4 Questions with César
Being a recipe developer is like being a food critic. Everyone sees it as a dream job and doesn't want to hear your complaints. But we do want to hear just one—what's the most difficult part of being a recipe developer?
Recipe development truly is something I've always wanted to do but never quite knew how to break into it. Now that I've been doing it for a while, I'd say the constant juggling act between being innovative yet practical is the most daunting challenge. The testing and adjustment needed to guarantee consistent results for a diverse audience with different levels of comfort in the kitchen, coupled with the pressure of staying ahead of trends and producing fresh content, can be overwhelming. Being a recipe developer is a balancing act of being creative, meticulous, and adaptable, while pushing boundaries and ensuring accessibility for all home cooks.
What's your most underrated recipe?
I'd say my Kiwi & Tomatillo Salsa Braised Pork. This dish is an absolute flavor powerhouse with a few techniques and components that can be used in other ways. The kiwi & tomatillo salsa alone deserves to be made by anyone who loves to dip their chips—or loves salsa on their tacos, sandwiches, or eggs. This pork can also very easily be swapped out for any protein that'd benefit from a long braise.
Where should out-of–towners eat in NYC?
I strongly encourage visitors to please get out of the "cool" neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Manhattan and make their way over to Jackson Heights, Queens. No neighborhood is a better representation of the melting pot that is NYC. I go at least once a month, and in just a few blocks' radius you can sample dozens of Latin American, Southeast Asian, and other less commonly accessible cuisines.
Favorite tool?
My lifelong favorite kitchen tool is a classic wooden mortar & pestle. Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, the pilón as I knew it was at the heart of almost every dish's preparation, whether it was to just make some garlic paste or to make sofrito for rices and stews. My first cooking task as a kid was to make sofrito for my mom after school while she was still at work so that she could get ahead on dinner prep.
May your day conclude with a dollop of olive oil whipped cream,
