Tan France may be the fashion expert on Queer Eye but he’s also got a knack for whipping up some delicious meals.
“There is no better chocolate cake on the planet [than Ina Garten’s,]” France, 41, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with Williams Sonoma and No Kid Hungry. “I have been making it for about 10 [or] 15 years.”
France shares that while Garten’s iconic sweet treat is perfection on its own, he wanted to add his own unique twist to the dessert and decided to spice it up.
“So I add ginger — all different kinds of ginger, powdered ginger, candied ginger, stem ginger,” he explains. “It’s a ginger chocolate cake I’ve been making over the last few years. I think that combination is dynamite.”
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France is no stranger to dabbling in the spice rack as he grew up in a Muslim household. When his family would celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, France says his mother would primarily make South Asian dishes for the occasion and curry was always present throughout his childhood.
To this day, the Queer Eye star still has a love for all things spicy. His go-to late-night snack, for instance, is Takis hot chips. He’s also obsessed with Skinny Dipped snacks.
“I don’t snack between meals, but I do snack at night,” he tells Us. “I will always go for one of two: SkinnyDipped Lemon Bliss almonds — the flavor is so bomb. Then they have a flavor called Unicorn. It’s these cashews that are coated in birthday cake frosting. It’s so good.”
France does also have a great appreciation for traditional British fare. If he had to choose a final meal on Earth, he’d go with a traditional Sunday roast.
“It is very, very English. It’s meat, potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding,” he tells Us. “It’s the perfect balanced meal.”
Tan is also no stranger to bringing back classic old-fashioned meals for his husband, Rob France, and their two sons: Ismail, 3, and Issac, 14 months.
“Over the last few months, I revisited what I think is an ’80s classic. It’s a tuna casserole,” Tan says. “My son’s obsessed with pasta and any kind of noodle, but I wanted to get in some vegetables, so I pack it with a bunch of broccoli and peas. He loves that s–t.”
Tan adds that his son “really likes vegetables” to begin with so combining them into one pasta dish is something “easy” he can do for the entire family.
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When broached by Williams Sonoma to create his own personal spatula, which features roti on the design, Tan couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity especially when he learned the proceeds would benefit No Kid Hungry.
“I just need to say that it is such a beautiful initiative. There is one in five kids that struggles with hunger,” he says of the partnership. “All we’re asking is that people buy one of these spatulas. Doesn’t have to be mine. It could be any of the ones that are designed as part of this Tools For Change campaign. They can buy the spatula online or in any Williams Sonoma store across the US. 30% of the proceeds go to No Kid Hungry. It’s such a worthy cause.”
In addition to Tan, Cameron Diaz, Blake Shelton, Andy Cohen, Valerie Bertinelli, Kris Jenner and more stars designed a custom spatula for the Williams Sonoma collaboration for the 2024 Tools for Change fundraising program. The products from the are now available online and at all Williams Sonoma retail locations.
For more on Tan’s favorite dishes, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, which now includes 12 additional pages, on stands now.
