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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
Earlier this week in Order Up!, Chef Demetra Overton shared the long, winding path that led her from professional kitchens to Sweet Savant, her YouTube creator channel, that’s rooted in technique, shaped by motherhood, and grounded in real-life home cooking. Here, she shifts into rapid-fire mode for Food People, Parent Picks, sharing the tools, ingredients, and shortcuts she truly relies on to feed her family well, without overthinking it. Over the years, Demetra has also become known for her knack for testing and reviewing kitchen tools; her first big breakout was the Ninja Foodi, which she spotted in a store, filmed a quick video about, and suddenly viewers couldn’t get enough. Since then, her audience has trusted her insight on what products are worth keeping on hand, and in this segment, she shares the gadgets, ingredients, and tips she reaches for again and again.
You test a lot of products. Is there one kitchen tool you truly use every week and would absolutely buy again?
The Ninja Woodfire Oven, hands down. It’s an outdoor oven-smoker, and I use it at least once a week. I love that you get great smoky flavor without smelling like smoke afterward, and the thermometer probe means no babysitting. I’ve made pork shoulder, duck, all kinds of things—it’s incredibly easy and consistently delivers great results.
When your kids were younger and juggling sports and after-school activities, were you a meal-prep family, a 20-minute dinner family, or a mix?
Definitely a mix. Some nights were takeout—swim lessons next to a Chinese restaurant, karate next to a pizza shop—but I always tried to prep in a flexible way. Not full weekly meal prep, but making sure there was food in the house. If I cooked rice, I made enough for two days so we could turn it into fried rice or something easy later. It was all about having building blocks ready.
What are three pantry or fridge staples you always keep on hand?
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Frozen seafood (shrimp or cod) is a must.
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Canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, which I use for everything from red rice to quick shrimp creole.
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And the flavor base I can’t live without: onions, peppers, and garlic. That’s where everything starts for me.
What’s one shortcut ingredient that still delivers big flavor?
Penzey’s Seafood Base. One spoonful instantly boosts flavor when I’m not making stock from shells. I use it in shrimp creole, fried rice, anything seafood-based. It’s a total flavor bomb.
And besides the seafood base, is there a seasoning or condiment that makes simple food feel special?
Mambo sauce. It’s a DC classic—sweet, a little spicy—and I love it on salads or drizzled lightly over grilled food when I don’t want a heavy sauce. It instantly makes things more interesting.
If you could only keep one pan in your kitchen, which one would it be?
A 12-inch, 5-quart sauté pan with a lid. Nonstick for easy cleanup. You can roast, stir-fry, make soups and stews; it heats quickly and has enough surface area that you don’t have to cook in batches. It’s my everything pan.
Is there a product you originally tested that earned a permanent spot in your kitchen?
The Ninja coffee maker. I use it every single day. I brew straight into my travel mug, even when I’m home, and it stays hot forever. It also does pods and iced coffee. And recently, countertop hydroponic growers. I have a LetPot growing bok choy on my counter right now. It’s functional and beautiful.
What does your “I don’t feel like cooking, but we still need dinner” meal look like?
A one-pot, no-chop gnocchi. I sauté bulk Italian sausage, gnocchi, baby greens like spinach or kale, cherry tomatoes (whole), and finish it with Boursin cheese. No knife, minimal effort, and it’s delicious. My son even makes his own version now.
Is there a food or kitchen product friends now associate with you?
Ninja products—especially the Ninja Foodi range. They’ve been a huge part of my work, and I genuinely use them. Friends see them in action at my house and end up buying them themselves.
