America isn’t short of world-class chefs. New York, for example, has no less than 76 Michelin-starred restaurants. But cooking in the home is likely going to be a completely different ball game. Everyone should be all too aware of the generous portion sizes ‘Murica likes to stuff their faces with.
We admit the country isn’t alone, however, as we can all get a little slack in the kitchen, with jar sauces being a prominent feature in the pantry. But now there is one Australian chef who has burst onto the scene during quarantine (after his live stand-up show was postponed and rescheduled) who wants to put an end to all that, and we think America could learn a thing or two from him.
We’re talking about ‘Nat’s What I Reckon’, a series of cooking videos from Australian resident Nat (his surname is kept a tight-lipped secret), who has been creating videos for a good 10 years now. He’s always had a sense of humour and has even performed live stand up comedy shows. He’s always been a foodie and loves cooking for his mates, and as soon as the pandemic hit and he noticed people panic-buying jar sauces, he decided to do something about it.
You wouldn’t necessarily think it looking at him though, as his appearance is more grunge-metal guitar player than fully accomplished chef.
His videos are hilarious and riddled with Aussie humour – some Americans might not quite get it, but we’re confident the swearing will translate just fine – and the best part is the dishes he creates look genuinely appetising, and they’re incredibly easy to follow along with too.
Some of the dishes he tackles include bolognese, which he aggressively tells us shouldn’t include mushrooms (nor zucchinis, eggplant, hair or cars). He comes out with other gems such as “cook it for a minimum of 45 minutes, maximum forever”, and “cook the pasta until it’s f**king cooked”.
Within the humour and Australian phrases such as “good on ya champ”, Nat delivers the cooking method in an easy-to-follow way, so there’s no risk of messing the dishes up. It’s certainly a different way of learning to cook, but we think it’s because of the way he talks to the camera is what makes him so engaging. We’ve tried his lamb shoulder dish ourselves and we can confirm it was one of the best things we’ve ever cooked.
So give his channel a follow and learn how to cook some delicious meals in the process. And as Nat says himself, “F*ck jar sauce!”