wondering why recipes tend to use frozen spinach instead of fresh? is there some method to use fresh instead?

Basically cheaper and more accessible, also cuts out the steps of blanching and draining which can be a pain when using a large amount.
You could always swap in fresh- but note that it’s mature spinach not the common prewashed baby spinach you need to get the texture and flavor. Baby spinach will easily turn into green slime.

Ive also found that you can usually substitute just about any garden green that is available and double the amount which is called for in the recipe.

A potato ricer is a fabulous tool for squeezing the maximum amount of water out of spinach, frozen or fresh. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever riced a potato, but I've likely squeezed gallons of water from spinach over the years.

You have to use a ton of fresh spinach to get the quantity of frozen ... the flavor is great if you buy a great organic frozen one (Earthbound Farms is one) ... just be certain to squeeze out the liquid ...

I think people use frozen spinach for convenience and price. Fresh spinach costs a bit more overall but I prefer fresh over frozen. Count on about 1 pound of fresh baby spinach to wilt down to about 10 ounces.