Meet Daniel Skurnick

At the start of the pandemic, restaurants across the country closed their doors and turned their open signs around to reveal a glaring "CLOSED." And, for many, cooking turned into an escape. TikTok became the source of exciting new food trends that had watchers excited to try for themselves. From Cloud Bread to dalgona coffee and even pancake cereal, some found comfort in the kitchen among all of the chaos. And while a better chef than 99.99% of the trend-seekers, Chef Daniel Skurnick was no different.

While one would think the Pandemic might have hindered his thriving career, Daniel, instead, is emerging in a new relationship thanks to him also opening up his own bakery, Foxbread, during this time. Daniel met his now “lady friend” serendipitously: she was picking up one of Daniel's Foxbread Bakery’s kouign-amann. A devout follower on his Instagram, Angie knew after seeing his unique treats on her feed that she had to try them for herself. One day, she chased him down after a long sweaty run, and even with masks on their faces, the energy between them during the pick up was palpable. While you could use various cheesy sayings to describe how Daniel made the most out of his time in isolation, like, "dance in the rain," we like to think Daniel simply became the cook of his own kitchen.

Daniel Skurnick & Reconnecting

For many of us, parts of the pandemic felt like what Daniel once described like the moments of pandemonium in a high-volume kitchen,"something akin to being chained to a sinking submarine on fire with no sight in the end." But as we step back into the world and reconnect with the ones we love over a meal. we find that food has a healing power, particularly with BBQ food.

Staying true to a festive Latin-themed BBQ, Daniel set out a delicious, cheesy queso as a starter. After being apart from one another for so long, everyone timidly reached for the nachos, politely waiting their turn. However, the civility quickly faded, and the appetizer transformed into a feeding frenzy as everyone began feeding each other the delicious food. The messier the food got, the louder the laughter and camaraderie grew.

Daniel Skurnick’s Unique BBQ Expression

For Daniel, being a chef "has always been about feeding and taking care of people." Regardless of what he's preparing, it's clear that Daniel is committed to his craft and to taking care of others; it's what drives him. Like many chefs, it's through his food that Daniel connects with others, and while different from his everyday chef job duties, BBQ was an escape for him, a time to soak in more than just preparing the food.

Daniel Skurnick’s BBQ Drinks & Eats

Roasted Sour Cream Financier

For his first dessert, Daniel prepared a tart and rich Roasted Sour Cherry Financier, learn more and get the recipe here.

Root Beer Float Gelee

For his pièce de résistance, Daniel created both a work of art as well as a delicious dessert in the form of his Root Beer Float Gelee. Learn more and get the recipe here.