Most people leave Rhode Island Comic Con with a bag of merch or a slightly blurry celebrity selfie. Chef David Rivoli walked out with recipes. The Providence Chef and Influencer is known for turning everyday moments into something delicious, and last year’s Comic Con gave him five unexpected sparks of culinary inspiration. Including 5 more recipes in development inspired by five celebrities at last year’s Comic Con 2024, along with 5 new recipes inspired by celebrities at this year’s Comic Con.
Rivoli, who proudly blends his Dominican and Sicilian roots with his love for the local food scene, spent the weekend meeting actors he grew up watching. Each conversation lingered with him long enough to become a dish. Every one of these new recipes ties back to his cookbook, Your Hour to Devour, because Rivoli believes food should tell a story that feels personal.
His first idea came from a nostalgic chat with Donovan Patton, better known as Joe from Blue’s Clues. That moment brought him right back to being a kid, which made him crave something comforting and familiar. The result was his Double Dark Chocolate Gelato. “Dark chocolate is the best chocolate ever,” he says. The recipe is built on the Matcha Gelato Recipe found in his cookbook, proving childhood joy and dessert go hand in hand.
Next came a conversation with Yvonne Chapman, who plays Avatar Kyoshi in Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix. They talked about culture, cooking, and what makes comfort food feel like home. That exchange inspired his Chinese Curry. “Chinese Curry is more rich and spicy than Indian or Japanese curry,” Rivoli explains, and shares inspiration from his Shrimp Bao Bun recipe. “Deglazing the pan with Shaoxing Cooking Wine after sautéing the potatoes and carrots helps to scrape up the rich fond,” a culinary term for the brown bits left behind in the bottom of your pot after searing proteins and vegetables, “in order to keep the immense flavor all throughout the dish”
A friendly moment with Kellan Lutz from the Twilight Franchise lit the spark for his Blackened Salmon Curry. Lutz mentioned he wanted something with bold flavor in honor of his “Wife’s Blackened Salmon” and his love for Indian Food, so Rivoli returned to his Butter Chicken recipe and reimagined it into a Cajun-Indian fusion dish with smoky heat and depth.
One cool conversation with Bobb'e J. Thompson, most known from Disney’s That’s So Raven and MTV’s Wild’n Out, led him to create both his recipes of Cheeseburger and Fries and Buttermilk Fried Chicken to create what he calls a “Bobb’e Board,’ hence inspired by Bobb’e himself for his love for the American Classics. Both recipes are distinctively found in his cookbook which you gotta order online. It's outstanding!
His final inspiration came from meeting Jennifer Morrison of Once Upon a Time. Rivoli watched the show religiously from ages 11-17, so talking with her felt surreal. That conversation pushed him toward something comforting and handmade: fresh pasta dough rooted in one of his favorite cookbook collaborations.
All five dishes are available on the Pepper app, but for the full recipes, chef’s notes, and the inspiration behind many of his creations, Rivoli’s cookbook Your Hour to Devour is the place to go. Written entirely by David, it’s available for purchase online at found.us.
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