Dan Whalen – författare

It’s a fact: Americans love tots, and last year consumed 3.5 billion of them. And not just at home. From fast-food joints to high-end restaurants, chefs are joining the tot trend, serving exotically spiced tots or fun mash-ups like Totchos, with tots replacing the corn chips in nachos. But now, prepare for TOT-al domination! Created by mad-genius food blogger Dan Whalen, Tots! elevates the friendly little tater to its place in the culinary spotlight. This irresistible cookbook with a nubby tot-texture on the cover offers 50 delicious, playful, and surprising recipes for snacks, appetizers, inspired main dishes, and inspired sides, even desserts. (Yes, you could create an entire tot-centric dinner.) Here are party dishes like Buffalo Tots and Tot Poutine. A Tot Caesar for an elegant starter. Tots for breakfast, like Tots Benedict and a Tot Shakshuka, and tots for dinner—Moules Tots, Chicken Tot Pie, Tater Tot Pizza, and Bibimtot. Side dishes—next Thanksgiving, try Sausage and Tot Stuffing. And for sweets lovers, Tot Churros (deep-fried and dipped in chocolate ganache), Apple Tot Crumble (that crispy salty tot topping really plays off the warm sweet apples), and Tot S’mores—a heavenly melt of a dish. Every recipe uses frozen commercial tots—but Dan Whalen also shows die-hard tot lovers how to make tots from scratch and then alter their creations with different spices (think Tots Vindaloo) and sauces. It’s TOT-ally awesome.

Putting the more in s’mores! While contemplating a traditional s’more, mad genius Dan Whalen, the recipe creator behind Tots!, asked a tasty question: What would happen if you kept the essential s’mores architecture—three layers of gooey, melty, and crunchy—but changed it up? The result? More than 50 playful, irresistible recipes that completely challenge the definition of a s’more. Riffs range from classic—Salted Caramel S’mores, Nutella S’mores, and Lemon Meringue S’mores—to crazy. Think Avocado S’mores, S’moresburgers, and the Elvis—bacon, banana, and peanut butter nirvana. Enjoy your s’mores all year long! Every recipe is designed to be made in the broiler as well as over a campfire.

Crispy Base + Melty Sauce + Flavorful Topping = Nachos make a perfect sheet pan dinner! It’s like a dream come true! First, because you now have an invitation to eat a plate of nachos as a real meal, and second, because here are dozens and dozens of recipes and ideas to transform this beloved snack into a nourishing sheet pan dinner. Plus dessert. Written by the irrepressible Dan Whalen, Nachos for Dinner combines the mad-genius spirit of his previous books, ‘Smores and Tots!, with the practical brilliance of Sheet Pan Suppers. First Whalen breaks down the nacho’s intrinsic appeal to its three essential components—a crispy base, a melty sauce, and a flavorful topper. And then he gives you the three flavor profiles—a lot of umami, a little heat, and something bright-tasting, whether pickled or fresh. From there the world is your nacho plate. Of course there’s the chips-and-cheese classic, but then the nachos veer decidedly into dinner, with favorites from every part of the meal from French Onion Nachos, Buffalo Chicken Nachos, and Cobb Salad Nachos to Fish Taco Nachos, Banh Mi Nachos, and Shrimp and Grits Nachos. And there are plenty of not-chos (that is, nachos that use other ingredients for the chips)—like Lasagnachos, Scallion Pancake Nachos, and Pretzel and Brat'chos. Even Apple Pie Nachos for dessert.