NIN’s Ilan Rubin Cooks

Okay, that title is a little misleading. Ilan Rubin does cook, but only when he’s behind his drums, not in a kitchen or over a stove.

I interviewed Ilan when he was on tour with Nine Inch Nails this past year (will be adding the interview here soon). He’s only 21 but way beyond his years in terms of music  and his vast touring experience (prior to NIN he was in Lost Prophets).

But when I asked him about food, his eating habits seemed to be fairly typical of a guy his age.
“I eat poorly,” he confessed. “My diet pretty much consists of junk food. Burgers, chips and chocolate are the mainstays. I rarely eat any vegetables or fruit. It’s okay now at my age but I’m sure at some point eating this way is gonna catch up with me.”
So he’s not exactly a gourmand, nor is he a healthy eater. But does he have a fave recipe? Yes. It’s a concoction called ‘Chili Pie’ consisting of Fritos corn chips, cheese, and canned chili. “I clearly don’t cook much,” he admitted somewhat sheepishly.
He may not be a chef, but the kid plays drums like a beast and plays guitar, piano and sings with his own band, New Regime, too. Besides, if he gets rich enough, he can always hire someone else to do the cooking.
Here’s the recipe for Chili Pie. It sounds like something you’d make when you have a severe case of the munchies. If you don’t eat meat, just replace the canned meat chili with a vegetarian variety.

FRITO CHILI PIE

2 1/2 c. Fritos
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 c. grated American or cheddar cheese
15 oz. can chili, heated

Place 1 1/2 cups Fritos in a baking dish or pie pan. Arrange chopped onions and half of cheese over Fritos. Pour heated chili over onions and cheese. Top with remaining Fritos and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and serve.