Buzz

(Cravings by Chrissy Teigen)

Our favorite relatable chef and all-around favorite person, Chrissy Teigen, is back with another recipe we’re 100% here for: Beef Skewers with Tahini Sauce. As Chrissy notes, everything grilled just tastes better and we concur. “We usually just throw it all onto a skewer for my version of a shish kebab,” she says of this mouthwatering dish, but more on this summer-worthy recipe later. First we had to ask Twitter’s most love-able star some hard-hitting questions about cooking at home with husband John Legend, her upcoming “clean, delicious” cookbook (along with her mom Pepper’s new cookbook), the one condiment she can’t live without and the summer gift her kids can’t get enough of.

How have you been spending this summer at home with the kids?

This summer is a little bit different because we tried to make every single thing we do at home be really, really special for the kids. It’s so gorgeous here in Los Angeles and I actually ordered an inflatable mini waterslide park that really entertains the crap out of them. There’s a rock climbing side and a huge slide that has an arch of water coming down to keep it constantly wet and they have such a good time on that.

Luna and I also make an ice cream a week. We’ve done peach sorbet with fresh peaches, bubble gum ice cream from ordering bubble gum extract online, strawberry ice cream and I have them make cones by dipping them in melted chocolate and putting sprinkles around the rim.

What is your best summer memory so far?

Probably shooting John’s music video in Mexico for “Wild.” It was one of my favorite songs on the album and we called on our friend Nabil Elderkin, who directed all of the videos and who introduced us in the first place, for the “Stereo” music video 14 years ago. It’s just so cool to see our evolution from “Stereo” to “All of Me” to two kids, to who knows what the next video will be.

What kinds of recipes have you been testing for your future cookbook? 

We started quarantine on the early side and at first the focus was really on family-style meals that we could freeze, because we really didn’t know what was going to happen during this pandemic, but then cooking became just really fun for me again. We’ve been cooking a lot for date nights and we did our first date night here in LA, all masked up and outside. We are huge on supporting restaurants—especially small restaurants and small businesses—with delivery orders, or just anything we can do to help.

I made an amazing oxtail stew the other night with butter beans, rice and peas and plantains. I am really into making panna cotta right now because I didn’t realize it was so easy and John just made these chicken tenders that the kids go crazy for. It’s all about the dipping sauces for them, so I use my honey mustard-ranch dip, or a jar of sweet chili sauce, or Luna’s favorite, ketchup.

John and I also love grilling in the summer and that’s where these Beef Skewers with Tahini Sauce come in. For the marinade, I use pineapple juice for some sweetness and balance it out with vinegar and soy sauce. You can marinate for as little as you’d like, but for that great extra flavor, the longer the better!

I have been experimenting a lot with clean recipes with things from our garden and from local gardens around LA. It’s been very cool to see that you can make something really good, hearty and tasty, with bright flavorful ingredients, and it doesn’t have to have three types of cheese, or both bacon and pork. I still have my nights of Taco Bell, but I’m happy I have a good balance.

Related: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Are #CoupleGoals in Their Live Coronavirus Concert

What’s the #1 condiment you can’t live without?

Ranch dressing for sure. I am very crazy about the type of ranch I ask for, which is only Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Packets. They also have Hidden Valley Ranch Packets and Hidden Valley Ranch Dipping Packets, but Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Packets I bring everywhere. Any other bottle of ranch is terrible—even under the same brand—but that one in particular is heaven. Obviously I love sweet chili, I love Sriracha, I love soy sauce, but the other condiment I can’t live without would be Maggi Seasoning Sauce. It’s like an amplified soy sauce. Some people put soy sauce on their rice; I choose to put Maggi’s because it has a little more umami and it’s a must.

What’s your summer guilty pleasure (food wise)?

The reason I love food so much is I don’t feel guilty about it. I do love a taco bar, fajita bars—I love anything where I can set it up outside. I actually just bought all the ingredients for a taco bar to do this weekend. That is a guilty pleasure of mine because it usually comes with a lot of guac and queso and frosé. John’s frosé, or those Taco Bell freeze drinks with a little bit of vodka—so good!

Related: Chrissy Teigen’s Cheesy Guacamole Recipe

If you could only take three of your Cravings by Chrissy Teigen serving pieces to a deserted island, which ones would they be? 

1. I’ll bring my beautiful 2-Section Melamine Serve Tray. When the right light hits it it’s so gorgeous and I’m assuming the sun will just be beating down… It would just have the most beautiful shine to it.
2. I would take The Three-Piece Wood and Metal Salad Set, which comes with my wooden serving spoons with the gold handles, which I can also use as personal spoons. 
3. Finally, I would bring My Go-To Serrated Santoku Knife—it’s the only knife you’ll ever need!

Any hints as to what your mom Pepper will be including in her upcoming cookbook?

Oh, she has so many good things that I’m very jealous of! There’s a Sloppy Joe recipe that I grew up on, that’s kind of a spicy Thai version that’s really good. That recipe I’m really looking forward to, and her little coconut custard. She does a custard in a pumpkin that’s amazing. I don’t love dessert very much, but Thai desserts I love.

Try Chrissy’s Beef Skewers with Tahini Sauce below and for more of her recipes, check out cravingsbychrissyteigen.com and pick up Cravings and Cravings: Hungry for More.