Burnt Bits 🫒
Eden Grinshpan on Curiosity, Chaos, and a Dirty Vodka Martini
Burnt Bits: Eden Grinshpan x The Fifth Course
Eden Grinshpan and I were essentially set up on a platonic blind date by our managers. Apparently, we share “similar energy.”
I’ll say this: if I’m even being mentioned in the same sentence as her, I’ve already won.
Eden is pure magic. She has a real pulse on life, high energy, is deeply present, and genuinely curious. She cares about people. She really cares about food. And you feel both immediately.
She’s been in the spotlight for a while now, and it’s the good kind! The kind you earn. It’s so deserved. She’s an incredible chef, Host of Top Chef CA, and author of TAHINI BABY & EATING OUT LOUD. What an honor to call her a friend, to collaborate with her, and to look up to her in this wild, ever-shifting food world.
She’s a mom of two girls, a wife, and a new dog mom! Her plate is full. Literally and figuratively. And somehow she still shows up with generosity and spark. You can watch and follow along on Instagram, and you can read her newsletter on Substack.
Burnt Bits is about the small, revealing messes that make someone human. With Eden, it’s the constant experimenting. The never-ending spice collection. And a dirty vodka martini at the end of a long day.
My Q&A with Eden:
Q: One ingredient you can’t quit, even if it doesn’t “go” with everything?
Well this one feels obvious. Tahini is an ingredient I reach for over and over again. I do feel like I can make it work with so many dishes and ingredients and many would be surprised by how versatile it is. I keep a huge batch of garlicky tahini in the fridge and throw it on everything. I love it so much that i named my second book after it TAHINI BABY.
Q: Last thing you ate standing up in your kitchen?
My daughter’s leftover breakfast. A fried egg with leftover avo toast. I made it my own and add in harissa and cilantro.
Q: The mess you’ll never fully get rid of?
My giant spice collection. I haven’t organized it in a long time. It just feels overwhelming to me since I have been adding on and collecting for a long time. I also buy a lot in bulk so you can only imagine.
Q: Comfort TV after the kids go to sleep?
Grey’s Anatomy (watching it for the first time. Can’t get over how many seasons there are) or Mad Men. I can watch it over and over again. Love it
Q: One thing you wish people would stop pretending they like?
Like they know it all. It’s just not possible. I believe you can know a lot, but I always want to be open-minded and ready to learn, and I wish more people would be like that. Open.
Q: Most chaotic thing in your fridge right now?
My cheese drawer. It feels like every cheese has one bite left to go. I just have to finish them all and clear it out
Q: A “burnt end” of life you secretly love (the imperfect thing that’s perfect to you)?
The way I cook forsure. I am not about perfection in the kitchen. If anything I try to encourage cooking my recipes without it having to be perfect. My food is not about skill, it’s more about flavor combinations, fun sauces, dips and simple techniques to take your everyday food to the next level. Just going for it in the kitchen and not having to be perfect is what my brand is all about.
Q: One thing that drastically changed after having kids.
Everything. I feel like I am a spontaneous person, and I love to travel and go out. After having kids, that really changed.
I do have to say, though, that it has been much easier lately to get around with the kids. They are 8 and 4 now, and we are out of diaper/stroller and nap phase, so we have been traveling much more, and it has been a blast.
Q: A moment where the plan completely fell apart — on the stove or in life?
This is a regular occurrence for me. I have big ideas that fall apart all the time. I do learn a lot from them, though, and end up creating new ideas that work better. You have to fail to succeed.
Q: Do you ever revisit “wrong” moments like leftovers, just to see if they taste different now?
Totally. Creating recipes and developing is all about trying new things and experimenting. It takes me a lot of tries to get things the way I want them and I have to always taste and try at all stages to get it perfect.
Q: The most ordinary object in your kitchen that holds something bigger?
I think all the pottery in my kitchen. I love collecting pottery from all over. My salad bowls are some of my fave and I reach for them over and over again. What makes them special are the stories and travel behind them and the artists that made them.
Q: The real drink in your hand after a hard day?
Dirty vodka martini
Q: One mundane task you secretly treasure?
Washing my face. I love how fresh I feel in the morning and at night after I wash my face.
Q: Your happy place after a long, productive day?
Bed with my husband. On a regular day, I love climbing into my bed with Ido and watching our shows or a movie together.
I'm so grateful to Eden for letting us step into her world. To know her is to love her.
You can read more of her thoughtful writing [here] and catch her everyday thoughts, recipes, life, and more [here].
If you’ve got someone in mind for Burnt Bits, or just a question you’ve always wanted to sneak into the mix…reply and let me know. I love hearing what you’re curious about.
Talk to you soon <3
Gina