Eden Grinshpan Transcript
Kerry Diamond:
Hi, everyone. You are listening to Radio Cherry Bombe, and I'm your host, Kerry Diamond. Today's guest is Eden Grinshpan, one of my favorite humans. She is the host of “Top Chef Canada” and author of a brand new cookbook that's as delightful as she is. Her book, “Tahini Baby, Bright Everyday Recipes That Happen To Be Vegetarian,” is out tomorrow and is a tribute to the Middle Eastern-inspired foods she grew up with and loves today. It's also a love letter to her favorite ingredient, tahini, the sesame seed paste that is the building block of so many sauces, dips, and dishes. Some of you got to see Eden in person last weekend at our Jubilee conference. She danced her way to the stage and gave an inspiring talk about finding joy wherever you can. It was a good reminder for these times we find ourselves in, right? Stay tuned for my chat with Eden Grinshpan. Our conversation was recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Today's official Bombesquad spotlight is Yoli Tortilleria. Co-founder Marisa Gencarelli missed the fresh quality tortillas from her childhood in Sonora, Mexico. The rich agricultural tradition of Sonora is similar to that of the Midwest, where Marisa moved with her husband and co-founder, Mark. Marisa and Mark embarked on a mission to recreate the Sonoran-style flour tortillas from Marisa's childhood. They also make corn tortillas that truly showcase the quality of the corn. You can visit Yoli's retail experience in the historic West Side neighborhood of Kansas City, and get burritos, lots of grab-and-go and bakery items, as well as the full range of Yoli products. You can also order their items direct from eatyoli.com or check their store locator for a shop near you. If you want to recommendation, my favorite item from Yoli is their Salsa Macha Negra with peanuts, black garlic, and three different kinds of chilies. I put it on everything.
Marisa is an official Bombesquad member. If you'd like to be an official Bombesquad member, visit cherrybombe.com for all the details and perks, like discounts on Jubilee tickets and invites to our monthly member meetings. The next one, by the way, is happening on April 29th. The Bombesquad is an amazing community, and we'd love for you to be part of it.
Now, let's check in with today's guest. Eden Grinshpan. Welcome to Radio Cherry Bombe.
Eden Grinshpan:
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
Kerry Diamond:
So you are here because you have a fantastic new book called “Tahini Baby.”
Eden Grinshpan:
I do.
Kerry Diamond:
I love the title so much.
Eden Grinshpan:
I got the baby tees.
Kerry Diamond:
You did? Great.
Eden Grinshpan:
The baby tees are coming.
Kerry Diamond:
Well, yes, I will tell them why we're talking about baby tees because when Eden told me the title, the book, I was like, "Okay, we need a ‘Tahini Baby’" baby tee. But I also said that's such a great title because “Tahini Baby,” it's like a lifestyle for you.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
Explain why that is.
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, when I came up with the name, I actually wanted to make sure that I was very clear as to where it came from and what it really means because at first, I was like, “I love tahini, baby.” Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Like tahini comma baby.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah, “tahini, baby,” and that is something I would say 100% and I talk about tahini all the time. It's one of my all-time favorite foods, but I think what it really comes down to is I am a tahini baby. My husband is a tahini baby. Almost everyone in my family is a tahini baby.
Kerry Diamond:
You're raising tahini babies.
Eden Grinshpan:
I'm raising tahini babies, and that's really what it comes down to, is this condiment is really the backbone of the cuisine that I really love so much and inspires me daily. It's like a lifestyle. A lot of the food that I like to cook is very bountiful, very colorful, layered, approachable, just happy cooking. Especially with this book being a vegetarian cookbook, tahini just felt like one of those ingredients that I wanted to amplify and put a spotlight on even more because not only is it delicious, it goes on everything, savory, too sweet, but it also just so happens to be a great source of protein, calcium, magnesium, it's an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, kind of like a super food ingredient. So I just wanted to even highlight that even more too.
Kerry Diamond:
The mighty little sesame seed. Last time I saw you, I think it was over a Zoom or a Google Meet and I had to laugh so hard because we turned our cameras on and you were basically wearing tahini-colored clothing against the tahini-colored wall and you didn't even realize it.
Eden Grinshpan:
Actually, on the way here, I was like, why? Why? I should have followed through with that tahini baby look.
Kerry Diamond:
Today, you're more like Saffron-colored.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes, I am. I am. It's more like the book's my harissa color.
Kerry Diamond:
Actually.
Eden Grinshpan:
So it's like a little harissa. But yeah, I love, obviously, tahini is obviously delicious and also, beautiful and I do tend to lean towards that color palette. It coincides with my overall branding of my platform actually Eden Eats. I had a full rebrand and I brought that into the “Tahini Baby” look as well.
Kerry Diamond:
It's very soothing.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
It's a soothing color palette.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
Absolutely.
Eden Grinshpan:
I agree.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's talk some tahini tips for folks who maybe don't go through as much tahini as you do. I know you go through a jar a week practically.
Eden Grinshpan:
I do. I actually made tahini for the Super Bowl and I was laughing because I-
Kerry Diamond:
Wait from scratch?
Eden Grinshpan:
No. Okay, well, garlicky tahini.
Kerry Diamond:
Got it, got it.
Eden Grinshpan:
Actually, that's so funny you bring that up because my girlfriend came over and she's like, "My husband was asking me if I make tahini from scratch and I told him I take tahini paste and I mix it with garlic, and he's like, but you're not making it from scratch." And she's like, "This is what everyone does," and she needed me to back her up.
Kerry Diamond:
Well, tell folks what-
Eden Grinshpan:
So tahini is tahini paste. Most of the brands that I really gravitate towards are brands where they source their sesame seeds from Ethiopia. They have just really beautiful sweet sesame seeds and for instance, I use a lot of tahini from Seed and Mill and Soom, which are U.S.-based female-founded companies and I absolutely love what they do and they soak, they hull, they roast and they grind them in small batches. They just have this delicious supreme flavor. It's creamy. It's not too bitter. I think a lot of people that hear tahini, it's kind of hit or miss because I don't think a lot of people have had really good quality tahini. So I think that this is definitely something to do a little bit of research in and try and find the right brand for you.
And some of the visual things that I look for when I am trying to find a good quality tahini is that it's lighter in color. When you shake it, the oil that kind of sometimes separates at the top should easily get blended back into the tahini. It's not bitter. It's not too bitter. There is a little bit that shouldn't be the note, that is the note of tahini, because I've had some really dark tahinis that are very ... you see a huge amount of oil at the top and it is just not tasty.
Kerry Diamond:
I had used the term you want a place with high tahini turnover.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
So I remember being at a grocery store in Maine many years ago when I was looking for some tahini because I wanted to make some homemade hummus. And they had a little shelf back deep in the grocery store. It was dusty, it was terrible, but it was my only option. So I bought it and it was not good and it was very bitter.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
So I realized if you do want to make something with tahini, sometimes you do have to plan ahead or you just have to have a good grocery store where people are buying it on the regular.
Eden Grinshpan:
Exactly, and now, you can order I'm sure on Amazon.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah. Of course.
Eden Grinshpan:
And once you know the right brand, just lean into that. And that's also another reason why I was really passionate about showcasing Soom and Seed and Mill in the book because obviously I'm talking to North Americans and I want them to be able to find the right ones.
Kerry Diamond:
And those are such good brands.
Eden Grinshpan:
And they're so good.
Kerry Diamond:
You go through it fast, so this might not apply to everybody, but if you don't go through a jar as fast as you do, fridge or no fridge?
Eden Grinshpan:
So it really depends. If you go through it really quick, I don't think you need to worry about it as much, but if this is something that you are a little unsure of, like 100%, throw it in the fridge. I have a bunch of tahinis that are half open in the back of my fridge that I just need to go and take all them and just finish. You can't do it wrong.
Kerry Diamond:
I don't love the squeezable tahini bottles.
Eden Grinshpan:
Why? Because it's impossible to get to the bottom?
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah.
Eden Grinshpan:
I had to take a chopstick.
Kerry Diamond:
I took a chopstick too.
Eden Grinshpan:
Chopstick. It's the chopstick.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah, it's tough to stir.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
I like the jar that has a big opening.
Eden Grinshpan:
You know what, there's a time and a place. I really appreciate the squeezy for travel, obviously ease. Seed and Mill actually has a really good squeezy bottle option and they also do some different flavors, which I really appreciate. They have a chocolate tahini.
Kerry Diamond:
That's too good. I ate that whole thing by myself once.
Eden Grinshpan:
Danger zone. Danger, like throw that on top of-
Kerry Diamond:
But really yummy, in case you're like really chocolate? It's great.
Eden Grinshpan:
It's like the better, healthier version of Nutella.
Kerry Diamond:
I don't know, you might be starting a war there.
Eden Grinshpan:
I don't know. I made a Nutella on my... Actually, I made my own tahini hazelnut chocolate Nutella on Instagram. It did well, it was great.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah, sure. Sure.
Eden Grinshpan:
So good.
Kerry Diamond:
People do love their Nutella, but if you've never thought about a chocolate tahini, you'll be very happily surprised.
We'll be right back with today's guest. Did you know that The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network has the number one baking podcast in the U.S.? We do, and it's called She's My Cherry Pie. Each Saturday, baker cookbook author, and recipe developer Jessie Sheehan talks to the sweetest bakers and pastry chefs around and takes a deep dive into their signature bakes. If you've been wanting to level up your baking skills, this show is for you. Tune in for expert tips and tricks from guests like Claudia Fleming, Natasha Pickowicz, Zoë François, Christina Tosi, and so many more. Find She's My Cherry Pie on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Before we talk about some recipes, you've had such an interesting career. I do want to bounce to that for a second and then, we'll come back and talk about some of the recipes that you love so much. I kind of don't even know where to begin. Maybe we have to go back to high school. You were sort of the class clown, right?
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
You weren't a bad student, but you weren't a great student and school was a bit of a struggle for you.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes. School was definitely a hard ... I look back and socially it was great. I was friends with all my teachers. I was friends with my principal. I would bail on class and go hang out with my principal. It was a very interesting high school. I was a bit of a troublemaker. I couldn't really find my place in school, and so I really gravitated towards other things. I grew up dancing and that was very much where I got a lot of my love for performing and the confidence I think I needed. In grade 10, I actually discovered Food Network just by chance.
I grew up in Toronto, and the Food Network Canada, they would have shows like Jamie Oliver, like we do in the States. Ina Garten, the original “Iron Chef.” And I would watch ... I was completely obsessed, very hooked. It actually started, it inspired me to get into the kitchen, which I think is actually now knowing about the industry and knowing about how people relate with this kind of content. It's actually interesting because not a lot of people actually go in the kitchen and cook. A lot of people just watch it. So I started baking and then I really loved the feeling of making baked goods for my family, my sister loved my cookies and I just wanted to give her all these cookies. And then, that got me cooking and when it came time to apply for university, my dad actually was the one that suggested, “Why don't you go to culinary school?” Because before that I was like, "Please don't make me go to university, please."
Kerry Diamond:
But you didn't put two and two together. No, you didn't think this could be a career. I have to follow this path that so many other people follow.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Straight from high school to college.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah, my dad was-
Kerry Diamond:
Thank goodness for your dad.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah. Both my parents have been incredibly supportive and very encouraging. They're clearly very creative and think outside the box and they could tell. I was like, "Please don't waste another four years of our time here." And so, he suggested it and I didn't even know about it. And then I looked into it and just by chance one of my closest friends got into fashion school in London. So we moved to London together and we got an apartment and I went to Le Cordon Bleu. It feels like it was, I don't know how many lifetimes ago at this point, but I was 18.
Kerry Diamond:
Did it come naturally to you? When you were in the classes where you're like, this is where I'm meant to be?
Eden Grinshpan:
You know what, I think back, I was a troublemaker. Obviously, everything I did.
Kerry Diamond:
The pattern people.
Eden Grinshpan:
There's ... Clearly, this has been something that's just I've taken with me in life. It was something that I really loved. I don't know if it came supernaturally to me, but I loved it. I'm also a lefty, so they were like, "What do we do with you?" They had to put me in the corner because of my nice skills-
Kerry Diamond:
Couldn't be bumping into everybody else.
Eden Grinshpan:
My God. It was super awkward.
Kerry Diamond:
Lefties are special.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah. There aren't that many of you.
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, we're trying. Yeah, so it was great, and I got jobs working in restaurants on the weekends and so, I was working in the industry and I was studying and it was a great time. It was such a brand-new, fun experience. I was away from my family for the first time and I was with people from all over the world and I made a lot of really great friends. It was great.
Kerry Diamond:
You spent some time in India, which was very impactful and transformative, but we're going to skip that.
Eden Grinshpan:
That's fine. It was.
Kerry Diamond:
I feel like we need a two-parter to cover all of it. I wrote a story about Eden for the new issue and I had to skip this story even though I think it is phenomenal about meeting the two girls in the bar in Israel.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
And they set you up with this guy.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Can you tell us the story?
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah. So I was living in New York. I was dating this guy and we broke up and my parents were in Tel Aviv and they were like, "We don't want to hear you that you're so sad, you are coming to be with us." So I flew there and I was free and single and partying. And literally on the last day that I was there, I went to a party for my friend and the bartender was a friend of mine. And these two girls at the bar overheard me talking to her and they were like, they heard that I was speaking English. They're like, "Where do you live? I said, New York.
And they were like, "We have someone that you should meet." And I was like, okay. So they took out Facebook. We Facebook messaged him. Thank God ... like I was partying that night-
Kerry Diamond:
On a laptop. It looks like you just opened a laptop-
Eden Grinshpan:
No. This is me just being like, it was Facebook. So I'm messaging, I write my number in. I fly back to New York and I'm newly single and I lost a lot of friends through that relationship. I was like-
Kerry Diamond:
That's always a bummer.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah, so I was like, I need people ... And you know New York, like if you don't have your crew, you're lost in space. So I wrote him. He didn't write me, I wrote him. And I was like, "We're supposed to be friends. Why haven't you written me" or something like that. Actually, we-
Kerry Diamond:
Chill.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah, super chill. Totally crazy. And then he wrote me back. He's like, "Sorry, I'm busy." Yeah, okay, let's hang out. So we ended up going out three days after I got back from that trip and we got engaged a month after that date. We met ... No, it was a little bit, it was a month and a couple of days. We met November 18th and we got engaged December 24th.
Kerry Diamond:
And you're still married to this person?
Eden Grinshpan:
And we are still married. We have two kids.
Kerry Diamond:
Tell us about the proposal because it feels like something out of "When Harry Met Sally."
Eden Grinshpan:
It really was. It's funny because for a lot of that month ... He was actually traveling, which is also crazy. He went to Arizona and then he was in Tel Aviv and then, he came back and it was ... I don't know, have you met Edo?
Kerry Diamond:
I think once or twice. Yeah.
Eden Grinshpan:
He's very, once he makes up his mind, that's it. And he can't keep a secret, if he books a trip for a year away, he tells me the day he books it, if it's a surprise, he's like, I did this. He's so sweet, so pure. He came back from this trip and he's like, "I bought a set of dishes for us." And I was like, okay. He's like, "I got us some art." He was in fullness mode. Okay. He was 30-year-old
Kerry Diamond:
You weren't living together?
Eden Grinshpan:
No. He's like, "I bought us a set of dishes and some art for our home." I'm like, okay. And then he's like, "I want to make you Shakshouka. Let's go shopping." It's seven in the morning because he just got off a flight. Okay. So we went to Essex Market. I was living in the Lower East Side, and this was the old Essex market, so before it got renovated. And we're walking through the aisle, and he's like, "Okay, where do you do your shopping for your groceries?" I'm like, here. And he goes, "Where? Right here?" I'm like, "Yeah, this eggplant, I buy this eggplant." He's like, "This is the spot."
And I'm like, "For what?" And he got down on his knee and he proposed to me in front of the eggplant stand in Essex market. I'll never forget this woman. It really was a “Harry Met Sally” moment because this woman walks by and he's like, "Oh my God, is he proposing?" And I was like, he is. It felt like time really stood still and we got engaged and then, I called all my friends and they thought that I got engaged to the guy that I broke up with because no one knew who this man was. That's how quickly it was. And they were all like, "Who is this person? Are you okay? What's going on?"
It was really funny. But my parents actually got engaged really quickly after they met and I told my mom and she was like, "I'm so happy for you." My parents were so supportive. So that really kind of gave me that push to be like, "Okay, I don't seem crazy."
Kerry Diamond:
That is a funny story, even.
Eden Grinshpan:
What's his last name? Yes, I'll marry you. Yes. You can't help but love him.
Kerry Diamond:
That is great. And did he have a ring?
Eden Grinshpan:
He had a ring. He got a ring made.
Kerry Diamond:
This ring.
Eden Grinshpan:
He got a ring made when he was there. He is no joke. This guy, he makes up his mind and he just does it.
Kerry Diamond:
Now, he's your partner in crime. You have two beautiful kids.
Eden Grinshpan:
And we've been together since 2011, which seems wild. And we have two kids.
Kerry Diamond:
I know. All right, well hey, happy ending. I'm happy to hear that. That's such a fun story.
Eden Grinshpan:
It's good.
Kerry Diamond:
Just a reminder, sometimes say yes, people to the universe. You never know what is going to happen.
Eden Grinshpan:
Absolutely.
Kerry Diamond:
You are host of “Top Chef Canada.” Some folks might not know that. Tell us about “Top Chef Canada.” Is it similar to “Top Chef” ... We don't call it Top Chef America, but is it similar to-
Eden Grinshpan:
It's funny-
Kerry Diamond:
Top Chef America.
Eden Grinshpan:
Gail was a guest and I did this like-
Kerry Diamond:
Gail Simmons.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah, Gail Simmons, and I did this little Mike thing and I'm like, "Talk to me about Top Chef America." And she was like ... I was like, so it's funny you say that, but-
Kerry Diamond:
Do you call it Top Chef America?
Eden Grinshpan:
No. No. That was me just having a full brain fart. But what's new? It's funny because obviously ... I actually was just a guest on “Top Chef” because they filmed in Canada.
Kerry Diamond:
Right. We're going to talk about that.
Eden Grinshpan:
On their last season and Kristen and I-
Kerry Diamond:
The new season is in Canada.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah.
Eden Grinshpan:
Sorry, this I feel like we shot it so long ago. So their new season is in Canada. So I've been on their show. I think their show show is a little bit more production, just a little bit bigger, but it is the same. The way that our days roll out, they actually have a couple more episodes of season. So we have eight. I think they have 13. Yeah, I've been the host for ... I think this is my seventh or eighth season. It's truly an honor. It's as important to Canada as it is to the U.S., the show to the people. We have the best chefs come from all over the country.
The judges are truly amazing, really big names in Canada. And we get to try the food that is coming out of this country, and it's really unbelievable. We say every season it gets better and better. The competition is no joke. The first day is dedicated for the quick fire. When I give the challenge and I'm like, "You have 30 minutes to do this." They have 30 minutes to do that.
Kerry Diamond:
And it's not TV magic 30 minutes.
Eden Grinshpan:
No, no, no.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you have to sequester? Because I know we've had Padma Lakshmi on the show a few times, and I remember her telling us they would go away for weeks and weeks at a time.
Eden Grinshpan:
They leave their home and they stay sequestered together during the shoot, but we don't record that.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you have to go away for a few weeks at a time?
Eden Grinshpan:
No. No, no, no. I think that's also a bit different. But they don't-
Kerry Diamond:
You get to go home at night.
Eden Grinshpan:
I go home, they stay together.
Kerry Diamond:
The contestants.
Eden Grinshpan:
The contestants, and I think they don't get access to their phones from what I know or they do, but very limited.
Kerry Diamond:
And for how long is that?
Eden Grinshpan:
Ours is a month.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Could you live without your phone for a month?
Eden Grinshpan:
I really want to. I am ready. I'm going through a whole phase right now where I'm like, it's time to create some serious boundaries with this device. But that's mostly because I'm trying to show my kids that I don't need it.
Kerry Diamond:
That's tough when it's not just something we do for fun, but for work.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
And you've got the cookbook coming out, so you're going to be in full promo mode.
Eden Grinshpan:
I'm excited about that, but I'm creating boundaries around it. When I'm with the kids, I'm trying not to be on the phone. All the things.
Kerry Diamond:
All the things.
Eden Grinshpan:
It's not easy.
Kerry Diamond:
So back to “Top Chef Canada,” you are the one who has to tell the contestants that they got to go.
Eden Grinshpan:
I know, it's so-
Kerry Diamond:
Can you tell us the-
Eden Grinshpan:
Pack your knives and go. It is so devastating still to this day, I've cried so many times on that show.
Kerry Diamond:
Yeah.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah. I cry. I give hugs. This is such a big deal for all these chefs to be competing. A lot of them are coming from really difficult situations a lot of the times, and they're putting their career out there for everyone to see. And this is what I always talk about actually when I get interviewed about this show. These chefs are coming. Yes, they have this amazing resume and they've worked in the industry for so long, but they're coming to a studio with I don't know how many ... We have so many cameras, lights, new kitchen, these high stakes.
They're cooking for these legends. We have everyone coming on this show. We fly in all of the Top Chefs from across the U.S. as well. So Danielle Boulud walks in and they're all like jaw on the floor. It's really a big, big deal.
Kerry Diamond:
Your first season, did you have to rehearse that a few times? Were you like in the trailer, your dressing room, saying it into the mirror?
Eden Grinshpan:
My god. No, I think I winged it. I don't know. I tend to wing a lot of what I do in my life. So I think I just went out there and I'm like, "You got this." But meanwhile, you call me ... In real life, I'm very affectionate, kind of warm, bubbly person. So when a lot of people see that show and they see my content online, they're like, "Eden, how can you?" And I'm like, I know it's really hard. It's very, very hard.
Kerry Diamond:
Back to the book, “Tahini Baby.” We're going to talk about some of the recipes in here, because I truly want to make everything in the book. I'm so happy mean, it's just that kind of food that you want to eat right now. It's light, it's bright, it is healthy.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
So I can't wait to dig into it. One of them that really struck me was your Safda's Baba. Tell us about that.
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, this one is obviously, very near and dear to my heart. This is a baba ganoush, which is fire roasted eggplant dip. It's really actually very like a simple recipe and a lot of it has to do with technique, which is simple. Simple. This is definitely obviously a recipe that was brought down to me from my dad who obviously, was fed this dish by his mother. Safda means grandmother in Hebrew. I don't know what kind of eggplant she was able to get back then, but apparently there were a ton of seeds. So the way he describes her making this step was having to literally handpick the seeds out of this eggplant for her sons.
Kerry Diamond:
Only a mother would do that for sons.
Eden Grinshpan:
So lovingly, he said she would do that when he comes over and I make it for him, he's like, "Did you handpicked the seeds?" I'm like, "Dad, I love you, but there's not that many seeds in here, okay?" But yeah, so she would just char whole eggplant until the outside gets really black, and what that does is it steams the meat inside and it gets super smoky and very custardy, and then she peels the skin off and then you mash the flesh with garlic. She was Romanian, so lots of garlic and seasoned it with salt, and then she served it with cherry tomatoes and lots of olive oil.
It's really so simple, but it's truly very perfect because the tomatoes have a bright acidity, super juicy, that smokiness with the creamy eggplant. Take some fresh challah, smear that on top. You really don't need anything more in life.
Kerry Diamond:
Sounds so good. I love making that from scratch.
Eden Grinshpan:
And it's fun and it feels always like a treat, I don't know. Baba ganoush has always been my favorite dip. So I will take eggplant in any which way, and this is definitely one of the first ways that I enjoyed it.
Kerry Diamond:
And that time of year when the farmer's market has just tons of eggplant-
Eden Grinshpan:
So gorgeous.
Kerry Diamond:
You're like, what can I do with all this eggplant? That's a great thing to do with it.
Eden Grinshpan:
Make a baba. And also, I give a couple different variations where you can add, because you can put so many different things in that just perfect simple base like mayo, which is actually pretty popular or tahini or yogurt. You can throw so many different condiments in there and also, just kind of make it your own journey.
Kerry Diamond:
Your hummus. Can you talk about hummus, mostly just because I love how you say hummus? Hummus, a little different from how I grew up saying it. I've made unbelievable hummus by peeling the skin off the chickpeas one by one-
Eden Grinshpan:
Talk about love. Talk about dedication.
Kerry Diamond:
But it's actually very zen when you do it. You'll actually enjoy it once you get the hang of it. And I think it was a recipe from Smitten Kitchen via Mike Solomonov.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
The Philadelphia chef, and I loved it so much, but when I was reading your book, I was like, "Oh, Eden has got an easier way to do this."
Eden Grinshpan:
Obviously this is my second cookbook. “Eating Out Loud” came out in 2020. It's done really well. I'm so proud of that book. But I think also what I learned from it is I think people really appreciate finding really easy ways to make something delicious and fantastic. You want the best of the best with minimal effort. I wanted to try and amp up the creaminess for this, especially because I'm using canned chickpeas because I'm a mom. I don't have as much time as I used to. My days are incredibly full, but I don't want that to stop me from creating a lot of these dishes. Obviously-
Kerry Diamond:
I have to say though, canned chickpeas are one of the world's better inventions.
Eden Grinshpan:
I couldn't agree more. And I rinse these and I boil these, and I actually add some baking soda, which helps tenderize and break down the chickpeas even a little bit further, so it adds to that creaminess. I found that when I strained it after I boiled it, I would shake it a little bit in my strainer and a lot of the skins just naturally clung to the actual strainer. So I was like, "Here we go. Yay." Another way of trying to also amp up the creaminess without having to put that much energy, I think just leaning into that shake after you drain is definitely a really fun trick and tip to really add to that.
Kerry Diamond:
Lean into the shake. Okay.
Eden Grinshpan:
Lean into the shake.
Kerry Diamond:
I will do that. You mentioned your previous book, which also was terrific. I still make that parsnips recipe.
Eden Grinshpan:
I'm so happy. I love parsnips.
Kerry Diamond:
What's the full title of that recipe?
Eden Grinshpan:
My God.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you remember? Well, it's basically like a spiced, roasted parsnips on a bed of-
Eden Grinshpan:
Yogurt or something yummy.
Kerry Diamond:
Yogurt, herbs, and it's so good. I make it with carrots. I make it with parsnips.
Eden Grinshpan:
I'm so happy.
Kerry Diamond:
It's a fantastic cold weather dish, but it's also a great Thanksgiving dish.
Eden Grinshpan:
100%.
Kerry Diamond:
You need to be thinking about Thanksgiving right now. But your book came out in the middle of the pandemic, which I know was a bummer. It still found a terrific audience. It still sells today, but it must be so different working on the promotion of this book because you're going to be on the road. You're going to get to see people in person.
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, I'm here with you. This feels ... Obviously, my background is in television, and then, I sold a book in 2020 and now this is my second cookbook, and I'm so honored really, that I'm in this position and for me, one of my favorite parts about what I do is I get to be with people. I get to talk to people. I love people. It was really so sad for me that I didn't get to go out on the road and do any book signings, any kind of book tour. And right now, I'm just literally finishing up the most epic book tour for “Tahini Baby,” which I'm going to be announcing really soon. I'll be on the road for three weeks at least, just hanging out and cooking and hugging and signing, and I cannot wait.
Kerry Diamond:
Well, we can't wait either. How are you a different person today, from the person who wrote the first book?
Eden Grinshpan:
I think the biggest change is obviously, I am a mother to another child. I have two babies now. My life is very, very full, not just with work, which is something that I'm really passionate and very, very fortunate that I get to do because I love what I do, but obviously, as a mother and I try really hard to be as present as I possibly can. I have an amazing family around me that really helps, and my husband is incredibly hands-on. Thank God, my parents are close by to help, and I've a nanny that I love like a sister, and that's how we get to do it.
I would definitely say I am older. I'm mother times two. A lot of “Tahini Baby” recipes are a lot of those classic flavors and recipes that I have reached for in the past, but sped up. I kind of took some of my classic recipes and made them a cheap version so that we can do all of it a little bit easier.
Kerry Diamond:
Thank you for sharing that you have a nanny. I feel like sometimes people are almost afraid to be honest about what it takes to work and take care of their family at the same time.
Eden Grinshpan:
You need to have a community. It takes a village, and both my husband and I have found jobs that we love and we both want to be really hands-on and present. And we had to find someone to help us. There's only so much we can do.
Kerry Diamond:
Is it easier being a mom in Canada?
Eden Grinshpan:
It's so funny because there's pros and cons to both. Living in New York City on my one block, I had everything I needed, so I would just go downstairs and grab whatever I needed. But in Toronto, I have a car and a driveway.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you know if there's better access to things like child care? I know you have access to healthcare in Canada.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes, we definitely ... We have that.
Kerry Diamond:
Very different from us here in the U.S.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yes, I do find that what I was able to find in Canada was definitely a little bit more easier to find the help there versus here, but I did have a nanny here as well. You did not say you're wiser. And wiser, I was going to say more tired. No, I hope so. I hope so. I don't know. I saw you right when I walked in and I was like, "Ah, I'm listening to Mel Robbins." She's teaching me to let them ... I think it's all a journey. I think I'm growing up and I've been doing this in some capacity for the last 15 years, maybe longer. I think your work evolves with you and the things that you're interested in.
And the things you pay attention to, and those are the topics you want to talk about. And I hope that I'm wiser. I hope
Kerry Diamond:
Mel Robbins, the brilliant podcaster.
Eden Grinshpan:
God.
Kerry Diamond:
She has made all of our lives better.
Eden Grinshpan:
She's amazing.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you have a motto or a mantra?
Eden Grinshpan:
I'm trying to really embrace, what I'm doing is enough. As long as I am happy. I think that that is enough. I think what's really, really challenging is we all have ... Obviously, we're going to talk about the phone access to our phone. We see what everyone is doing constantly, and I think that it's really hard not to compare, and I'm trying really, really hard to just focus in and focus on things that inspire me and connecting with the people that want to be here with me and making them laugh and making yummy food.
I'm trying to simplify and refocus. I think that it's definitely taking on that, this is enough and also trying to appreciate what I have. I don't know if that's answering your question, but I got one of those journals where you're setting your intentions for the day, like an appreciation, and I'm like, let's just be here right now. I think I'm trying really, really hard because my dad always said ... I quote my parents a lot, clearly, I love my parents, but he always said, it's not about the end result. It's the journey.
And so, I do find that a lot of the journey can feel frustrating because I want the end result. I guess it's not about that. It's about enjoying your day to day. So I'm trying to refocus that.
Kerry Diamond:
What do they say, comparison is the thief of joy?
Eden Grinshpan:
My God. I don't want to say this for everyone, but I do feel like this is very common, especially having access to social media at our fingertips. It's really hard not to do that. I'm like, why can't we go back to the 80s? Simplify. Go back.
Kerry Diamond:
Got to be so hard on teens who are using-
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, that's why. I'm like, I need to show my daughter that I don't need this to be happy, because when I put that rule in, when she's older, that we can't be on it. I need to follow those rules too.
Kerry Diamond:
Are you good at trusting your gut?
Eden Grinshpan:
When it comes to what I do, yes. When it comes to I think parenthood, I'm learning. I have to wear two hats. So for what I do, I think instinctively, I like to create and do, and that's always really helped me kind of propel into the next phase of my life. So I think instinctively that's always been something that's natural for me to just go where the energy is and follow my gut. But for motherhood, I've been a mom for almost eight years now, and every day, I'm facing a new ... Something new. So thank God for Edo. Thank God for our relationship. So I can roll things off of him, idea-wise, but that's definitely something that I'm still learning.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's do a speed round. What beverage do you start the day with?
Eden Grinshpan:
Coffee.
Kerry Diamond:
How do you take it?
Eden Grinshpan:
With milk. Whole milk.
Kerry Diamond:
What's a favorite cookbook of yours?
Eden Grinshpan:
Favorite. I would say “Jerusalem.” Yotam Ottolenghi is really probably one of my biggest influences. I love him.
Kerry Diamond:
Love Yotam. Hi, Yotam, if you're listening. What's always in your fridge aside from tahini, which you might not even put in your fridge, but what's always in your fridge?
Eden Grinshpan:
Eggs, yogurt.
Kerry Diamond:
Most used kitchen tool or implement?
Eden Grinshpan:
Aside from my knife, I love my microplane grater and my tongs.
Kerry Diamond:
Favorite snack food?
Eden Grinshpan:
Chips.
Kerry Diamond:
I love chips. Favorite food as a child?
Eden Grinshpan:
Waffles.
Kerry Diamond:
What's your favorite food smell?
Eden Grinshpan:
That's tough. Maybe like a vanilla kind of cakey waffle smell. Cake, vanilla cake.
Kerry Diamond:
I love vanilla. Whenever I open it, I'm always like-
Eden Grinshpan:
So good. Like comfort.
Kerry Diamond:
What are you streaming right now?
Eden Grinshpan:
You know what, we just finished, actually “Lioness.”
Kerry Diamond:
Was it good?
Eden Grinshpan:
Fantastic. We loved it.
Kerry Diamond:
Nicole Kidman.
Eden Grinshpan:
Very good.
Kerry Diamond:
What's your favorite food film?
Eden Grinshpan:
Okay. I love, “It's Complicated.” I watch that movie all the time. The part where she gets stoned and eats the cake. She is my role model for life in that scene and her life, what she ... that beautiful bakery, and she's making croissants. I think of “Eat, Pray, Love” a lot too, just because I felt like the food in that movie and also, that storyline, that book came out when I was backpacking India, and I was like, "Is this my journey?" There's so many. I just saw one, I don't know what it's called, but it's French. It's about-
Kerry Diamond:
“The Taste of Things” with Juliette Binoche? So good.
Eden Grinshpan:
I didn't know what I was getting into, and I was on a plane and my husband was like, "What's going on?" I'm like ... I'm in gorgeous food porn beauty. It was just unbelievable.
Kerry Diamond:
That was a great one. You traveled a lot. What's still on your travel bucket list?
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, there's a list that I have of places I want to take Edo, and there's a list of places that I've never been. So I've never been to Morocco. That's really high up on my list. I really want to go to South Korea and I went to Japan briefly, and I need to go back and just live there. Edo and I were just blown away.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay, Eden, last question. I might know your answer.
Eden Grinshpan:
I want to know what it is now.
Kerry Diamond:
If you had to be trapped on a desert island with one food celebrity, who would it be and why?
Eden Grinshpan:
Can they be-
Kerry Diamond:
Living, dead.
Eden Grinshpan:
It would probably be ... And I think this is probably so obvious, but maybe Julia Child. And I think it's because she is a badass and I just want to know everything about her.
Kerry Diamond:
Good answer.
Eden Grinshpan:
Yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you want to know who? I thought you might say?
Eden Grinshpan:
Who?
Kerry Diamond:
And then, you're going to want to redo it. Kristen Kish.
Eden Grinshpan:
Well, I'm obsessed with her.
Kerry Diamond:
Together and laugh yourselves to death though, on an island.
Eden Grinshpan:
Did you see any of the videos I posted from us? Wait, I'm showing you now. You're going to die. She and I are ... We have a very similar sense of humor. So when I was on “Top Chef,” everyone was like, this is weird. You guys have very similar sense of humor. I think just very similar energy. Big goofballs.
Kerry Diamond:
Yes.
Eden Grinshpan:
So we had a blast. Yeah, she's awesome. She's so sweet.
Kerry Diamond:
I could see you two on an island.
Eden Grinshpan:
My God, she's fierce. I'd be like, save me. She would do everything. I'd be like, "Save me."
Kerry Diamond:
Don't underestimate yourself. And you all know Kristen. Kristen is a great chef and she is the host of Top Chef America.
Eden Grinshpan:
America. That was the weirdest moment. Gail is like America. Also, she's Canadian, Gail.
Kerry Diamond:
That's true. That's true.
Eden Grinshpan:
It was really funny.
Kerry Diamond:
Well, Eden, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Eden Grinshpan:
My God, thank you so much for having me. This was fantastic.
Kerry Diamond:
That's it for today's show. I would love for you to subscribe to Radio Cherry Bombe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating and a review. Anyone you want to hear on an upcoming episode? Let me know. Our theme song is by the band Tralala. Joseph Hazan is the studio engineer at Newsdance Studios. Our producers are Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu, and our editorial coordinator is Sophie Kies. Thanks for listening, everybody. You are the Bombe.