light & gather

When I picked up Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, I didn’t know much about Benny Blanco. Only that he had made a few cameos in videos from some of my favorite food creators. I thought Blanco was just famous for being an internet personality who maybe liked to cook and eat food.

He introduces himself in the book by giving his height and listing his four favorite activities: eating, sex, music, and another I’d rather not say. He talks about his mother and how, when he was thirteen, his friend got a George Foreman grill. They’d invite more friends over, get high, “and make the most elaborate sandwiches our pubescent minds could fathom.”

I also found out he’s been producing music since 2008, which was before I could legally drink. He’s produced albums that have won Grammys and has cemented himself as the guy you should know if you want to have a good time.

Blanco is not shy about his alternative hobbies, both literally and in his writing style. There is a mix of psychedelic absurdity and grounded, heartfelt moments that really round out his character and set the stage for the premise of the book: cooking with and for friends.

By the end of it, you not only get some good food and a little advice, but you also get a better understanding of this person who, as I understand it, seems to be a hidden gem in the music industry. Or at the very least, someone who, if you know, you know.

There were parts of the cookbook where he was genuinely like, “fuck it, I’m gonna do what I want,” and moments where you could tell he truly cares about the people in his life and the food he makes for them.

For instance, there’s a part in the first half of the book titled “A Little Help From My Friends,” where he pulls on the knowledge of his friends to discuss weed etiquette at parties. And true to his musical career, he includes a playlist and mentions Ed Sheeran in a way that makes me feel like they are genuinely close.

But some of the more tender parts of the cookbook come when he talks about eating dinner with Jonas Wood and Shio Kusaka, where he spent time hanging out with their kids, who designed plates inspired by his face.

Another story he told was about a man he called Pops, and if I’m being honest, this story is what made me check the book out of the library. It was about a chef named David McAtee, who was shot and killed by the Kentucky National Guard while trying to disperse a crowd during a protest in 2020. He was so beloved by his community that Blanco and Pops started a recurring charity food pop-up together with McAtee’s family and Aida Osman called Munchies Food Kitchen.

Food-wise, Blanco’s taste is as decadent and off-the-wall as he is. There are categories called “Artsy Fartsy” and “Saucy Shawarma Soiree.” But my favorite section is “5 Dishes to Get You Laid and One for the Morning After,” which includes the best banana pudding I’ve ever had (thanks, SZA).

Every section is formatted like a menu, so you’ll have your appetizer all the way down to your desserts. Though I will warn you, he does pull on some big culinary hitters for parts of the cookbook. But he also has menus that read as if you woke up still too high to function and rolled over to put your buffalo chicken nachos in the microwave. There’s also a recipe to fry Ed Sheeran’s Rolex.

I would categorize this as a solid cultural cookbook. It’s very pop culture forward. There are a lot of references to celebrities and you get the sense of someone who gathers recipes from every party experience they’ve had, and then made a cookbook about it. 

He does dive into many cuisines, such as Greek, Japanese, and Southern food, but that’s not really the focus. The focus is the experience around the food and what those experiences mean to Blanco.

This book is a lot to wrap your head around. There is a good mix of high and low recipes, and the only through line is Blanco, which is never boring and totally worth it if you’re game.

And if you’re looking to make food that feels like being “George Foreman climax” stoned, gathered at your best friend’s house having the time of your life, this is definitely the cookbook for you.