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.
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
Brothers Create Basic Book for Clueless Cooks October 23, 2008
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentBrothers Create Basic Book for Clueless Cooks
Boston Jewish Journal, October 15, 2008
Susan Jacobs
Jewish Journal Staff
Some people are just clueless when it comes to cooking. Max and Eli Sussman, a pair of siblings from Michigan, have come to their rescue with a new book designed for individuals who might confuse tongs with thongs.
“Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef” is geared towards busy twenty-somethings whose idea of cooking is microwaving a frozen dinner.
“We understand that people our age sometimes get a bad rap for being lazy. We wrote this book to help [them] learn how to cook. Food doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy to be delicious,” explain the brothers in the foreword of their book.
Although they are certainly enthusiastic about gastronomy, their culinary resumes are not particularly extensive. While attending college, both worked in casual restaurants — Max at a vegetarian cafe, and Eli at a Greek American eatery. Over the summer they helped feed hungry youth at Camp Tavor, a Jewish overnight camp in Michigan.
Perhaps their lack of professional training explains the simplicity of the 96 recipes featured in the slim volume. Sidebars contain what might be considered obvious information such as (this is not a joke) how to boil pasta, and the difference between dicing, chopping and mincing.
The Sussmans maintain that they don’t take anything for granted. “Unlike other cookbook authors, we won’t assume that you have even one second of cooking experience,” they write.
Short chapters cover sandwiches, salads, snacks and desserts, with recipes designed for rank beginners. They offer instructions for making simple dishes such as tuna salad, tomato salsa, sautéed vegetables and spaghetti with meatballs. Most meals can be prepared in 15 minutes or less, and many require little, if any, cooking. Some of the recipes have a college sensibility, such as the PB and J Breakfast Smoothie (which actually sounds pretty tasty.)
The recipes become more challenging as the book progresses. The brothers provide instructions for preparing homemade Mac and Cheese, Sesame Peanut Noodles and Chicken Marsala. They include some of their favorite family recipes, which have a decidedly Jewish slant. While recipes for Mom’s Style Goulash, Mushroom Barley Soup, Nana’s Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and French Toast made from challah may be hamishe, observant cooks should be aware that they are not kosher.
Some of the most interesting offerings are the Sussmans’ ethnic-inspired recipes. Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob), Quick Jumble Jambalaya. Greek Tzatziki and Chicken Shawarma, and Yakisoba with Goma Ae (Japanese spinach salad) all sound mouth watering. The sharp, colorful photographs sprinkled throughout the book make the food look very appetizing.
Although Max currently lives in Ann Arbor and Eli is in Los Angeles, they both emphasize the importance of buying and eating locally-grown, organic food. In the book they also share shopping tips and essentials supplies they believe every kitchen should contain.
“Freshman in the Kitchen” is a friendly book designed for culinary neophytes. It would make a great gift for a college student just learning to cook, or a young couple moving into their first apartment.
Two guys help newbies make meals October 15, 2008
Posted by Max in : Press , add a commentFreshman in the Kitchen: Two guys help newbies make meals
Published in the Ann Arbor News, October 15, 2008
By Marge Biancke
News Special WriterIf ever you’ve suffered from pangs of anxiety when presented with preparing a meal, “Freshman in the Kitchen From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef” might be the perfect relief for you. Written by brothers Max and Eli Sussman, natives of Huntington Woods, near Royal Oak, the cookbook recently was released by Huron River Press.
Well laid out and inviting, the book is geared toward the person who might have a desire to cook but doesn’t quite know how to get started in the kitchen. It also would be a great cookbook for the working person who simply needs new ideas or a few technique hints for a home-cooked meal.
The Sussmans cover stocking the kitchen, how to grocery shop, cooking techniques and tips and of course recipes. I found the format pleasing to read and the instructions easy to follow. With almost every recipe, the authors have included simple tips, variations, comments and great photos. It is as if they had anticipated any questions the novice, as well as more advanced cook, might have about the recipes. Their comments and instructions include hints for cooking perfect pasta, healthy eating, saving money on food and party ideas.
The book begins with easy to prepare appetizers, salads and snacks that may be put together in 15 minutes or so.
The brothers have included a chapter on grilling that should help any anyone who has over-charred a meal – let’s face, it we’ve all been there and done that! This particular chapter was found to be very helpful even in my house.
The “cooking to impress” chapter certainly impressed me. The entrees are straightforward but elegant and not time consuming. They all could be easily prepared after a day at the office. Included with each recipe is an approximate cooking time that I found to be accurate. The chicken breasts with rosemary, white wine and lemon would really impress a date or significant other.
I liked the vegetarian chapter because the dishes have a good bit of flavor and can be used either for entrees as well as more side dishes. The peanut sesame noodles and mac and cheese were yummy.
Yes, there is a dessert chapter too. The recipes are inviting and will complement any meal.
As you look through this book you find that Max and Eli Sussman are like your own personal cooking instructors with character. They literally guide you step -by-step though each recipe with wonderful results and a bit of personal interest thrown in. Their passion for food is evident on each page. This book would be the perfect gift for the young professional or recent grad.
Eli attended Michigan State University and Max went to University of Michigan. While Eli went off to Los Angeles, Max has stuck around Ann Arbor, doing a stint at eve – the restaurant and working now at Zingerman’s.
Best Of! October 14, 2008
Posted by Eli in : Press , add a commentWhile perusing the internet a friend of ours stumbled upon this list of culinary arts new release best sellers online (a concise title indeed). And guess what? Freshman in the Kitchen made the list!
To be amongst this company is pretty amazing, and the fact that we are beating Betty Crocker is icing on the cake. Betty Crocker Icing that is. Zing!
