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Brandon Skier spent a decade cooking his way through LA’s best restaurants before losing his job to the pandemic and pivoting to content creation on TikTok. Today, you probably know him as @sad_papi, the heavily tattooed, hoodie-and-hat-wearing home chef demonstrating restaurant-level cooking techniques for over 2 million followers. Through his videos and his new cookbook, “Make It Fancy: Cooking at Home With Sad Papi,” Skier proves that a bit of extra time and effort is worth it when it comes to special occasions.
But sometimes, you just need a zero-effort couch pizza. And that’s where DoorDash comes in. Here are Skier’s top picks when it comes to ordering in — from pantry MVPs to cleaning products to the ultimate delivery meal.
What do you order when…
…you’re home alone, in need of comfort food, but don’t feel like cooking?
Triple Beam Pizza. My go-to is just a plain Jane pepperoni. I also love Prime Pizza — make sure you get a cookie because they have really good cookies. They put oats in there. You can't really tell, but it makes them chewy.
…your pantry is empty and you need to stock it with a few key items?
Canned black beans. Dried pasta — I usually grab Barilla spaghetti — and canned tomatoes. Those are my staples. They last for years. I could make a tomato sauce with that (though I’d probably leave the beans out of it) and turn it into a pasta dinner. Canned tomatoes are great for everything. You're making a stew? Great, canned tomatoes. You're making a sauce? Canned tomatoes. I love canned tomatoes. I always have those in my pantry. And then the beans, also great. I use them for breakfast. I'll use them for dinner if I'm making a soup or a stew, and that goes hand in hand with my canned tomatoes.
…the Airbnb kitchen is missing your favorite appliance?
A blender. Vitamix.
…you need to BYOB to the party?
Liquid Death Sparkling Water. I’m sober. Everyone throws me into the designated driver role, so I bring the waters. Make sure you're hydrated; make sure you're good.
…you’re craving the best burger in the city?
I’ll go with Burgerlords in Highland Park. It's a vegan burger too — sacrilegious. Or the classic: In-N-Out. 4x4, animal style, with animal fries.
…you have a hot grill and nothing to put on it?
I would do a country style pork chop with peaches. It's summer right now, so let's do grilled peaches! We have pretty good ones in LA, grown right outside the city. That's where all our water goes. That's why we're in a drought.
…you can only choose your top three go-to condiments?
Ketchup, obviously — Heinz Classic. And Dijon. And then I guess mayo is useful. You can mix all three of those together and make something good.
…you need takeout for a crowd?
Sepan Chicken. Everyone loves kabobs. Big salad, tabbouleh, hummus. And lots of rice, of course.
…it’s time to clean the kitchen?
My go-to cleaning products are Dawn Dish Soap, screaming hot water, a Brillo pad, and a squeegee. You squeegee off your counters, then you follow up with the dry towel. Done.
…it’s your friend’s birthday and you need a last minute gift?
Food is always good. I like pastries. I think that's my favorite thing about my own birthday: My friends always bring me pastries because they know me. So I would get them a croissant. Or a canelé. Or some cookies. If I need something quick, I’ll get a box delivered from Levain Bakery. You can’t go wrong with that.
PHOTO CREDIT: courtesy of Brandon Skier
