8 Food Hot Takes From Peloton Instructor Cody Rigsby

Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby has opinions on everything, especially food, and as his friend John Michael has said in their legendary collaborative live DJ rides, the fitness influencer doesn’t bother with ambiguity. According to Cody, Sour Patch Kids are the king of sour candy, Sangria is too much work, and Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits are the ultimate restaurant bread. Outside of this delicious distraction — often minor rants — in on-demand cycling classes, Cody shares strong opinions on food on social media, in his book, XOXO, Cody, and on Food & Wine’s Tinfoil Swans podcast. And while I highly recommend experiencing the impromptu wisdom while exercising, I’ve curated some of my favorite hot takes from the snacking guru here.

Ranch should be housemade

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Cody considers himself a ranch sommelier, hosting ranch taste tests on TikTok at New York City restaurants and abroad. The dressing aficionado scored ranches from one to 10 on flavor, consistency, and star quality, taking coolness, seasoning, and balance into account. When promoting a custom Chopt salad named after himself, he called buttermilk ranch “the star of the show and 50% of [his] entire personality.” Here are 10 ranch recipes for Cody to taste test next.

Eat salad in a big bowl

Eric Wolfinger

In an Instagram post, Cody evangelizes: “Normalize eating salads out of a big bowl 🥗💚 All that room for mixing and dressing saturation gets my entire life together! Also, Shout out to arugula (rocket) the king of green.”

Apple fritters are the best doughnut

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Last fall we debated whether apple fritters were superior to cider doughnuts. That week, a Peloton member’s leaderboard name referencing doughnuts reminded Cody to share: “My favorite doughnut is an apple fritter. When they’re amazing, they’re amazing. Even when they’re mediocre, they’re still good.” With a sugary cardamom glaze and a sprinkle of rose petals and chopped pistachios, this recipe is among the amazings.

Don’t skip on cake texture

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee

“I love cake. I’m always going to go with vanilla on vanilla frosting, that’s my birthday cake… Don’t give me yellow with chocolate frosting… I’ll scream,” Cody once revealed. “But when it’s not my birthday, I think I’m all about a carrot cake… And don’t skip on the raisins. And don’t skip on the walnuts… Give me all the textures. That’s how I need a cake.” He also shouted out pineapple upside-down cake while on the subject.

There’s no excuse for bad tiramisu

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

After returning from a vacation with incredible meals, Cody lamented that one of his favorite desserts disappointed both times he ordered tiramisu. He made the valid point: “In this day and age, how does a restaurant not know how to make tiramisu? It’s a classic. It’s been around for ages. Who are you learning the recipe from!?” Food & Wine offers seven variations on the timeless Italian specialty.

Thanksgiving is not the day for portion control

Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

Cody cooks one thing for Thanksgiving: mashed potatoes. He knows macaroni and cheese is a task, he picks up vegan pumpkin pie, and he orders a ham. “I take Thanksgiving very seriously, it’s my favorite holiday. It is truly the time that everyone comes together, and…it’s about the love. PSA: Thanksgiving is not the time for portion control. Take the day, eat whatever you want, don’t feel guilty about it. Eat what you want to eat.”

Store-bought Honey Baked Ham hits

Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

“Y’all know I love a Honey Baked Ham for Thanksgiving,” Cody said when a leaderboard name brought up the subject. “Why even try to make it? You’re not going to make a better honey baked ham than a ham company, okay? You’re not. That crystallized sugar… [chef’s kiss]. The ham hits.” Of course, the Food & Wine Test Kitchen shares recipes that can empower you to make a superior sweet-and-salty ham with a homemade glaze when you’re ready to upgrade your life.

If cauliflower can be pizza, you can be anything

One of Cody’s hottest takes is so widespread, it’s printed on canvases and coffee mugs: “If cauliflower can be pizza, you can be anything you want.” Try the plant-based pizza crust for inspiration.

Source link