Good Food Comes From Happy People with Joe Sasto of Tantos
Chef Joe Sasto is an acclaimed chef, cookbook author, culinary innovator, and passionate advocate for the art of Italian cuisine.
Hello and happy Tuesday from the middle of Tennessee!
I spent the last weekend in Nashville and while I found Broadway to be overwhelming, East Nashville was wonderful. So many great cocktail bars and restaurants. I realized how much I love a bar where you tell them your favorite flavor notes and they surprise you with a drink. They somehow never do you dirty. I always go for a citrusy + salty combination.
Nashville definitely isn’t a city known for matcha and I found that out firsthand. I may be a snob but I’ll be bringing my own bowl, whisk, and bag of Matcha Freak on my future travels. You live and you learn.
Since you all were totally wondering, my only note on the viral piece on Substack about the state of writing is: write what makes you happy and who gives a sh*t what everyone else thinks. We try too hard to define what makes something good rather than just allowing people to enjoy what they want to. Maybe lists aren’t groundbreaking but they sure do make me happy.
Anywho, let’s get into what you came here for <3
Podcast
Chef Joe Sasto of Tantos
Chef Joe Sasto is an acclaimed chef, cookbook author, culinary innovator, and passionate advocate for the art of Italian cuisine. With a background rooted in Michelin-starred kitchens and the rich traditions of his Italian heritage, Chef Joe Sasto is a celebrity chef not only in the culinary world but within the social media landscape as well.
Chef Sasto has a penchant for pushing the boundaries of culinary creativity and has gained widespread recognition for his distinctive approach to cooking and his unwavering commitment to excellence. Sasto raised the Bay Area restaurants Lazy Bear to two Michelin stars and Quince to three Michelin stars. His quintessential mustache not only makes him one of the most recognized chefs in the U.S. but has also caught the eye of fans across social media platforms.
A recurring chef, judge, host, and personality across multiple shows on The Food Network, Bravo, PBS & Roku, Joe has become a network darling and ultimately made Food Network’s “Hot List” in 2022.
In 2017, Sasto was a fan favorite in the 15th season of “Top Chef” in Colorado; and then invited back to compete in the 17th season of “Top Chef All-Stars” in Los Angeles. Through his work as a chef, educator, and culinary consultant, Chef Sasto continues to inspire and delight food enthusiasts worldwide with his extraordinary talent and infectious passion for all things pasta, food and travel.
www.joesasto.com | IG chef.joe.sasto | TikTok chef.joe.sasto.
Rapid-fire questions —
Go-to snack plate:
Tantos nachos: mixed assortment of Tantos’ flavors, liquid queso, ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños
No. 1 piece of advice:
Never stop learning. Always be in the pursuit of knowledge. Know there is more than one way to do something.
Listen to the episode:
Recipes
na Blackberry Tequila Smash
Ingredients:
8 oz. blackberry lemon hiyo
1.5 oz. N.A @ritualzeroproof tequila
.25 cup fresh blackberries, smashed
.5 lemon, juiced
2 sprigs of mint, smashed between your hands to release the oils
.5 c. of ice
Directions:
Remove the top of the can and pour half of the contents into another glass. Enjoy this later on. Smash the blackberries in a small bowl until no large chunks remain. Into the can, add 1 shot of N.A tequila. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
Spoon in the smashed blackberries. Top with lots of ice, lemon slice, and two sprigs of mint.
Enjoy! [video]
This recipe was created in collaboration with Hiyo and I’m so grateful!
Everything I’ve Been Loving
Fashion/Lifestyle
Staud Orange Beaded Bag — I am SO tempted to treat myself with this bag for my birthday
Bonnie Red Sunglasses — Even though I wear prescription sunglasses I do feel like I need these. I feel they would elevate even the most basic of farmers market outfits.
Linen Tie Front Dress — Just so cute and perfect!
Madewell Low Slung Baggy Jeans — I love my FP barrel jeans so much but I feel like these have a lot of promise to overtake that love
Food & Bev
Gramms Lemonade Protein — I saw one of my friends make a protein matcha on TikTok and I’m so obsessed
Olive Odyssey Palestinian Olive Oil — I listened to a great podcast episode highlighting Olive Odyssey and it’s made me fall in love with the brand
Consumption Guide
R.E.P.O.R.T is an acronym for Reading, Eating, Playing, Obsessing, Recommending, and Treating
R- Into The Fridge series on Plant Based
E- watermelon juice, strawberry syrup, matcha with lots of cold foam, summertime paneer skewers
P- Nara’s Cooking Journey | Claire & Andy | This Is TASTE x Olive Odyssey
O- These recipes: crispy parm carrots with Calabrian chili marinade, earl grey martini, a delicious take on ajo blanco, crab pasta salad
R- FD Market lotion stick, I ran out of face cream right before we left for this trip and I’ve been using this instead and I love it!
T- Rediscovered my love for Dibs and will never forget about them again :)
ICYMI
Bringing Vietnamese Coffee to the Masses
xx,
Lauren (Hodgen)
Dear Citrus Diaries Host | @ citrusdiaries.studio
Citrus Diaries Studio | Creative Director
If you’re interested in working together, drop me a line: hello@citrusdiaries.com 🍊