Binging With Babish is two parts cooking show, one part stand-up comedy, and a whole lot
of fun to boot.
But what's the story behind this viral cooking show?
Here's everything you've wanted to know Binging With Babish, and the man behind it all.
Most performers have a stage name of some kind, and Binging With Babish is no exception,
as the host's name isn't even close to Babish.
His real name is Andrew Rea.
Rea's alter ego was actually inspired by Oliver Babish, a character from The West Wing.
Rea admitted on a Reddit Ask Me Anything that he chose the name Babish on a whim, first
using it as his Reddit username.
Since the cooking show was initially made for Reddit users, it seemed the obvious choice
to just keep with the same username.
It just so happened that the show reached an audience outside of the Reddit community,
and with it, so did his name.
Rea admits he never expected the show to become the YouTube hallmark that it is today, however,
and has definitely had to field the question about his real name more than once.
Most of the time, people tune into cooking shows to watch restaurateurs and professional
chefs de cuisine showcasing their culinary artistry.
After all, who doesn't want to learn from the best?
Sometimes, however, there can be a disconnect between audience and chef, when techniques
are too fancy, or the dishes are too ambitious.
As such, home cooks have become increasingly more popular both on network television and
on online streaming sites.
Andrew Rea is one of the latter, and he's completely self-taught, too.
The only professional restaurant experience Rea has is as a crepe maker, a job he held
when he was a teenager.
Since then, he's started to take food much more seriously, devoting considerable time
to understanding how gastronomy works, and experimenting with his cooking, never having
to worry too much about the outcome.
The result, over many years of practice, failure, and experimentation, is what makes Rea and
Binging With Babish both so entertaining and educational.
And while Rea claims he doesn't feel qualified to teach at a culinary institute, there's
no denying that he has some major skills in the kitchen.
"Cookie dough was delicious, the meringue was crunchy, and I almost managed to eat a
whole dog before I realized what I was doing and stopped."
Andrew Rea makes plenty of different kinds of food on Binging With Babish, but there
is one main theme that runs through his show, film and television.
So many strange dishes have found their way onto the silver and small screens over the
years, and Rea's M.O. is taking those recipes and figuring out how to make them in your
own kitchen.
Why?
Because he's a huge fan, of course.
The man loves movies and TV almost as much as cooking and experimenting.
For him, it's the perfect marriage.
Over the years, Rea has made everything from the Imaginary Pie in Hook to the steak from
The Matrix to the Chilean sea bass in Jurassic Park.
In order to come up with these recipes, Rea combines practical cooking with that little
bit of imagination needed to make a meal that may only be on screen for a few seconds.
Sometimes he goes beyond just television and movies too, as Rea has also made food from
video games such as Kingdom Hearts and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
One main feature of Binging With Babish is the fact that you rarely see Rea's face.
There's a very specific reason for this, however, and it has everything to do with the current
style of cooking shows.
The age of influencers has fostered a type of YouTube cooking show that is so focused
on the personality, that the actual content seems to go by the wayside.
This is something that Rea wanted to avoid from the beginning, and he always wanted to
place more focus on the actual food, rather than himself.
During his Reddit AMA, Rea was asked exactly why he does this.
He responded:
"I watched some cooking video about a burger that was 30 minutes long, and they didn't
start cooking for 10 minutes.
I decided to make a show that was focused solely on the food."
This isn't to say there isn't loads of personality in Binging With Babish.
Rea is genuinely hilarious and his comedic timing is totally on point.
This sense of personality just takes a backseat to the food, which is the real star of the
show.
If there's anything better than making food from T.V. and film for a living, it's got
to be the fact that Rea sometimes gets to make that food with the stars themselves.
Part interview, part cooking lesson, these episodes are great fun for fans and foodies
alike.
For example, the Chocolate Lava Cakes from Chef practically demanded a guest spot from
that movie's director and star, Jon Favreau, as well as co-producer Roy Choi.
Most notable of all, however, was the episode with Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark
in Game of Thrones.
She joined Rea in making Direwolf Bread…to mixed success.
"Yeah, the honey butter tastes really good but the bread is terrible."
Part of the charm of that episode was that it wasn't perfect, and allowed the audience
to see another side to Williams; one that definitely doesn't come across on screen.
And that's part of the fun of these special episodes.
Having taught himself how to cook, Rea knows just what guidance people need when they themselves
are learning the ropes in the kitchen.
As such, Rea started an offshoot series on his YouTube channel called Basics With Babish.
In these videos, he teaches cooking basics, techniques, and dishes that aren't too daunting
for beginner chefs.
He also takes the time to look at kitchen equipment and care, something not often covered
when cooks are teaching the basics.
Ever wanted to learn how to make sourdough bread?
There's a guide for that.
Wondered about how to look after your knives?
There's a video for that, too.
Basics With Babish is an accessible and entertaining way to learn some great skills, and enjoy
some of that Babish charm at the same time.
He may have described it on his website as "gross" and "masochistic", but Rea still forced
himself to prepare the iconic milk steak from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
This is because he makes all kinds of food from film and television, even the terrible
dishes.
"How about your favorite food?
What would that be?"
"Oh, milksteak."
"Hm? What?"
"Milksteak."
"I'm not putting milksteak."
"Just put steak."
Of course, one of the great sitcom tropes is a truly horrific meal, and Rea has made
plenty of them on his show, most notable of which has got to be Rachel's meat trifle from
Friends.
He also once made Carol's beet and acorn cookies from The Walking Dead, which is a solid reminder
to be thankful you're not actually living in a zombie apocalypse.
The worst, or best, part is that he actually eats it afterward, no matter what it is.
Now that's commitment.
Rea himself has said that it was kinda inevitable that he would come out with a cookbook.
But he probably didn't expect to come out with two, or that he'd end up being a New
York Times bestseller.
The first cookbook, Eat What You Watch: A Cookbook For Movie Lovers, was published in
October of 2017.
The book is all about those iconic food moments that stick with you, like the crack of the
crème brûlée in Amélie, or that "I'll have what she's having" sandwich from When
Harry Met Sally.
The second one is aptly named Binging With Babish, and while it does contain recipes,
100 of them, in fact, it also takes a behind the scenes look at the series, and at Rea
himself.
Rea also takes the time to tell his own story.
It's poignant, touching, and revealing in a way that many YouTube personalities could
only dream of.
The book also documents just how far Rea has come over the years.
After all, who could have guessed that the amateur chef posting recipes on Reddit would
end up penning a bestseller with a foreword from Jon Favreau?
While he's cooking in many of his videos, Rea likes to take a drink or two, and this
drink is almost always, always whiskey.
As you might expect, this is because he's a big fan of the stuff.
He even did a bourbon trail and distillery tour in Kentucky for a Being With Babish video.
In this particular video, Rea goes into some of the basics of whiskey distilling.
As it turns out, the basics are actually quite extensive, and Rea even goes as far as examining
the proper glassware for drinking whiskey, which does actually matter, by the way.
He also gets into methods of swirling and tipping glasses to best achieve the notes
and aromas present in more complex whiskeys.
All this may be more than you ever plan to do when drinking whiskey yourself, but it's
nonetheless a fascinating and accessible look into whiskey tasting.
As for Rea's favorite whiskey, well, that's a tall order to narrow down.
Though he is a major fan of Angels' Envy bourbon, he also recommends Bulleit Rye for everyday
sipping, Lagavulin 16 for something smokey, Glenfiddich 15 for something sweet, Angel's
Envy Rum Cask when he's willing to splurge, and Monkey Shoulder for when purse strings
are tight.
But those are just personal preferences, and not hard rules by any measure.
As with many food personalities, Rea's health and fitness have become a huge part of his
brand.
After all, when you're cooking and eating dishes like fried Krabby Patties and macaroni
and cheese all the time, it's not unheard of to gain a few pounds.
It doesn't exactly help if, like Rea, you have a penchant for drinking a few glasses
of bourbon every night, either.
Eventually, he decided that he wanted to do something about it.
Something had to change, and Rea decided to go about his journey publicly.
He did this to help keep himself accountable, or as he explained:
"I could use my show to hold myself hostage into making progress."
What Rea decided on was a macronutrient-based 30 day reset diet developed by his friend.
No sugar, no fat, and no alcohol.
With a maximum of just 1,800 calories a day, it was going to be a challenge for someone
who worked in food for a living.
That's why he also implemented a workout routine, that was specifically tailored for what physique
he wanted.
Rea kept his audience engaged in his journey through videos, and documenting the healthy
meal recipes and workout regimes he was using to get fit.
His video on the latter is starkly human, and shows that getting fit is all part of
a process; in the beginning, he could hardly do a pull-up.
Rea's channel isn't just about cooking up fun dishes in the kitchen, though.
There's also Being with Babish, a lifestyle spin-off series that premiered in 2019.
Being with Babish is obviously still in its early days, but it does show off Rea's skills
as a versatile host and entertainer.
In these videos, he acts as more of a travel vlogger or lifestyle guru, letting the audience
into his world, surprising fans, and showcasing his book tour.
As well as making a lot of people cry.
Rea gave his fans a heck of a fright when he uploaded the "Facing Cancer" episode in
February 2020.
It turned out that he didn't have cancer, though, a viewer did, and wrote in wanting
to do something for her husband who was a huge fan.
The result was Rea going out to meet them, cook with them, and share their heartwarming
and heartbreaking story.
This is just one example of the feel-good content that Being With Babish offers.
Other videos include Rea surprising his brother with a Tesla, giving $10,000 to a 6-year-old
fan who watched his show during her lengthy hospital stays, and visiting a Brooklyn middle
school cooking club.
It's all about Rea giving back, and it's kind of wonderful, too.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite cooking shows are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.