Not many people have the ability to make dough kneading or slicing a slab of meat look sexy, but Cedrik Lorenzen seems to have the uncanny expertise of making every ingredient he touches look sensuous. The self-taught cook has an eye for making inventive cooking videos that stand out from the exhaustive list of cooking clips on #FoodTok. From steamy hot bowls of ramen to sensorial ASMR dessert making, it’s no surprise why his videos have garnered over 81 million likes on TikTok. We asked Lorenzen to reveal the inspiration behind his hunger (and thirst) inducing clips.
What is your earliest memory of food?
My Hungarian godmother made amazing goulash and other types of Hungarian dishes that I never came to know the name of. She was a phenomenal cook.
What was the first dish you learned to cook?
I don’t remember, it’s been so long ago. But I think there was a time when I only baked cookies day in and day out.
What is the one dish you’d love to learn to make?
Croissants.
@
Where did you get the idea to do your cooking videos?
I had an idea and, over time, I have built on it to what it is now. The premise started with using these social media platforms as a gateway to jump into the next thing. In my case, it has always been about getting into the restaurant game. The thought behind my cooking videos was also about practising my ideas and concepts to be later executed by professional chefs. Practice now, get a good understanding, and once I’m ready to open a shop, perform it at a high level.
Tell us more about your content.
The narrative of my content creation is part of my personality and creativity. As of now, there are so many layers and facets to my content creation that, from an outside perspective, may seem so hard to fathom where it all began. Hint: go check out some of my first published TikToks and work yourself up to the newer ones. Trust me, it will be an interesting perspective.
What inspires you to do what you do?
Creating the next viral restaurant concept.
@cedriklorenzen Do you want me to glaze your hole? #dessert101 #donuts #saucybuns #bakedonthate #tiktokgotwet #wetfyp Recipe for donuts below 👇 Inspired by Heston Blumenthal. His version is done with dry ice and French toast. Slightly changed it with a glazed donut instead. Words cannot describe how fun this dish is. It brought a smile to my face and it’s absolute delight. I haven’t felt this experience for a long time, in fact last time I recall this feeling was back in 2010 when I first tried Michelin food. Difficulty: Medium Makes 4-8 🍩 Donut – 7g dry yeast – 50g caster sugar – 290g lukewarm milk – 7g sea salt – 195 bakers flour – 195 regular flour – 4g baking powder – 80g unsalted butter – 10g skim milk powder (optional) 1 Mix lukewarm milk & yeast until fully dissolved 2 In a bowl, add caster sugar, bakers flour, baking powder, skim milk powder, & sea salt. Mix well together before adding yeast mixture 3 Knead dough until it comes away from the side of the bowl and you achieve the “windowpane.” Add unsalted butter & knead further until a smooth dough forms. Proof dough for 1hr or until the dough doubles in size 4 Knock out the air & roll out to approx. 12mm thickness. Using a, i.e. cookie cutter, cut out desired holes. Arrange each bun onto a rectangular greaseproof paper, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature until visibly puff/airy (approx. 1hr) 5 In a heavy-bottom large pot, heat 8cm of oil to 360ºF/185ºC. Fry on both sides until golden brown Donut Glaze – 300g icing sugar – 60g milk – 85g corn/glucose syrup – pinch of sea salt 1 Mix everything together until nice & smooth. Using a wire rack placed over a tray, add donuts, & glace once. Allow excess to drip off before use
What is the one dish you would prepare to impress someone?
If we’re talking about a date, I’d say pasta. It’s easy, sexy, and fun to make. If we’re talking about impressing your future mother-in-law, then perhaps, a chocolate torte.
What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?
Chocolate.
What is the sexiest meal you’ve had?
I know what it is, but I’ll have to let you use your imagination instead.
@cedriklorenzen Ready for round 2? #netflixandchill #saucydog #wineandine #bakedonthate #wetmouth #saucypizza #letmefeedyou #fyp
What is your favourite ingredient to cook with?
It depends on the day.
Who are your dream dinner party guests?
No clue. But what I can tell you, though, is during my stint at uni, I used to host dinner parties with random students. That was super fun.
What are your plans for 2023?
I have a business plan for a cafe and bakery project. It’s currently in motion.