Antoni Porowski, food and wine expert of the hit Netflix show Queer Eye, discussed his experience on the show, why food is so important to him, and the importance of loving yourself with an enthusiastic crowd at Sheridan.
The Sheridan Student Union hosted “An Evening with Antoni.” The event took place at the Sheridan Trafalgar campus’ conference centre on Thursday, November 21 and tickets ranged from $15 to $25.
Sheridan student Dominique Marquez is a fan of Porowski. She discovered Antoni through Queer Eye and says she was attracted to the star’s charisma.
“He’s really kind and very observant of whoever he is helping, making sure he understands them. His love and passion for food and professionalism is respectable and he just seems like the kind of person I’d want to know more about,” said Marquez.
Marquez believed the most memorable thing Porowski said at the event was his realization that unconditional love was something he felt he deserved and that everyone else deserves as well.
“It was through his hard work and self-evaluation that he was able to realize that he doesn’t just need love from other people, but from within himself, too. He wanted us to look for people who would love us unconditionally and bring out the best in us,” said Marquez.
Along with some good advice, attendees also received a recipe for veggie tacos and vegetarian chili.
According to his website, Porowski is originally from Montreal, Quebec and was inspired to pursue the culinary arts by Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Anthony Bourdain, and his mother. He honed his cooking skills in restaurants in Montreal and New York City. Antoni was mentored by the original Fab Five food and wine expert Ted Allen. He released a cookbook entitled “Antoni in the Kitchen” on September 9, 2019.
Amelia Tessa, Program director at Sheridanlife Radio managed to secure a one-on-one interview with the Queer Eye star. She said he has a good sense of humour and is “genuinely wonderful to speak with.”
“Antoni is a very kind person. He was eager to connect with the students at Sheridan and to show them a cost effective meal that they could make on their own. I’m very grateful that I had the chance to talk to him one on one,” said Tessa.
Tessa said that the most insightful thing she learned from him is that it’s okay to be human and It’s good to be kind to yourself.
Tessa’s interview with Porowski can be found on the Sheridanlife Radio Spotify page.
