recipes in this book were already some of my greatest hits. It’s nice to develop muscle memory about these five entries and to know their shopping lists without looking them up.

• Fuzzy Five-Spice Meatballs

• Carne Asada

• Bacon Chili Oil

• Herb Slaw

• Chocolate Bark

I would love to hear if you cooked any of my recipes and posted them to social media. Make sure to tag me or send them along via email to randwiches at email dot com.

A Competitor's Guide to The Takedowns

Saying that I'm competitive is an understatement. I friggin' thrive on eating people alive in culinary combat. There's something so alluring and addicting about the potential of winning a contest. Trust me, I've had my share of losses. I have much to celebrate in the recipes that I created and the friends that I've made. What happens after winning?

The Takedowns are a Brooklyn-based cooking competition series that celebrates home cooks and amateur chefs.  Each edition focuses on a specific ingredient like bacon, lobster and lamb or format like chili, fondue, meatball, ice cream, cookies and, even homebrew beer. Alumni have had different paths after graduating from this circuit. Theo Peck opened a restaurant, Linda Sarris travels the world as a private chef, Nicole Taylor wrote The Up South Cookbook, Cathy Erway has a James Beard-nominated podcast, and I wrote Showdown—a book about my experiences in these contests. Many people who participate have other jobs and enter for the hell of it!

Lucky for me, I have the opportunity to judge The Takedowns sometimes. It's so wonderful to see brand new cooks jump in, head-first, into battle. Here are a few things that I've learned over the past ten years of competing and judging.

The Rules

• Matt Timms insists that there are no rules. That means you can make anything as long as it uses the featured ingredient or format.
• You do not need experience to enter. In fact, we highly encourage home cooks and amateur chefs to join. There is no fee to participate.
• You can spend as much or as little money as you want on your entry. It just hurts when you spend money on porcinis, only to lose in the end. Sometimes an ingredient may be provided for you.
• Make enough food. For chili, the recommended amount is 2 gallons. Other categories recommend 200 to 250 bites. Remember, they're bites, not full portions. Attendees and judges are eating up to 30 entries.
• There are two types of prizes: people's choice and judge's. Ticket holders for the event will vote on their favorites and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place are awarded. 3 to 4 judges will also be tasting and will award 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorable mentions.
• You can invite your friends, but it's not cool to tell them to vote for you. Give everyone a fair shot and encourage your friends to try everything.

Serving

• Matt asks everyone to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the doors open. 1 hour doesn't hurt either!
• Ensure that you can travel with your dish. You don't want to be like me, lugging a vat of chili without a lid into a NYC cab. Try using a cooler and always double wrap anything liquidy.
• For hot dishes, you will get a large sterno foil tray with water in it. You nest the second provided tray in it to create a steam bath. Bring foil if you need your dish to be covered throughout the afternoon.
• You will be provided with enough sample cups to serve your dish. Bring any ladles, spoons or tools you need to get the food into the cups.
• Sharpie! Always have a sharpie. You will need to label your plastic cups when you arrive so that guests will know to vote for you.
• Hundreds of people will be walking by to taste your food, prepare a quick sentence that describes your dish. Signage is not required but helps people with allergies identify if they can eat your food or not.

Afterward

• You will be asked to get up on the stage and announce which dish and number entry you had.
• When the winners are announced, don't be nervous. You are great for making it this far!
• Showboating and heckling are a pet peeves of mine, it's unsportsmanlike. Be a team player and celebrate other people's dishes. You're allowed to enjoy your win but don't jump on any tables like Bobby Flay did against Iron Chef Morimoto.
• Reduce food waste by bringing plasticware or zipper bags to keep any leftovers.
• Write your recipe! Scale it down to dinner-time size and save it. You can share it on a blog or social media, too. Whether you won or not, you made something that was yours! Who knows? You might write a book about it.

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Head to TheTakedowns.com to find out when you can compete!

Did this guide help you? Let me know!

Here's What You Get When You Pre-order #ShowdownBook

We have less than a week until my first ever cookbook Showdown lands in bookstores! As an extra incentive to reserve your copy, I have a couple fun surprises for my early birds. The first 25 people who email me at randwiches+win@gmail.com your preorder receipt and mailing address will get the following:

Signed & doodled book plates! If you don't live in Brooklyn, this is one way to get your copy autographed. The first batch have fun food doodles from my talented friends. When you get yours, peel off the backing and stick it on the inside of the front cover. 

Food hack card! I got special cards printed at Parabo and on the backs I'm going to give you extra food hacks to supplement the book. I want to jump start your brain and get you thinking the way that I think about food (so you can cook more!).

Heirloom Tomato Salt! I have a story in the book about getting a fine dining cookbook for the first time and feeling overwhelmed. The only thing I could make was tomato confit. Tomato salt is my tribute and super easy cooking hack. I've made a batch as a thank you. It is made made with sea salt from Pangasinan, Philippines; it really smells like tomatoes.

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If you prefer to get your copy signed and doodled, please join me at one of my book parties!

• 5/2/2017 Release day at WORD (Brooklyn, NY)
• 5/7/2017 Release party at Atelier Roquette (Brooklyn, NY)
• 6/24/2017 at Barnes & Noble (Palmdale, CA)
• 7/6/2017 at Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA)

Already pre-ordered? Help me spread the word, here's how!