What Happens When You Use TikTok to Cook?

Even if you’re not on FoodTok, you probably know it exists . Every day, our algorithms fill our feeds with cooking hacks, recipe walkthroughs, and ambient ASMR moments. We can’t look away, but we also can’t help but wonder: Does any of it actually work? To find out, senior food editor Christina Chaey and BA’s head of video June Kim spent a day cooking meals from TikTok—yes, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This week on the podcast, they’re reporting on how it went and giving their definitive (read: totally subjective) rankings of some of the platform’s most iconic foods. Along the way, associate editor (and FoodTok creator) Bettina Makalintal joins Amanda to talk about a few of her favorite follows on the app.

Stuff we talk about in this episode: 

Emily Mariko’s (@emilymariko) TikTok video for Leftover Salmon Bowls: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilymariko/video/7000469368232512773?is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=7005173277049390597

Amy Wilochowski’s (@amywilochowski) TikTok video for Pesto Eggs : https://www.tiktok.com/@amywilichowski/video/6955536851595758853?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.today.com%2F&referer_video_id=6955536851595758853&refer=embed

Alexandra Johnsson’s (@simplefood4u) Wrap Hack Demonstration TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=6913548768847727877#/@simplefood4you/video/6913548768847727877

@liemessa’s original Baked Feta Pasta (uunifeta pasta) recipe and blog post: https://liemessa.fi/2020/09/baked-feta-pasta-original-recipe/

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s video on Baked Feta Pasta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3gvRjIQ6Lo

Deb Perelman’s Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas recipe : https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/02/baked-feta-with-tomatoes-and-chickpeas/

Bettina Makalintal’s (@bettinamak) TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@bettinamak?

@eatwkriss’s TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatwkriss?

@oldtimehawkey’s TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@oldtimehawkey?lang=en

@sxmplyni’s TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@sxmplyni?lang=en

For a transcript of this episode, please follow this link.

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