By 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.

Check 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 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.

Let’s Eat: Judy Zeidler cooks with
Jayne Cohen, Jennifer 8. Lee and Max and Eli Sussman.
Tuesday, November 11, 7:30pm $45

Join 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!

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

Then at the spiffy new Whole Foods Ann Arbor we are going to be doing a serious cooking demo with some select cold weather friendly dishes from the book. And it’s free! Here are some more details on the Whole Foods event:

Sunday, November 2nd

Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef with Max and Eli Sussman

1:00-3:00 p.m. Free

Join Max and Eli in the Lifestyle Center as they prepare recipes from their new cookbook, Freshman in the Kitchen, and autograph personal copies. The book will be available for purchase. Their fun and inspiring book provides step-by-step cooking instructions to new cooks, as well as instructions on grocery shopping, how to outfit the kitchen, and a myriad other kitchen tips.

Boston Jewish Journal, October 15, 2008

Susan Jacobs
Jewish Journal Staff

Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef Max and Eli Sussman Huron River Press, 2008

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.

Freshman in the Kitchen: Two guys help newbies make meals

Published in the Ann Arbor News, October 15, 2008

By Marge Biancke
News Special Writer

If 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.

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!

Brothers create a user-friendly cookbook for kitchen beginners

BY SUSAN SELASKY
FREE PRESS TEST KITCHEN DIRECTOR

Eli and Max Sussman write in their first cookbook: “We are brothers from Michigan and we are avid cooks.”

Much of their culinary know-how comes from their parents, Marc Sussman and Lynne Avadenka of Huntington Woods. Nearly all of the family meals were made from scratch.

That passion for food and cooking led the brothers to write their first cookbook, “Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef” (Huron River Press, $17.95).

“That environment shaped us to use fresh ingredients and make things that we know people will love to eat because we’ve been eating them our entire lives,” says Eli Sussman, 23.

The two describe growing up in a household with no microwave (believing “that was the greatest travesty in human history”), no store-bought bottled salad dressing and little junk food.

The book, the brothers say, is aimed at their peers. But experienced cooks will like the recipes and useful advice, too.

The book is organized into chapters that highlight grilling, vegetarian dishes, cooking to impress and other topics.

“It starts out simple, with almost no cooking in the first chapter, with the focus being on a mix of different ingredients,” says Max, 25. “In the second chapter we introduced the heat and cooking in the oven and on the stove and continue expanding on techniques you will be using in each chapter.”

Eli, who graduated from Michigan State and lives in Los Angeles, is a media-buying consultant and part-time caterer. Max graduated from the University of Michigan and is a chef at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor.

They will do a book signing Sept. 27 in Commerce Township. We spoke with them by phone.

QUESTION: Where did you get the idea for the book?

ELI: When I would cook simple meals at my house, for example, something very simple like chicken defrosted in the microwave, then cooked in a skillet with barbecue sauce, then served with steamed white rice, my roommates would always ask me what I made and how I made it. I could see a desire for people my age to learn how to cook; they just really had no idea how to go about learning how to do so. I started to realize that if college students were given a cookbook that would have unintimidating recipes with stories and tips to keep their attention, they might cook at their own place every once in a while.

Q: How is the book organized?

ELI: It’s a progression from simple to the more complex with chapters building on what came before it.

Q: What message do you want to convey in this book?

ELI: All it takes is a little bit of effort and some desire for anyone to be able to cook. It’s just about demystifying cooking and that it’s fun and not hard and you can do it.

Q: Other than at home with your parents, where else did you learn to cook?

MAX: We both cooked at summer camp. I spent one part at camp and was going back up as a camp counselor but they asked if I would come back to help in the kitchen. I was the head chef and Eli was one of the cooks. I also had a stint at a fly-fishing lodge in Patagonia, Chile, and worked at Eve the Restaurant in Ann Arbor.

Q: Describe your cooking styles.

ELI: Mine is more about delivering a fast and tasty meal. I’ll cut corners and more apt to save time.

MAX: Mine is more eclectic and wide-ranging. I like to challenge myself with new techniques and ingredients.

Q: Do either of you use a microwave now?

ELI: I do not, but had one all through college. That forces you to try new things in the kitchen; it doesn’t give you that fallback of just popping things in the microwave and I think it keeps my diet healthier.

MAX: I do have a microwave now and use it mainly to heat up my coffee mug but also some food as well.

Q. Do you still make your own salad dressings?

ELI: If you’re going to make a salad, the true components are the ingredients. Make your vegetables stand out and use a simple vinaigrette.

MAX: Sometimes I make just enough for whatever salad I am making. But if I am feeling ambitious sometimes I will make vinaigrette and put it in a bottle and store it in the fridge for future use.

Q: Is there one thing that stands out that you learned from your parents?

ELI: My mom’s London broil is out of this world. She taught us that … you can make small changes as you go and you don’t have to follow the recipes exactly.

MAX: The one thing that stands out that my mom did is starting a dish by sautéing garlic and onions in olive oil. That’s how I start a lot of my meals. … It’s a warm flavor.

Contact SUSAN SELASKY at 313-222-6432 or sselasky@freepress.com.