Chef Daniela Claude and journalist Grant Hermes are back, and this week, WE raid Daniela's pantry!

It's episode 9 of Panic! At The Pantry, and Spring in Metro Detroit means one thing: Eastern Market Flower Day is almost here. We talk gardening in small spaces, herb growing tips, and why you should NEVER plant before Memorial Day in Michigan. 

This week's Tip of the Week is a game-changer for home cooks: ditch the salt shaker and start cooking with salt and pepper bowls. Daniela explains why the tactile experience of cooking with your hands actually makes you a better cook, and why muscle memory matters more than measuring.

Then, we dive into Daniela's real, unfiltered fridge (yes, including some science experiments in the produce drawer) and Grant devises a stunning recipe on the spot: 

Middle Eastern-spiced venison tenderloin with homemade hummus, fig jam, and mint chutney, and hand-made naan, a full finger food feast inspired by Dearborn's Lebanese food culture. 

Daniela will cook it LIVE on Facebook on May 12 — don't miss it!

We also dive into the history of eating with your hands, how Catherine de Medici brought forks to France, and why Italians really taught the French how to cook.

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Episode 8 is here, and it might be our most panic-worthy one yet.

This week, Chef Daniela and Grant welcome Michael, a professional traveler and 20-year friend of Daniela's,  to raid his Florida fridge.

What they found? A lot of coffee creamer, a suspicious amount of Cool Whip, jarred pasta sauce, and just enough ingredients to pull off something genuinely delicious.

In this episode:
Daniela goes OFF on pre-minced "jarlic "(and the internet claps back)
The jar sauce confession that nearly ended the episode
A surprisingly genius Thai peanut sauce using fridge scraps
Ground beef thai fried rice with charred peppers & onions — a full spring meal from almost nothing

Tip of the Week: Fresh garlic vs. "jarlic"
There is NO comparison and what to use instead if mincing isn't an option for you.

This week's recipe: Thai Peanut Ground Beef Fried Rice with Charred Peppers & Onions

This episode is sponsored by Aspire Drinks — green tea-based energy drinks with 80mg of natural caffeine, no sugar, no crash. Use code NOPANIC at aspiredrinks.com for 20% off!

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Chef Daniela and Grant take a tour through the kitchen of a busy mom with a picky toddler. Thankfully, she's got a pretty stocked fridge. Grant gets to take the lead on the recipe and comes up with a new twist on how to use that rotisserie chicken you just scored from the store, taking it from plain to piccata!

TIP OF THE EPISODE:

Daniela explains how to properly keep your knives sharp and why a sharp knife is a safe knife, even if that sounds like the opposite of how it should be.

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NEW YEAR, SAME PANIC!

Chef Daniela and Grant dive into Lauren's pantry and fridge. Lauren is a busy mom, kindergarten teacher, and Trader Joe's aficionado. Despite Daniela still waiting for the pantry that's truly bare, Lauren's had a lot more to offer than she thought... including a mystery potato and snack cupboard just for her husband that was definitely raided. 

TIP OF THE EPISODE:

What are Bay Leaves even for? You've probably got a bottle of crusty dried bay in your pantry. Daniela explains how to get the most out of them and why most recipes get it wrong. 

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This episode is a very special holiday show! Chef Daniela and Grant welcome on the show Daniela's sister, Chef Adriana Kalota. 

Chef Adri and her husband are the founders of the delicious Forno Pizza e Panini in Michigan (link below) and needed some help putting together a meal while running the business. 

See, even chefs need a little help from time to time. 

The Chefs Kalota have the TIP OF THE WEEK all about how to properly cook pasta, or as they put it, "stop harming pasta." 

LINKS: 

https://www.instagram.com/forno_mi/

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Chef Daniela and Grant tackle the immaculately decorated pantry and home of a recently retired interior designer and former founder of Tutto Interiors Residential Interior Design Firm. 

Cheryl is about to head to Paris for a trip, but still needs to make dinner for a few more nights. She also has some health concerns that make developing this episode's recipe a bit more challenging. 

Chef Daniela's Tip Of The Week: SALT! How and when to salt your Thanksgiving turkey or really any meat. It's more complicated than you think. It also plays into a bit of cooking chemistry that can feed your culinary curiosities. 

LINKS: 

Tens of millions of our families, friends, and neighbors need your help after the expiration of SNAP food benefits. Here's how to help

Metro Detroit Help: https://zamaninternational.org/ 

Find Your Food Bank: https://www.feedingamerica.org/

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Chef Daniela and Grant help a busy nurse create some culinary magic by raiding her pantry to find what she's working with after coming home from the vacation of a lifetime! Grant leaks a family cooking secret to help make the deal. 

PLUS: Daniela's tip of the week may just ruffle some feathers; stop washing your chicken. She breaks down why rinsing your meat will actually make your kitchen less clean. 

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Chef Daniela and Grant tackle the fridge of busy corporate event and wedding planner, Lauren. Lauren spends her days planning the meals of everyone else, but rarely has time to plan for herself. 

The solution? A quick, easy, and delicious pasta salad that's good hot or room temp. 

TIP OF THE SHOW: The Difference between Parmesan cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano, because not all cheese is created equal.

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Welcome to Panic! At The Pantry! 

Join Chef Daniela Kalota and journalist Grant Hermes as they dive deep into the fridge and pantry of their first guest! 

Tizzie is a busy mom who has come home after a trip to a fridge and pantry a little less stocked than she'd like. Daniela and Grant muse about the possibilities of avocados as salad dressing, measuring cottage cheese by the handful, and why you can never go wrong building a bowl for dinner. 

CHEF DANIELA'S TIP OF THE EPISODE: 

How not to burn your garlic by ignoring the recipe

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YouTube: Panic! At The Pantry

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[email protected]