10 Items or Less with Chef Nick DiGiovanni

Maybe you’ve seen Nick DiGiovanni on YouTube, challenging Logan Paul to a cookoff. Or perhaps you’ve watched him explore “three levels of Nutella” on Instagram. Or you could know him for his many, many Guinness World Records (57 lb beef wellington, anyone?). The guy has plenty of other accomplishments too—he competed (and served as a guest judge and mentor) on MasterChef, he created the Food and Climate concentration at Harvard, he wrote a cookbook with a foreword from Gordon Ramsay, he made his own salt (Osmo), which he likens to savory snowflakes. 

But his newest project doesn’t involve making a giant Choco Taco or taking on viral stars in culinary battles. In the just-launched Nick’s Kitchen on YouTube, Nick is bringing back old-school food programming. The series features step-by-step cooking demos of recipes for things like the perfect steak, chocolate chip cookies, or roasted chicken that mimics grocery store rotisserie chicken. It’s like the food TV of your childhood (or your parents’ childhood) but modernized with better cameras, better sound, and a little more excitement. “We’re trying to create really beautiful food content,” Nick says. “No gimmicks. It’s just food.”

But, hey, Sporked isn’t a cooking site. We’re a grocery site. So we sat down with Nick and got him to answer our signature 10 Items or Less questionnaire. Read on to find out what Nick is packing for the apocalypse, what he buys from Trader Joe’s, and why you might spot him smacking fruit in the produce aisle. 

nick digiovanni shopping for rotisserie chicken
Credit: Katrina “Chappie” Chaput

What is your biggest grocery store pet peeve?

When somebody beats me to the last rotisserie chicken. 

What is the most underrated microwave food? 

Trader Joe’s white rice. It’s delicious and very well cooked. 

If one song, album, or artist could score your grocery shopping style, what would it be? 

“Happy” by Pharrell. I’ve loved the grocery store ever since I was a kid and tagged along with my mom. It genuinely makes me happy.

What canned food are you bringing to the apocalypse potluck? 

Canned tuna packed in olive oil. It’s got all the flavor you need—the olive oil and the salty fish—it’s just a good snack. I’ll eat a can at home with a light layer of mayonnaise over the top. It’s just delicious.

What are you doing in the grocery store that raises eyebrows? 

My grandpa taught us to spank the watermelons to listen for the nice hollow sound they should give back that signals they’re nice and crisp. 

nick digiovanni sledding
Credit: Liv Averett / Katrina “Chappie” Chaput

Picture this fantasy: You’re in the produce section. You reach for an onion at the exact same time as someone famous—who is it? 

Gordon Ramsay. And, spoiler alert, he ends up getting the onion. 

What’s your grocery shopping hack?

Check expiration dates to make sure you get the fresher items. I am very conscious about being respectful about not leaving a mess and not knocking everything over. But it’s totally fair to want to get something that’s going to last you weeks or even months longer.

nick digiovanni looking at a chili crisp volcano
Credit: Liv Averett / Katrina “Chappie” Chaput

We’ve taken away your fridge and given you a mini fridge that can only hold three condiments, what are they?

Kewpie Mayonnaise. It has more seasoning than your typical mayonnaise. I look at it more as a standalone condiment as opposed to a binder like other mayonnaises.

Ken’s Italian Dressing. I’ve been using this since I was a kid, and it’s unbelievable on salad of any kind. There were always four or five bottles stocked in my grandma’s cupboard growing up. We would use it on everything—marinating meats, even on rice, you name it. It’s a really good dressing that hits on everything you want—fat and acidity and flavor.

Chili crisp. It’s so good on eggs or rice, and the flavor and texture are just incredible. There is one called Chile Crunch that’s made with tons and tons of freshly fried garlic and onion. I like it because you can hear the crunch. And I like crunch. 

What’s one packaged food that is better than anything any chef could ever make? 

Cool Ranch Doritos. They’re just too good. The actual chip is very light and perfectly crunchy every time, but their secret is in the seasoning. It’s got that little hit of creaminess and a nice kick of acidity, almost like sour cream and onion chips. I try to find the chips that have like a little bit of extra seasoning. I wish they’d release extra seasoned chips. 

Whenever I travel to a foreign country and I’m craving a taste of home, I’m looking for a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.

Watch Nick DiGiovanni in Nick’s Kitchen on YouTube, new episodes weekly!


About the Author

Justine Sterling

Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.

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