Meet the G&G Chef: Torie Cox

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Chef Torie Cox has worked with Southern Living, Food & Wine, Real Simple, and so many more big names in food and cooking! We are thrilled to have her as part of our recipe team here at G&G. Torie is the mastermind behind some of our classic kits like the Summer Tomato Pie (Torie chooses this recipe as the favorite one she's ever written for G&G!), Shrimp Bisque, and the Harissa Steak Bowl. Keep reading to learn a little more about Torie and her cooking style, and follow her on Instagram to see more of her food styling and the recipes she writes! 

Describe your cooking style, in 5 words or less.

Casual. Respectful of the ingredients.

Where did you get your passion for cooking?

My great-grandmother and grandmother. My great-grandmother continued to cook and make candy well past age 100, and my grandmother still loves to cook daily. My earliest memories in the kitchen are with them.

Have you worked on any projects recently that you’re excited about and want to share with us? 

I was the food stylist on the March cover of Food & Wine magazine which was really fun, because it is Marcus's chocolate cake from the tv show The Bear. It's a delicious cake! I also worked on a cookbook last summer that is all about sustainable fish and seafood cookery from a spearfisher, Valentine Thomas. The book is called Good Catch and comes out May of this year.

Can you give us a quick overview of your thought process when you’re writing recipes for G&G? 

I first think of the season, and what produce is available. Then proteins (whether meat or plant-based). I come up with a concept (I take a lot of inspiration from my cookbook collection and favorite restaurant menus), then start plugging in flavors/herbs/spices that feel appropriate. I try to create recipes that I would want to cook and eat at home!

What is the one kitchen tool you can’t live without?

Food processor.

What about the one ingredient you love using most?

Fresh thyme is my herb of choice. I’m also kind of in love with butter.

Is there anything that you make all the time and like to keep on hand?

I make sourdough bread, slice it, and freeze it so I can have toast any time. Then I make pizzas with the sourdough discard. I also like to keep pickled red onions in the fridge to throw on everything. 

What is the best dish you've ever eaten?

Well this is impossible to answer! One dish that keeps me coming back to Apalachicola, FL is the duck confit fries at the Owl Café Tap Room. The crispy fries are topped with pulled duck confit, prosciutto, and duck cracklin and are swimming in a luxurious Gruyère sauce.

Can you give our home chefs one piece of advice to heed as they are cooking at home?

Take time to really enjoy the entire process, from prep to cooking to eating. We are all so busy, but this is important!