From Garden-To-Table: ‘Queer Eye’ Star Antoni Porowski’s Springtime Feast!

Actor, chef, and “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski loves spring and some fun “bang for your buck entertaining.”

Through his timely partnership with Lowe's, just in time for spring fun, Porowski has crafted recipes designed to seamlessly transition from your backyard garden to the dinner table. These creations span from refreshing cocktails and mocktails to vibrant salads, delectable desserts, and beyond.

Porowski is a fan of spring and all that comes along with the warmer weather. When discussing teaming up with Lowe's, he explained what excites him the most about the season.

“We had conversations about all of the different types of herbs and produce and fruit and flowers and stuff that they have available and springtime is my favorite time of year. If your winter was anything like mine it was just literally all stews and soups and heavy, delicious and comforting food,” he told The Blast exclusively.

“I get so excited when springtime hits because you hit the farmers markets and stores and Lowe's obviously and you see that all of this wonderful produce and bright colors start to become available, which just gets me really excited for spring."

Porowski felt it was the perfect opportunity to "empower people" and get them excited about some of his favorite seasonal meals.

He also shared that he loves “bang for your buck entertaining” and summer barbecues. When asked about what he would consider his perfect garden-to-table meal, he said that the answer changes every day. He prefaced his response with a disclaimer - “I’m going to pretend everything is available and we’re not in April.” 

“The first bite, just to get everyone started, is gonna be a beautiful donut peach that’s been lightly kissed on the grill, and I would take some basil that I picked up at Lowe's, obviously, and put a tiny little bit of olive oil, maybe a little hit of a key lime or fresh lime and a little bit of salt, just to get everyone excited for good greens,” he shared.

“And then, I would take some beautiful dinosaur Lacinato kale. I would also kiss it on the grill because I’m obsessed with barbecuing, get a nice little char and maybe do a nice slightly thinner Caesar dressing situation with a little bit of parm and maybe some pickled grapes would be really good in there for acidity."

He said he would then move onto a "whole grilled fish situation with some fresh oregano and a hint of lemon juice." He would also include some "baby zucchinis" on the grill, using the same herbs and lemon juice that he used on the fish. To finish off the meal - a pear blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.

Pairing a drink with his garden-to-table meal was not a difficult task. The “Queer Eye” star had a great mocktail option that could be easily turned into a cocktail.

“I love anything that balances sweet, acidic, and spicy,” he said. “I love a good little muddled situation because it’s easy to do and you can make plenty of it at a time and it easily pivots from a cocktail to a mocktail.”

The recipe that he suggested is a strawberry refresher with mashed-up strawberries and cilantro leaves (or basil if you prefer), a fresh jalapeno or Fresno chili, a small amount of sugar and salt, poured over soda water or ginger beer. If you prefer alcohol, Porowski recommends tequila and prosecco. (See below for the recipe.)

While he’s a master at cooking and creating delicious recipes, it’s not something Porowski always set out to do. And even though he grew up in a house where homemade cooking was an obsession, it wasn’t until booking “Queer Eye” that he really fell head first into it.

“I never really had an epiphany until booking 'Queer Eye.' I had other hopes and dreams for myself. I kind of feel like I got the job that I wanted, not the one that I needed,” he told The Blast. 

“If you met my family, we’re all so deeply obsessed with cooking. We’re the type of family that would go to a restaurant and would have a certain thing and my mother would recreate it at home and figure out how to make it healthier, add more vegetables to it because she was so veggie-obsessed. And so my entire family is like that.”

Porowski said he grew up in a “very matriarchal household” where his mother cooked and one of his sisters was “obsessed with Martha Stewart.” 

“I had to sit and watch and it was actually really good for me. When I got into college left to fend for myself, I realized eating in restaurants was not sustainable because I was a broke a– student, but I wanted to cook for myself because I realized it brought me a lot of joy,” he shared. 

“I had a lot more in my repertoire than I knew. I just obsessively went on YouTube videos and Food Network and other types of cooking shows and learned from there. It’s something that’s always made me happy."

He also learned that cooking helps his non-medicated “severe ADHD” because he’s able to put his focus on a specific task. Plus, the organization and planning that goes into cooking helps a lot.

“It’s such a sensory thing because of the smells and the tastes and you’re trying everything as you go. It really calms me down,” he said. “It grounds me and makes me feel like I’m doing something for myself. And if I’m just cooking for myself, I get to make more food and bring it to neighbors and it’s an act of love, like an act of service.”

Porowski said that while most people are used to throwing burgers, hot dogs, and other meats on the grill, he said not to forget about the produce. 

“First, you head on over to Lowe's, you get your seeds, you get your plants, you plant them, and they’re all ready to go,” he said.

“If you have beautiful little zucchinis, you can char those and cut them up and put them into a wonderful pasta salad. Don’t be afraid to grill your greens as well. Fruit is incredible when it’s grilled as well. Lean into the produce and try it out.”

If you need some inspiration, Porowski suggested heading over to Pinterest and YouTube for some great ideas. 

The Emmy-winning producer and star of Netflix’s hit series “Queer Eye” is currently filming a new season of the show in Las Vegas. He thinks viewers will see a side to Vegas that they may not realize exists, saying the area is more culturally diverse past the glitz and glam of the world-famous Strip. 

“I love that we’re gonna show an unexpected side of Vegas,” he said. “Which is not only exciting for our experience but I think the viewers will love it as well.” 

He said the way the show is cast each season makes it even more interesting.

“I’m continually impressed by our production team and our casting,” he said. “How they manage to find people who have never even heard about the show who just kind of come in with an open mind and no expectations, makes it really interesting.” 

Spicy Strawberry Refresher (Makes one cocktail.)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized strawberries, chopped
• 1 slice fresh jalapeño
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fresh whole cilantro leaves
• pinch salt
• 1 oz tequila
• Prosecco
• Fresh orange juice

In a 16 oz glass, add strawberries, jalapeño, sugar, cilantro and salt. Muddle together in bottom of glass.

(If you don’t have a traditional muddler the handle of a wooden spoon may be used.)

Add 1/2 c ice and tequila, stir vigorously. Top with Prosecco and a splash of orange juice.