MAFIA MOMENTS: Learn to Cook with Myles Snider
Download MP3Yeah. So I so I went to school at Fordham in New York. Yeah. Yeah. But, but, yeah, I grew up.
Speaker 1:So my mom is, like, a classically trained chef, and she, ran a catering company, and just grew up in a family where food was good food was always around. And I definitely took that for granted when I was growing up because I I thought it was normal. And then I went to college and really saw, like, okay. Not everyone eats this well all the time. But, like, a core part of my family experience growing up was, like, having big family meals.
Speaker 1:My mom cooked for us almost every night. She was an incredible cook, and I definitely showed an early interest in it probably more so than any of my other siblings, but hadn't really considered it as, like, a career path at all until, I was in college. And especially going to college and then kind of, like, living on my own, I really started to dive deeper into, like, cooking and getting really into food and really fell in love with it in a very deep way. And I was studying economics, so I wasn't, like, on any culinary path, but I decided that after I graduated that I really wanted to go do something with cooking at least for a little bit. And because I'd studied abroad in Argentina, I spoke Spanish, and I was always fascinated by Mexican food.
Speaker 1:It was always my favorite cuisine. And so I got this idea randomly. I was like, I should look into cooking schools in Mexico, see if there's anything there. It's probably gonna be cheaper than it would be here. And I ended up finding a really cool program that was just, like, 6 months.
Speaker 1:It wasn't, like, classic classical training or, like, almost I don't wanna say it wasn't a real cooking school because it was, but it was basically like a short program focused on exploring different regions of Mexican cuisine and learning some of those kind of core techniques and recipes. And it was, I mean, it was amazing. It was taught by these, like all my instructors were, like, these Mexican grandmas who would just teach us these, like, super cool techniques that are very unique to Mexican food, and learned a ton about the different regions and sort of the, like, the history and the food anthropology and all the stuff that goes into that. And it was just amazing. And so as those, like, 6 months were coming to an end, you know, I was living in Mexico City just having, like, the time of my life, and I was like, there is no way I'm going back and, like, getting a real job.
Speaker 1:I, I remember specifically how I called my mom and I had this conversation with her where I was like, I am just, like, really resonating with what I'm doing here, and I think I need to figure out a way to stay. And so that's when I was like, I should go work at a restaurant. Just I just knew that that would be the opportunity for me to learn the most and learn the the fastest. And so I had read about this restaurant, Heartwood, in Tulum. They, they were getting a lot of press at the time because they had just published a cookbook.
Speaker 1:And I literally just cold emailed the chef, like, 3 times, finally got a response, and, he was like, yeah. Come down here and work. And so I did. I think on the last podcast, we kinda talked about, like, what that experience was like and, like, super challenging a lot of ways, but super rewarding. And I spent a year there cooking at this, like, amazing open fire restaurant in the jungle in Tulum.
Speaker 1:And then, and then I went to Oaxaca for a bit, and I I staged a couple of restaurants there and then ended up moving back to, LA where I worked for this company called Macienda that I know you guys, have shared some of their amazing products with me. But macienda, I was there for a little bit. And then I kind of came to this crossroads where I was working in food. I, like, wasn't really making any money. I kind of realized that I didn't wanna be cooking professionally for the rest of my life, but then going to sort of, like, CPG restaurant supply route with Macienda, I wasn't super excited about either.
Speaker 1:And I kind of was like, I don't really know how to fit my love for cooking and food into, like, a career path. And that's when I sort of pivoted and went back to some stuff that I was involved with in college, which was crypto and Bitcoin and stuff like that. So I got a job at Multicoin Capital, which is based here in Austin. That's what brought me here. And then kind of for the last 5 years, I've been mostly professionally in crypto and then doing kind of stuff in food on the side.
Speaker 1:And as time has gone on, that food stuff, especially in the last, like, year, year and a half, has really started to grow. And I think we can talk about that because I think we're all doing similar stuff with regards to, like, putting a lot of content out there, focusing a lot on Twitter. And so it's finally reached a little bit of an inflection point where, you know, it's not something I'm doing full time right now, but it's something that I could see that happening. But more importantly, it's like it's hit that inflection point where I'm putting stuff out. People are resonating with that.
Speaker 1:I'm getting really good feedback, and I'm building all these incredible relationships like Mhmm. Like, you know, us meeting entirely through Twitter and resonating with each other's, like, philosophies and ideas and things like that.
Speaker 2:The part that I love most about your story is the fact that you're willing to make that move. And because I think a lot of kids when they graduate college, they just assume that they need to get on the track right away and start working on what is inevitably gonna be their career, and you had been studying economics. Yeah. Like, you you becoming a chef was probably not even really, like, you know, all that, quantifiable or real, but then you move and you just, like, fall in love with it. Totally.
Speaker 2:Was there a moment when you were down there that changed your perspective on food or just, like, the importance of, like, how you wanna treat, you know, your cooking experiences and and just, like, incorporate food into your life?
Speaker 1:I think that, like, I specifically remember a time, and it was actually that same day that I called my mom and had that conversation with her. But, I'd been there for, like, 5 months. I was, you know, doing these classes, and I remember I actually, like, went that day to this amazing barbacoa restaurant. And in, outside of Mexico City, there's these, there's a lot of sheep farming, and so they make this lamb barbacoa there. And it's, like, incredible.
Speaker 1:They wrap it in banana leaves and then, like, cook it in an oven, and it's got this amazing spice or this amazing, like, chili paste all over it, and they just, like, slow braise it. It's fall apart tender. And there was this one restaurant in Mexico City that served, you know, that, like, dish, very classic, these amazing homemade blue corn tortillas, this, like, incredible they called it salsa negra, but it's like this really, like, jet black salsa that I think has some mezcal in it. And I had kind of been thinking all day just about how excited I was about cooking. And then I went and, like, had this meal that just, like, blew my socks off with the incredible flavor.
Speaker 1:And I was like, I I've never been so in love with, like, an art or a a practice or a skill as I have been with cooking and learning learning how to cook, getting better at cook getting better at cooking, like, exploring all these different foods. And it was sort of in that moment that I was like, I think I need to figure out a way to keep doing this. And interestingly, like, my career has kind of zigged and zagged since then. But growing up, I tried all these different things from, like, different art forms and music and filmmaking and this and that. And, like, it I remember specifically in that moment being, like, I found the thing.
Speaker 1:This is, like, the thing that I'm good at and I love and I wanna do forever.
Speaker 3:Dude, it's funny you say that because Chef's Table is my favorite documentary of all time, and I love my favorite episode is the episode on Francis Malm, and I've made him watch it, like, 3
Speaker 2:times because it's so good.
Speaker 3:And, you know, Fire Door, really famous open fire cooking restaurant in Australia. But I remember one of the interesting parts of the documentary was he was, like, a classically trained chef, and I think he was in France working at a bunch of 3 Michelin star restaurants. Yep. And he said he had reached this point in his career where he was almost, like, disgusted with what he was making because there was, like, so much so much, like, intricacy to the dishes. But he was like, they don't really taste good.
Speaker 3:They don't really taste like anything. And then I think he ended up kinda similar venture to you. I think he was in, Spain or Argentina or something like that and upon that one guy's restaurant, and
Speaker 1:that's when he had first tried the open fire cooking. Yeah. Super simple ingredients, amazing technique, and
Speaker 3:it was like, it completely changed his perspective on food forever, and there was no going back. And then he started just working at that restaurant. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So is that the story of the Australian chef? Or
Speaker 3:The the Australian chef. Oh, sorry. Not Francis. The dude that runs Fire Door is, like, a younger guy.
Speaker 1:I know I know who you're talking about. But yeah. And he, his stuff looks incredible. Like, I gotta make a trip to
Speaker 3:he's in Melbourne. Right? He's in Melbourne. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, I can resonate with that. Like, I am terribly, like, bored by a lot of, like, modern food. And I think that, like, the best cooking, in my opinion, happens when you just source really high quality ingredients, and you don't have to do that much to them because nature's already done so much of the work. But wood fire offers this, like, incredible combination of you you know, you get really high heat. You get these these flavors from the compounds in the wood that are burning.
Speaker 1:You get kind of this, like, beautiful imprecision that comes through and makes the food very soulful. Like, it's not this, like, sous vide, super precise, and sciency food. And so those are all qualities that, like, literally make the food taste better. But then there's also just this aspect of, like, you're outside cooking and you're very like, it's a more soulful way to cook. It's more in touch with nature.
Speaker 1:And I think once you taste that, the idea of, like, being in some laboratory type setting doing your cooking just doesn't feel as cool anymore. Yeah. One of
Speaker 2:the things you talk about a lot is techniques over recipes, which I just in general is a great way to frame not only cooking, but just life in general. Like, have have a good framework, not necessarily the scientific, like, protocol to do something. And I would love to just unpack that a little bit. Like, where does where did that light bulb go off, or when did that light bulb go off for you?
Speaker 1:So I can't remember, like, a specific time that that light bulb went off for me, but it's like in you know, I've been cooking. I've cooked professionally for a long time and then, you know, as a very dedicated home cook. And, like, I don't I don't use recipes almost ever. I I I do use them, but not in the way that most people use them. You know, they're kind of like a reference point or you get ideas from them, but it's I can't remember the last time I followed a recipe, like, exactly or or step for step.
Speaker 1:And the reason is that when you're cooking, you're using these, like, organic compounds that are are so different depending on the time of year or what farm you get them from or how fresh they are. There's so many factors. So when you don't need to follow someone else's recipe because they were using different products than you were. Mhmm. And with a lot of recipes, it's like the exact measurements, the heat levels, the times you cook them.
Speaker 1:Those are all very flexible. And I sometimes see that people will follow recipes very specifically, and they'll go against what their sort of gut tells them to do, where it's like, this thing is about to burn, but it says 7 minutes per side, so I'm gonna let it go. And it's like, no. That's not how you need to do it. You need to have these, like, frameworks, these techniques, and then use your senses to guide you towards the outcome that you want.
Speaker 1:That's what cooking is all about. It's a very sensory thing. And so a framework could be or a technique could be like the reverse sear. I know you guys are both familiar with this, but it's like, you know, that you cook a piece of meat at a very low temperature until you hit a a certain temp that you want, and then you're gonna sear it over really high heat. But, like, depending on whether that's, like, a cowboy rib eye or a picanha or something like the cook time and the sear time and the heat levels you use are all are all gonna be different.
Speaker 1:But you have the framework and you have the outcome that you want, and then you're gonna use your senses to to get you there. And I think for a lot of people learning to get better at cooking is learning that, learning those frameworks, those, like, fundamentals, the kind of, like, principles that they can use as starting points, and then learning to use and trust their senses. Mhmm. But it's not that hard. It's very like, that's in all of us as humans.
Speaker 1:You know? Totally.
Speaker 3:And I think one of the things that attracted that was so attractive about you to us and, like, why we wanted to learn more about your skill set is I think you were one of the first people that showed us that, you know, whether it's, like, carnivore, meat based, paleo, or just eating real foods, whatever your diet is, it doesn't need to be so boring, monotonous, and flavorless. Totally. Right? Like, there are a lot of carnivores that are content just doing, like, rib eye, salt, and butter, and that's great. And some people can do that Or same poop, some people are really sick, and they need to heal, and that's all that they can tolerate.
Speaker 3:But, like, I feel like there's this creativeness in these frameworks that you actually have that show, hey. I can still eat really healthy, but my food can be so delicious and bursting with flavor too. Totally.
Speaker 1:That's I'm big on that. Because I do see I agree with you. If you depending on the state of your health or your gut or things like that, it might be helpful to, like, really, really, really simplify, and that's okay. But I think for a lot of people, it's a matter of that. They just don't feel like they can make things more flavorful.
Speaker 1:And it's like the rib eye with salt and butter is the modern example, but we all remember the era of, like, grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli for bodybuilders. And that to me is just insane because you can make that same meal without changing the macros, without, like, increasing the calories or sugars or anything like that, but so much more flavorful just using, like, spices or chilies or different forms of acidity or fresh herbs. And so, yeah, I really believe that, yeah, you can just there there's so many ways to, like, up the flavor of what you're doing and and be more creative with it. And I think that you are gonna be healthier if you do that because you're gonna enjoy your food more.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:What's your thought process going into sourcing really high quality food? Like, how do you go about getting the food that you're gonna put on the table? And, you know, before we hit record, we were talking about how meat can taste different just based on the time of year that it's harvested. Yeah. So there's, like, so there's a lot of complexity there, but I'm just curious, like, what do you actually do when it comes to sourcing really high quality food?
Speaker 1:Yeah. I've I've been kind of building a framework for this, especially as I start thinking about, like, teaching some of this stuff formally. But the way I think about it is, like, start with your pantry and specifically, like, salt and oil because those are things that touch everything that you cook. Right? Every time you cook, you're gonna, generally speaking, use some sort of salt and some sort of fat.
Speaker 1:So start by making sure that you have, like, really high quality salt. I like Redmond. I know you guys do too. Yeah. Grass fed beef tallow, grass fed ghee, organic olive oil, things like that.
Speaker 1:And then you can play around with some other, like, cool pantry staples, different types of vinegars, different types of spices. And those are kind of like the that's like the core stack that you're gonna use every time you cook and you're gonna use to, like, up the flavor in your food. Then I think the best sort of, like, framework is to think about trying to source, like, seasonally and locally as much as possible, especially for, like, the vegetables that you're eating, the fruits and vegetables that you're eating. So as much as you can, you should just aim to get those locally. And then when it comes to, like, meat and stuff, I think you should also aim to get it locally if you can, but there's a little bit more flexibility there to, like, get really high quality stuff shipped frozen that can still, you know, maintain good quality.
Speaker 1:So it's like, if you don't have access to it locally, there's a bunch of good resources to buy super high quality meat online. And for that, the framework is like, buy the absolute best quality that you can afford. That's pretty simple.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Will you ever go to the grocery store?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Definitely. I mean, I would say that I like, here in Austin, I have a pretty good setup where between, like, local pastures and the market, I can get all my meat, super easily. But, like, yeah, I'll go to I'll go to Whole Foods and kind of pick up, like, staples here and there or salt and thyme. Like, I like small markets like that, like tiny grocer, salt and thyme, places where I can get cool kind of, like, artisanal quality stuff.
Speaker 1:But, but, yeah, there's definitely, like, room for the grocery store. And also, you know, sometimes it's just a matter of convenience.
Speaker 2:I feel like you're a great resource for really cool brands, like, up and coming.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I'm always doing what you are.
Speaker 2:Anything that comes to top of mind.
Speaker 1:There's this guy, maybe you've seen him on Twitter called extra virgin guy, but he's like an olive oil specialist. Mhmm. And he just started his own olive oil brand. And I'll give him a shout out because I think he's just doing things really, really well. Like, in my conversations with him, we started talking about another brand that does, like, plastic, squeeze bottles for their olive oil, and he was talking about why he thinks that's unacceptable.
Speaker 1:And, I started asking him about how he was sourcing and just, like, his philosophy was very similar and his standards were very high. He was, like, it has to be organic. That's a nonstarter. There's a bunch of reasons why, especially with olive oil. Organic is really important.
Speaker 1:Single origin, he's sourcing it all from this organic farm in Sicily. It's all really fresh, so he's only selling from the, like, most recent winter harvest. And, I tried it, and it's just, like, super incredible olive oil. I've been putting it on everything.
Speaker 3:And single origin's a really good sign that that's good quality olive oil?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Oh, it's called paloncino,
Speaker 3:by the way. Paloncino.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Single origin. It doesn't necessarily have to be, like, it's similar with coffee, but it is a good sign because there's generally, you just have more insight into the supply chain. I would say more important with olive oil is getting organic. Because if you think about it, the those trees absorb a ton of stuff.
Speaker 1:So whatever you spray on the soil is gonna make its way into the olives.
Speaker 3:And
Speaker 1:then you do literally press the fat out of those olives. So if you have any fat soluble chemicals, those are gonna make their way into the oil. So you can imagine, like, if a conventional, orchard is sprayed with pesticides, you're you're getting that in the oil.
Speaker 2:How can you make sure that you're not getting that? Is it just as simple as an organic label or or the label that,
Speaker 1:you know? Organic label on all of that, I'd say, is probably, like, the the best thing to look for. And I only learned this recently. So this is something that I've kind of changed up. And then I buy all of my olive oil online because I think you can just get much better.
Speaker 1:You can get better, fresher olive oil, and you have a lot more insight into the supply chain of the companies. So Paloncino, I really like, and then, Zim's Organics is another one I like that does, domestic organic olive oil.
Speaker 2:Is there a, cuisine that you think the beginner should start with? Like, Mexican, Italian?
Speaker 3:I mean
Speaker 1:That's a really good question. I never thought about that. I think that, I don't think there's one specific cuisine that, like, lends itself. Interestingly, if you're a classically trained chef, you're trained in French cuisine. I personally think classical training is very overrated, with all due respect to the French who have done an incredible amount of work to, like, codify cooking and and teach it really well.
Speaker 2:We just lost our entire French audience.
Speaker 1:Sorry, y'all. But so but I I think you just start with what you are most interested in because then you'll cook it the most. Like, for me, I always really loved Mexican food. I thought it was very fascinating. I I love those flavors a lot, and I knew that I could eat it every day.
Speaker 1:So it was, like, an easy pick.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, I think it just kinda depends on what you're into. Like, if you really love Italian food, get a really good Italian cookbook and, like, cook your way through it.
Speaker 3:I have a hard hitting question for you. Yeah. Why is the carbon steel pan, Patricia, in your opinion? Because you got us on carbon steel, and there's no going back after you sear steak in carbon steel.
Speaker 1:There's no going back.
Speaker 2:In the show notes.
Speaker 3:Because we posted about this, and people are going crazy on Twitter.
Speaker 1:It's it's an ongoing debate that doesn't seem to end. And what's funny is, like, the the debate was between cast iron and carbon steel. And I'm like, no. There's a third option. That's the best.
Speaker 1:So carbon steel is my favorite cookware by far. The most used pan in my kitchen is my carbon steel. Carbon steel is basically gets you all the properties of cast iron. So really good heat retention, incredible durability. It can stand up to really high heat, and, it seasons, so it gets better over time.
Speaker 1:But you also it's also a lot lighter than cast iron, like 50% lighter in most cases. And so what that gets you is, 1, it's just easier. 2, is that you have better heat control because the pan will, respond to heat faster. Like, if you turn down the heat, that panel cool down a lot faster than cast iron would. Cast iron is like this very thick metal, so it takes a long time to heat up and then a long time to cool down.
Speaker 1:Carbon steel is a lot more responsive. And I don't think you like, I don't think cast iron necessarily does anything better than carbon steel.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:So it's lighter, more responsive, and does all the same things. The other thing is just the way that most carbon steel pans are built, I think is better. Like, cast iron pans tend to have these very short handles, whereas carbon steel will have, like, a longer handle, which makes it easier to, move. And then they'll also have most of the time, we'll have sloped edges. So because it seasons over time, it basically becomes your nonstick pan.
Speaker 1:And then you don't have to use a toxic nonstick or even, like, a ceramic that goes bad over time. Like, I scramble eggs in my carbon steel pan. Oh. And so I love it. The only thing I'll say that I think, you know, I I still have stainless steel, and I use it occasionally.
Speaker 1:If you are cooking like a tomato sauce, it's better to do that in a stainless steel pan because the acidity will strip away some of the seasoning in the carbon steel. Understood. But if you're mostly cooking like steaks and meats and stuff, it's the best pan by far.
Speaker 2:So the carbon steel is making it to New York?
Speaker 1:I'm bringing dude, I have I wanna give another shout out to a cool brand. They're, they're called Athena Skillets out of Virginia.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And they sent me the, hand forged carbon steel skillet that this guy made. It is incredible. It's so beautiful, so, like, ergonomic and well made and well designed. They're really expensive, but that pan is amazing. So I'm bringing that and my made in carbon steel as well as, like, 2 other pieces of carbon steel cookware.
Speaker 3:The essentials. Yeah. So alright. So carbon steel, single origin olive oil. What are some other, like, nonnegotiables or essentials for you in terms of just either ingredients or cookware that you're like, I wish everyone knew about this and should be using it in their own kitchen?
Speaker 1:Yeah. The carbon steel is the first one that comes to mind because I don't feel like as many people know about it, but definitely the essentials are like a really good quality chef's knife. Like, that's worth spending money on and and buying a good one. I I don't believe in knife sets because mostly they're trying to sell you too many knives that you don't need at an inflated price. It's like spend the money to get one really high quality 8 inch chef's knife.
Speaker 1:And then your other knives like a pairing knife or a bread knife, you can just get, you know, something that's that's not as expensive, but a good quality chef's knife will last you forever. Learn to take good care of it. It's an incredible tool. Not definitely nonnegotiable. And then a really good quality wooden cutting board, I think, is super important.
Speaker 1:You basically only need 1 if you have a good quality one. Wood is more aesthetic. It looks better. It brings in better energy to your kitchen. It has amazing natural antimicrobial properties, and it's not gonna leach microplastics in your food like plastic cutting boards will.
Speaker 1:I think if if, literally, if I had a chef's knife, a wood cutting board, and a carbon steel skillet, I could make that work for most stuff. And then on the on the sort of, like, pantry side, I would say, more people should be cooking with beef tallow for sure. Like, I use olive oil and beef tallow for 90% of what I cook. It stands up to heat really well. You can fry in it.
Speaker 1:It has a fairly neutral taste, but it also lends a really nice, like, richness to a lot of food. But I feel like most of your listeners probably know that. I think where maybe people know less is 2 things. I think that good sources of acidity brings so much to your food, and liberal use of fresh herbs is another thing that I just think can bring a lot to to people's food that a lot of people who are newer to cooking don't know. Just like every time you go to the grocery store, buy some cilantro, some parsley, and maybe some mint, and, like, use that as a garnish, throw that on top of, like, whatever you're cooking.
Speaker 1:There's so much, like, flavor and fresh herbs, and they bring a lot of, like, freshness and brightness. Sometimes I'll just cook a steak, chop it up into pieces, and then put a ton of fresh herbs on top of it with some olive oil and some lemon, and then just, like, eat that with my hands. And it's like it is herbs are super nutrient dense. They're not gonna, like, fuck up your macros or anything like that, and they bring this incredible flavor to that.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And then on the acidity side is, like, seasoning, generally speaking, refers to both, like, salt and acidity. And you can kind of think about them as two sides of the same coin, but, like, everyone knows to salt their food. But if your food ever feels flat, you can experiment with adding some acidity. So a squeeze of lemon juice, like a a splash or some really good vinegar, and that's gonna bring a lot of brightness. It contrasts with other flavors.
Speaker 1:Like, if there's a lot of fat or starch in what you're eating, that acidity can really help, like, balance that out. And so, yeah, I think if you play around with those things, like, I always keep lemons on deck, but, like, some really high quality, vinegar is a great thing to have. And not, like, not Bragg's apple cider vinegar, which is high quality from, like, a health perspective, but I'm talking about, like, good quality, like, culinary vinegars.
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