Dorm Gourmet: The Freshman Fifteen never tasted this good November 20, 2008
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentBy Ashley Greene in Schmooze Magazine
If college life has one fault, it’s the lack of home cooking. Even pizza gets old eventually, and we crave the freshly prepared, just-for-us food of home. But unless Mom is willing to FedEx her lasagna overnight, college students are left with only one option to satisfy that homey hunger - cook for themselves. And the Sussman brothers are teaching us to do just that.
“Freshman in the Kitchen” is a beginner’s guide to making simple dishes that will keep any nosher away from the Bagel Bites. The brothers Max and Eli Sussman began writing the book when they were college students. The book’s main inspiration came to Eli (the younger brother) when he was a student at Michigan State University living in a house off-campus with 13 friends.
“Picture a kitchen where people would eat food and never clean up, with an avalanche of trash and dirty dishes everywhere, and me trying to cook,” Eli Sussman says. “Putting together the book, I thought of certain roommates and thought, ‘What would he need?’”
With those college buddies in mind, “Freshman in the Kitchen” is designed to teach basic cooking techniques.
“If you have a skillet or a pot, you can make everything in the book,” Eli Sussman says.
The recipes are organized based on level of difficulty, starting with easier dishes such as Asian Chicken Salad and Gazpacho, and progressively become more difficult with themed meals like Chicken Shawarma and Yakisoba. These recipes include witty tips for everything from dicing to selecting fresh herbs.
Because every recipe can serve a group, Eli Sussman suggests cooking these meals with friends as a way to socialize.
“At parties, everyone’s always standing in the kitchen anyways. You might as well be cooking,” he says.
It can also be economical. Sushi is one recipe from “Freshman in the Kitchen” that brings an often expensive meal to the communal kitchen.
“It’s so trendy to go out and get sushi, no one ever thinks of making sushi with their friends,” Eli Sussman says. The Sussmans’ recipe for this yuppie favorite includes step-by-step photos to guide cooks of all levels.
And while sushi might sound like a bit of a stretch for a college student’s dinner routine, Eli Sussman guarantees that every recipe has been tested in a college kitchen and proven successful for novice cooks.
Looks like we might need a new excuse before reaching for the Easy Mac.
Brothers create cookbook suited for culinary neophytes November 18, 2008
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentCheck out this great article from the Berkley Mirror:
Don’t know how to mince an onion or boil pasta? Tired of tossing a frozen meal in the microwave and calling it “dinner”? If you can’t find your way around the kitchen, let Max and Eli Sussman guide you, one tasty step at a time. The Huntington Woods natives and siblings have created an appealing and chock-full-of-tips cookbook, Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef, published by Ann Arbor-based Huron River Press.
Raised on homemade meals, the Sussman brothers started helping out in the kitchen at a young age, and as teens they frequently cooked family dinners for their parents, Marc Sussman and Lynne Avadenka. Max and Eli’s culinary skills were put to the test in the summer of 2005 when, as college students, they took charge of the kitchen at Camp Tavor, a summer camp in Three Rivers that they had attended in their youth.
“We handled all the cooking for the entire summer, three meals a day for 180 people,” said Eli, who spoke to me from Los Angeles where he lives and works as a media consultant and part-time caterer. “Max came up with the idea that we weren’t going to do any frozen foods. We were going to cook fresh. So, we got rid of the tator tots, the chicken nuggets. We decided to cook everything from scratch, to open up the kids’ minds to some different dishes and a variety of foods.”
During their college years (Eli is a 2007 Michigan State grad and Max is a University of Michigan alum) the Sussmans worked in a variety of restaurant settings. Eli’s experience was mostly short order cook and diner-style food, while Max honed his culinary skills in fine dining and more upscale restaurants.
“We both had friends who were asking us for advice, friends who really needed tips to accomplish simple tasks and more complicated tasks in the kitchen,” Eli said. “So it seemed like a logical extension to use our experience to help everybody out.”
Friends and family members encouraged the brothers to put their recipes and helpful hints into book form. Freshman in the Kitchen is a breezy read, with step-by-step cooking instructions for both simple and more challenging recipes that range from sandwiches, salads and desserts to vegetarian fare, grilled foods, ethnic dishes and Sussman family favorites, like Nana’s Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
“When we were coming up with recipes, I would come up with really fancy, intricate dishes and Eli would kind of put it in check and say, ‘People don’t have two hours to spend on it,’” said Max, who lives in Ann Arbor, and was in California with Eli to promote their book. “A lot of the recipes in the book are simple and budget-minded, but you’re also going to end up with a high-quality dish that tastes really good.”
A chef at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Max strives to use locally grown, organic foods whenever he cooks.
“All summer I would go to the farmer’s market, and pick a vegetable or a few vegetables and build a meal around that because I think it’s important to know where your food comes from and to be able to see the people who actually grew it,” he said. “It’s a really good feeling and beyond that the food just tastes a lot better.”
Max and Eli will sign copies of their book, make a dish for tastings, and answer culinary questions at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Huntington Woods Public Library. They’re looking forward to their visit and hope parents will bring kids to the program. To register, call (248) 543-9720. Visit www.freshmaninthekitchen.com.
Feta Filo Bites at Surfas in LA November 8, 2008
Posted by Max in : Recipes , add a commentOk so we’ve been talking about adding recipes to the site and decided the time is now. Here’s one we created for a cooking demo and signing we just did at Surfas in LA. It was a huge hit!
Feta Bites
15 mini Fillo Shells
4 ounces Greek feta cheese
1 eggs
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced (see recipe)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup frozen spinach
pinch salt and pepper
Directions
Break apart feta cheese with a fork into smaller crumbles. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Place 1 teaspoon in each fillo cup. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Let cool and eat. You might have some leftover filling, we suggest making an omelet or frittata the next morning.
LA here we come! November 5, 2008
Posted by Max in : Events , add a commentWell technically Eli’s already there but Max will be flying out tomorrow and we’ve got two great events if you are in the area. First is a cooking demonstration and book signing at the renowned chef and kitchen supply store Surfas in Culver City. We’ll be cooking Angel Hair Pasta with Bacon and Cream Sauce and Sweet Peas and our famous Bruschetta (Come by on Saturday at 1PM for the demo and stick around for the signing). Then we’re heading to the American Jewish University to participate in this great dinner:
Let’s Eat: Judy Zeidler cooks with
Jayne Cohen, Jennifer 8. Lee and Max and Eli Sussman.
Tuesday, November 11, 7:30pm $45Join us for a delicious gourmet kosher meal that features recipes from Jayne Cohen’s Jewish Holiday Cooking • Jennifer 8. Lee’s The Fortune Cookie Chronicles • Max and Eli Sussman’s Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef • Judy Zeidler’s Gourmet Jewish Cook. Schmooze with the authors while you eat. Three-course meal included.
Hopefully you can join us!
State News: MSU grad releases college cookbook November 3, 2008
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentMSU grad releases college cookbook
An MSU graduate has joined forces with his brother to produce a cookbook for hopeful college chefs at MSU and across the country.
Eli Sussman, a 2007 MSU graduate, and his brother Max have used their love and knowledge of food to create the book, “Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef.”
The book is now available across the country and on Web sites including Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com.
“We all knew it would do well and it really can relate to everyone,” said the brothers’ father, Marc Sussman.
Eli and Max said they have been exposed to cooking throughout their lives and have realized how hard it is to cook independently. Both brothers have had experience in the food industry and still actively work in the business.
“I was assistant chef at a summer camp and my brother was the head chef there and I also work for many catering companies in Los Angeles,” Eli said. “Max has also been in cooking jobs since he was 17.”
Eli worked at Lou & Harry’s Five Star Deli, 245 Ann St., while at MSU and said he watched students waste money on food they could make themselves. Using their background in cooking, Eli and Max finally came up with the idea during their senior year to help students.
“We really wanted to show people that if they put the effort into food, they can eat the same things from restaurants without spending as much money,” Eli said. “ We can relate to every student who is on their own in college and watching the unhealthy habits of many students.”
With support from colleagues and family members, the book has seen success.
“The boys are great to work with, we’re always laughing,” said Shira Klein, vice president of the Huron River Press, which printed the cookbook. “The book is getting rave reviews and is spreading to people everywhere.”
With more than 85 recipes, the cookbook has tips for independent chefs to make cooking easier and more enjoyable.
“The cookbook has a chapter on how to stock your kitchen, how to grocery shop, how to grill and has tons of tips, techniques and stories throughout,” Eli said.
The Student Book Store, 421 E. Grand River Ave., brought the cookbook to MSU this weekend with a book signing on Saturday morning before the MSU football game.
“We brought them in on a tailgate day because the business would be very good — also many workers read the book here and think it’s great,” said Larry Irish, tradebook manager of the bookstore.
Published on Sunday, November 2, 2008
