Antoni Porowski has had A Year, to say the least. He — and his four now-BFFs — relaunched the hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on Netflix, and it's already been renewed for a second season. His role on the show led the webz to ask if he could even cook. Spoiler alert: He can, and the skills have scored him a cookbook deal plus the opportunity to work with a whole bunch of cool brands, like Strongbow Ciders.
Do enjoy a thorough run through of what this beautiful, jacked man eats to look the way he does, as well as what he hopes to accomplish should the show reach a third season.
Walk me through what you eat in a day.
I start off with black, unsweetened coffee in the morning. I typically have my first meal around 12 p.m, which is usually chicken or fish and some vegetables. For dinner, I also eat a high protein meal with lots of fiber and at least two veggies. In between those meals, I'll often go for a green juice or smoothie of sorts, depending on my hunger level that day. I typically do not eat past 8 p.m. I maintain a strict diet so that when late weekend dinners come up, I can do that without any guilt or shame, knowing I am "good" most of the week.
What, to you, is a cheat meal?
I love cheese — especially a soft cheese. So to balance the flavor as well as the calories, I like to serve it with Strongbow Rosé Apple Hard Cider. Like all Strongbow Hard Ciders, Strongbow Rosé Apple is gluten-free and has no artificial flavors or colors.
If you could have one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Grilled fish, any fish, and grilled veggies. Fresh and light food never gets old.
How do you hope to change the conversation around food with your forthcoming book? Congrats on that, by the way!
My goal is to show that cooking a good meal is a skill accessible to anyone and that you can get to that level if you are connected to where you came from.
Is there a recipe in there that you feel particularly attached to or nostalgic about? Which one and why?
Ha, that's a perfect follow-up question to my last answer, actually. There's this hunter's stew called bigos which uses fresh cabbage and sauerkraut, along with different types of meats. It's slow-braised in beer. Actually, come to think of it, I bet a Strongbow Cider could be pretty damn good as a substitute.
What are you really, really good at making that maybe no one knows about?
It’s not a secret, but I love making cocktails and mixing unexpected ingredients and flavors. For example, instead of using champagne for bubbles, I like to take a hard cider and mix it with tequila and club soda for a Tequila Spritzer.
How have your eating and exercise habits changed since the show dropped, if at all?
I am definitely more aware of what I look like. I've always been pretty healthy, but with a lot of new stressors that come with life getting bigger and busier, I make sure to prioritize work-outs to a higher level.
Now that the dust from the first season of Queer Eye has settled (and you’re through filming the second), what do you think you’ll do differently should a third season happen?
I want to remember to make it about the hero we are helping. My focus is to contribute to these peoples' lives in making them better.
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