Wolfgang Gartner Knows McDonald's Recipe For Sweet 'N Sour Sauce
What's complextro? It's kind of hard to explain, you'd have to hear it. But nobody does it better than Joey Youngman. Better known as Wolfgang Gartner, the DJ and house music producer has been nominated for Grammys and International Dance Music Awards and has been known to work 20-hour days transferring beats from his headspace into dance tracks for the masses. How else do you get eight #1 hits on Beatport?
While there's nothing like the fast lane to make you feel alive...fueling your body when you're on the road as much as Youngman can present a challenge. But one simple request can make all the difference between getting up for that 6 a.m. flight to Mallorca and ...well, remaining in pizza coma until further notice. Plus, as I mentioned in the headline, this dude knows the recipe for McDonald's sweet and sour sauce. I'll be following up on that shortly...
In terms of food, what is your favorite city to visit while on tour?
Tokyo for fresh sushi. They're all about the fish there — no frilly rolls or sauces, just fresh-caught, amazing raw fish.
What are three staples in your refrigerator at home?
I couldn't name three. I can name one: water. I'm rarely home long enough to keep anything in there for it to be considered a staple.
OK, well what is the most exciting thing in your fridge right now?
Leftover sushi, which isn't that exciting, but it is to me because I'm about to eat it.
Last meal you made at home was...
Appetizer: fresh green salad with homemade lemon balsamic dressing, blueberry goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and avocado. Main course: barbecued New York strip steak with a store-bought dry rub and a side we call "Hot Baked Greens," which is Brussels sprouts, peas, broccolini and artichoke hearts sprinkled with a mix of cumin and red pepper flakes, baked until tender. This is sort of our signature meal whenever my girlfriend is over and we have time to cook.
What's the first food to hit your lips in the morning?
It's different every day. Anything from a sausage, egg and cheese muffin at Starbucks to homemade steel-cut oats. Usually it's something from Starbucks though. I'm a slave to the mermaid.
Last time you bought food from a street cart: what and where?
A hot dog outside a club after my gig at Guvernment in Toronto. Technically my tour manager bought it and brought it to me on the bus. But I think that still counts.
That counts. Any food or drink requirements for shows?
6 "Absolute Zero" Monster energy drinks, 6 bottles of water and for after the show, fresh greens, grilled chicken, feta cheese, candied pecans or walnuts and balsamic dressing, all separate, so I can make a salad back at the hotel. It used to be pizza, but I've gotten a bit more health-conscious this year.
Is there one thing on your tour rider you can't live without?
Water. Literally. I physically can't survive without water. Bad joke?
If you're eating after 3AM, you're likely eating...
Either my after-show salad, or something really unhealthy.
Earliest cooking memory as a child?
I was really into cooking for about a year when I was a kid. My mom and I used to go online and download recipes and compiled a recipe book, categorized and all. We would experiment almost every night. There was an Indian dish we did involving breaded and fried eggplant with a lot of seasoning on it that I remember being particularly amazing. I also remember we got the recipe for McDonald's sweet and sour sauce and used it on sweet and sour chicken because I loved the sauce so much.