Antoni Porowski on His 6 Favourite Kitchen Instruments (and Why He Hosted a Cheese Rave)

April 22, 2025

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It feels honest to say that Antoni Porowski by no means imagined himself because the host of a cheese rave. And but, as I soaked up the fromage-themed celebration he hosted final Thursday evening in Bushwick with Eventbrite, it someway felt cosmically right to look at an illuminated wheel of Parmesan spin on an enormous plinth above a bunch of individuals with Ratatouille headgear whereas a person quietly slid me a dime bag of crumbled Cheddar. Nonetheless, I discovered myself questioning — how did we get right here?

Porowski’s media profession first blew up on Queer Eye, the beloved way of life present that’s about to movie its tenth season, wherein he’s a meals and beverage knowledgeable serving to to enhance the cooking chops of makeover recipients. Within the phrases of 1 Reddit consumer, “Antoni is a particularly delicate soul who favors simplicity as an act of consideration”; he meets the present’s individuals, or “heroes,” the place they’re, on each a skill-based and emotional degree, and solely then does he start to carve out a spot for cooking that works for them and their communities. It feels solely becoming to now watch him host the Nationwide Geographic present No Style Like House With Antony Porowski, which sees him accompany celebrities on culinary travels associated to their cultural roots. Because the little one of Polish immigrants himself, Porowski has been vocal concerning the significance of supporting immigrant communities, and championing shared cultural experiences. For all of its silliness, the cheese rave is one other necessary feather in Porowski’s community-boosting cap.

I chatted with Porowski on Zoom a couple of hours earlier than the occasion, at which level he was nonetheless deciding which outfit to put on (he ended up carrying a jacket the colour of aged mimolette), and he defined why the cheese rave’s absurdity was its finest promoting level, saying, “I gravitate in the direction of something that makes you pause and assume, How? What? Why? I’ve been speaking about cheese for years, and raves — nicely, I’ve gone to my share. That is about getting artistic, melding completely different passions, and being with neighborhood.” The cheese rave was for nobody individual particularly, and, in that approach, it was for everybody. It existed [puffs Lacanian cigar] merely to maintain the necessity for its personal want. And, in Porowski’s phrases, “It’s extremely necessary to simply be surrounded by folks proper now, whether or not that be by a protest, or getting in a room with lots of people who’ve a love of dairy farmers and DJs.”

I spoke with Porowski about his kaleidoscopic vary of tasks, his favourite kitchen- and entertaining-related merchandise of the second, and what karaoke track he carried out at Burning Man to win a free double smash burger.

Eater: Hello, Antoni. The cheese rave has described itself as a form of neighborhood and/or third area occasion. What does that imply to you?

Antoni Porowski: I imply, cheese is a large a part of my id. I’ve additionally been to my share of raves, and even Burning Man, though I’m on no account an knowledgeable. That is actually about discovering a artistic solution to do one thing thrilling in a metropolis that goes past simply your customary ghost tour or distillery go to. Not that these excursions can’t be nice, however this felt new to me. There will likely be artistic methods to study cheese, and its accouterments. There will likely be a few of the metropolis’s finest DJs. And I believe folks need one thing completely different. They don’t simply need to do a bar crawl; they need to see the native cherry blossoms and be taught pickling. They need new combos of issues, and, as you point out, I actually do assume it’s necessary to really feel like we’re surrounded by neighborhood proper now.

I’ve to ask, what did you eat at Burning Man?

I had by no means had Uncrustables. They’re superb. In any other case, if I’m trustworthy, it was loads of protein bars and meat sticks. I had my justifiable share of electrolytes as a result of I had a type of CamelBaks, and I simply biked all day artwork installations. I’ve by no means consumed extra water in my life. I did should sing a complete verse of “Margaritaville” to have a free double smash burger. And I’m not gonna lie, it was a strong 7.5 out of 10.

What are you most excited to expertise on the cheese rave tonight?

I’m simply excited to see a bunch of, like, cheese nerds and ravers collectively, and to see what occurs in that form of an atmosphere. The place does the cheese begin and the rave start? I don’t actually know, however I’m prepared to completely lean into it.

No Style Like House took you to Italy, Senegal, and South Korea, simply to call a couple of international locations. What was considered one of your most memorable meals?

Gosh, it’s a very easy one. After we arrived in Borneo to [retrace] Henry Golding’s maternal household, we arrived at his mom’s longhouse — which is actually an extended home the place 40 to 60 households stay, every with their very own unbiased and communal areas — to start out filming. Earlier than we did, we noticed that all the households had gone out of their solution to put together rice for the manufacturing crew. It was such a stupendous second to interrupt bread collectively as strangers. I’m petrified of a lot that’s occurring proper now, however I consider little profound moments like that, and it’s stunning.

What are your favourite Polish spots in New York Metropolis?

After I lived in Greenpoint, I’d go to Kiszka recurrently. They’ve actually good kabanos, which is form of just like the Polish model of a Slim Jim. I’ll hold them on the handles in my kitchen, rating them a bit in order that the fats dribbles out, and so they get good and crispy, after which you may dip them into spicy mustard. It’s my favourite snack of all time. Oh, and it’s not Polish essentially, however I’ve to say how a lot I like Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Store. The blueberry cake doughnut is particularly scrumptious.

Antoni additionally divulged a handful of his favourite gadgets for internet hosting, go-to kitchen equipment, and tried-and-true cooking necessities which were making his on a regular basis life a bit simpler and extra joyful.