Rescheduled: TODAY show April 17! February 20, 2009
Posted by Max in : Events , 2commentsHey everybody! The TODAY show is still on, but it’s been rescheduled for April 17. More details to come!
Can you say The Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee?
I am sure you are reading this post and thinking “How did 2 young guys with a cookbook get noticed by a national TV show?
Well here’s the answer : Luck, amazing family friends and having something that you really believe in (whatup Hallmark card…)
Anyone from Michigan will tell you that we help each other out there. Maybe it’s that Midwest mentality, but when people in Michigan have something to offer to another person – be it time, connections or just some good ol positive encouragement, Michiganders are quick to dish it out.
So through this Michigan networking, a family friend’s relative was given a copy of our cookbook and liked the book enough to show it around to some of her work friends. Oh yes, this family friend happens to work at the Today Show in New York City. This far flung shot in the dark actually came to fruition when we received a phone call that the Today Show was interested in us and our cookbook.
Max called me and in his typical dry, very nonchalant fashion he said something like “So I think The Today Show wants us to be on sometime.”
A week went by and Today Show called us and said “Can you clear a week of your calendar?”
We didn’t want to seem desperate and tell them that pending nuclear disaster we would be in New York at any time or day they wanted us, so we gave a few “potential dates that would work for us.”
Once the Today Show settled on March 20th, we both bought calendars and circled the date.
This post means we are only a little more than a month away from our Today show appearance. If you think we’ve slept well since we found out you are very very wrong. We’ve been ramping up our efforts and practicing our witty banter (we hope to be better than Penn and Teller and near Vince Vaughn Swingers by the time of our appearance).
In order to connect with all our web-saavy fans out there we decided to create a twitter account. Now you can now instantly follow the food musings, dinner party menus, random thoughts and blatant self promotion at FreshmanKitchen on twitter.
Max and Eli
Two Jewish brothers have the right recipe for newbie chefs February 12, 2009
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentOriginally published in the Jewish News of Northern California on January 30, 2009
By Louise Fiszer
The Sussman brothers are really cute. And they can cook! I’ve never met them personally, but Jewish brothers Max and Eli appear on the cover of their new cookbook, “Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef” (176 pages, Huron River Press, $17.95). It was the subtitle that was the hook for me — I wanted to know how two young men from Michigan went from clueless to creative in 176 pages with over 100 recipes.
Life at the stove began in childhood in the Sussman family kitchen. “We remember two distinct kitchens from our childhood. There was everyone else’ s and then there was ours,” the brothers write. That meant no store-bought salad dressings, chicken nuggets or complete meals in plastic trays — just a mom who used fresh ingredients that produced, from scratch, innovative, healthy and delicious food.
This philosophy obviously rubbed off on these culinary brothers, as is evident in their cooking style. Their aim is to inspire a young crowd while holding their hands in discovering the joy of cooking.
This spiral-bound book begins with easy recipes involving no “real cooking” (salads, dips and spreads) and gradually presents more challenging dishes (note that not all recipes are kosher). Wisely included are tips on saving money, shopping and kitchen skills. The book is light, comical, youthful and just plain fun. It would be a perfect gift for someone who is moving into their own apartment, a college student or any youngish person who wants to feel more confident in the kitchen. Here are some recipes from the book.
PB and J Breakfast Smoothie
Serves 2
2 cups vanilla soy milk or whole milk
1⁄3 cup blueberry or other fruit jam
2 bananas, peeled and frozen
1⁄3 cup peanut butter
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix on high for 1-2 minutes until it reaches the consistency of a milkshake and all fruit is blended.
Breaded Fish with Herb Butter
Serves 2
2 eggs
2 six-oz. white fish fillets, such as tilapia, sole, snapper
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 Tbs. herb butter (recipe below)
1 tsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. oil
Lightly beat the eggs and place in shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in egg and then in breadcrumbs.
Melt the herb butter in a small skillet or microwave. Let cool slightly, then mix in mayonnaise and lemon juice and set aside. The lemon juice may not dissolve into the butter — that’s OK.
Heat a non-stick skillet and add oil. Gently place fish in the pan and fry until golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with lemon–herb butter–mayonnaise mixture.
Herb Butter
Makes 1/2 cup
1 stick (1⁄2 cup) salted butter
1⁄2 tsp. chopped chives
1⁄2 tsp. chopped oregano
1⁄2 tsp. chopped thyme
1⁄2 tsp. chopped rosemary
Let butter soften at room temperature for 1 hour. When butter is soft, add the herbs. Blend until herbs are fully mixed.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Gabi Moskowitz. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to loufiszer@aol.com.
