5 Things Every College Student Needs March 13, 2009
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentYes, folks, there we are, right between mini-fridge and iPhone:
3. Freshman in the Kitchen Cookbook – As I said before, going to the dining hall for every meal can get boring, and sometimes you’ll want to shake it up a bit. However, you might not have the money to go out to eat whenever you feel like it, so why don’t you try cooking something in the dorm kitchen? Check out Freshman in the Kitchen, From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef, a cookbook designed for college students written by brothers and recent college grads, Max and Eli Sussman. It helps even the least experienced person (who had mom cook their every meal) learn to make great meals by starting off with simple, no-heat meals and gradually moving into more elaborate spreads.
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.
Free Press Best Recipes of 2008! January 8, 2009
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentWe’re in Star!! December 25, 2008
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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.
