Graza

Q: How do you describe yourself?

G: Father and musician.

Q: Finish this sentence, cooking for me is...

G: My refuge and my way of showing you how I feel about you. 

Q: What are your pantry staples and why?

G: I run a reasonably helpful pantry, from salt to Noma test kitchen potions, and lots of staples in between, especially with 3 boys and a girlfriend with killer palates.

Q: What music do you like to listen to in the kitchen? Does the soundtrack influence the meal, or the other way around?

G: I don’t really cook to music when I think about it. I like to hear the pans sizzle, the music of the kitchen. Obviously music is on a lot but it’s not so connected for me. Makes me think …..

Q: What is your favorite thing to eat after a concert?

G: I’m stopping that soon, but in the meantime, I’ll hit the food trucks we have after each show for all the bands and crew. It’s a fun hang, everyone is done for the day, shooting the breeze about whether the food is good or not. It's good to hang with the crew who put the show on and off every day. It is an exhausting job and there is literally no show without them.

Q: You're based in Los Angeles but originally from the UK. Have your tastes or approach to cooking shifted since moving? Are there any things you really miss about British cuisine?

G: I miss the skin on a proper piece of pork for crackling. That's a travesty and if peeps knew better they’d leave the skin on.

England has the best chocolate (and Switzerland too) but the milk fat content is so much better than here in Los Angeles. It doesn’t make sense to me - why not have the same recipe? Same with Stella, it used to be so good now it’s all watered down and way less good. Makes me want to cry. That was my beer, I'm all Sapporo now.

Q: As a dad, how do you pass on your love of cooking to your kids? What do they love to cook with you or what are their favorite meals that you make for them?

G: I don’t know if I have passed on the love. My two older boys love to come hang in the kitchen and make stuff with me. They can cook. It makes me so happy, they last maybe 23 minutes max. Then back to their guitars or friends.

Q: What are your all-around life mottos, mantras, philosophies that guide you in the kitchen?

G: That to be organized is the key to success. Whether it is a mise en place before you start. Cooking or your kitchen, like your room, like your mind, is best kept clean and tidy for optimum results.

Q: What is your go-to crowd-pleaser meal during the holidays or when hosting?

G: We’ve done so many fun holiday dinners. For me, it is the greatest pleasure to create feasts. Each dish rocking, then making plenty of dishes. I once went on a very big boat and at meal times there were so many options I found it inspiring and fun. So that’s dinner for us. In restaurants, I'm a serial overorderer. I don’t eat it all, but I just want bites to try the food out. It can be a slow-cooked rib of beef with Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. Or a rack of veal slathered in black truffle. Or a few pastas and some grilled fish and salads. It’s all about the gathering. I make dinners that I want to be invited to.

Q: You’re a huge advocate for mental health and self-care, how does cooking play into that for you?

G: It’s relaxing, it can take your mind off of stuff or force you to be in the present at the very least. Self-care is to find the balance between a perfect mango and a chocolate lava cake.

Q: What's on the horizon for you?

G: Endless touring. It's overwhelming.