"Bacon & Eggs" Noodle Kugel

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

When I was a kid, I took casseroles for granted. I didn’t understand the complex mathematical formula of nutrition, bulk, and ease that a casserole affords to a parent.

You mean, I can combine everything in one pan, throw it in the oven, and when I pull it out, I’ll have a happy and full family? Done and DONE!

The downside with casseroles is they tend to lack texture. They fall into that slow-cooker style of texture-less mush.

But they don’t have to!

This is one of those dishes where no matter how much extra you THINK you have, you’ll find a way to demolish the entire thing faster than your elastic waistband can expand.

If you happen to succeed in saving leftovers, it’s perfect for breakfast the next day. I like to perform a magic trick in the morning: I cut a giant square, nuke it for 30 seconds, and surprise everyone with how quickly I eat it.

I get why moms were so into casseroles. They’re easy, tasty, and 100 percent healthy. (Don’t fact-check that.)

Guanciale is cured pork cheeks (the front ones). If you can’t find it, use pancetta. If you can’t find pancetta, use bacon. If you can’t find bacon, you probably aren’t living on Earth, in which case, you should come visit sometime! Bacon’s the best thing we’ve got!

1⁄2 pound guanciale, cut into lardons, 1⁄4 inch by 1⁄4 inch by 1 inch
7 tablespoons (100 g) butter
1 tablespoon (10 g) flour
4 cups (1000 g) milk
8 egg yolks
41⁄2 ounces (125 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
2 teaspoons (6 g grated) nutmeg
1 pound (453 g) penne pasta

Heat oven to 350 ̊F.

Add guanciale to a cold skillet large enough to fit it all on one layer. Turn heat to high. Turn heat to low as soon as you hear the sizzle. Cook until one side is browned, then flip each lardon and brown the other side. Once done, transfer guanciale to a paper towel–lined plate.

Make the roux. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the saucepan, increase heat to medium-high, and stir constantly. You want it hot enough to cook out some of the flour flavor but not so hot that it starts browning. Reduce the heat if it starts browning. Add milk and bring to a simmer while stirring. Simmer for a minute and then remove from heat. Set aside. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes so it doesn’t cook the egg mixture.

Beat egg yolks to combine in a bowl. Add cheese, nutmeg, and roux. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Bring a small pot of salted water (remember, it should taste like the sea) to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes. Strain and discard the cooking water.

Transfer pasta to a 8 by 8–inch casserole dish. Add the guanciale and then the custard mix. Bake 30 to 45 minutes at 350 ̊F.

Kasha Varnishkes

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 2 servings

“Half pastrami on rye, half chopped liver on hallah, stuffed cabbage, some kasha varnishkes, and a bit of arugula. Extremely Jewish and extremely hungry. The pickle’s funny.”—Herb Smith.

“DOINK.”—Herb Smith

“Don’t trust a guy who will work for salami.”—Susie Myerson

This is not your Bubbe’s Kasha Varnishkes. This is my Kasha Varnishkes, my take on the classic comfort dish. Same old kasha. Same old varnishkes. With a twist!

I couldn’t bring myself to include just another KV recipe in this book. You can search all over the internet for standard KV. You’ll find some variation of: kasha, bow-tie pasta, onions, egg, schmaltz.

If Herb Smith ordered KV and got this, he’d probably wonder when the owners of the Stage Deli sold to gentiles.

I’m gonna come right out and say it: I don’t get kasha. I’m sure it’s a favorite for some people. Or they grew up with their Bubbe making it for Yom Kippur. I tried it the conventional way and I just couldn’t get behind it. So, I changed it. It still has kasha. It still has varnishkes. It still has schmaltz. But it also has some other stuff.

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup (50 g) kasha
4 tablespoons (50 g) rendered chicken fat or olive oil
1⁄4 pound (40 g before prepping) shallots,
1⁄4-inch dice
1⁄2 pound (225 g) mushrooms
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1⁄4 cup (75 g) heavy cream
4 tablespoons fresh thyme
Water, as needed
Kosher salt, as needed
2 cups (100 g) bow-tie pasta

Recipe

Add the kasha to a sauté pan set over medium heat until toasted. Give them a gentle shake every minute or two to toast evenly. It’ll smell nutty. Nutty is good. Transfer the toasted kasha to a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pan. If they start browning, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the mushrooms to the pan, toss or stir to combine, and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté until the mushrooms are browned.

Add the milk, heavy cream, and fresh thyme to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and reduce the liquid by half.

For the pasta

Fill a large saucepan halfway with water. Add salt as needed. I’m a nerd and weigh my water and salt, adding 1% of the water’s weight in salt. So if I add 3 liters of water, which is 3 kg (3000 grams), I’ll add 30 grams of kosher salt. Please salt your pasta water. It’ll make this dish taste so much better.

Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package directions.

To complete

Use a spider (👈🏿 affiliate link) to transfer the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms. It’s okay if some of the pasta water comes with it. It’ll help season the mushrooms.

Add 1⁄4 cup of the pasta water to the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among two plates. Garnish with fresh chives and/or more fresh thyme.

Susie's Beans

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 4–6 servings

I love Susie’s practicality. She eats a can of beans right out of the pan she warmed them in. But she deserves better. This dish pays homage to the original recipe (open can, eat) but introduces some variety in the beans and some interest in the flavors. The ingredient list is long, but you’ve probably got everything except the bell peppers on hand already.

I use Better Than Bouillon and water here instead of chicken stock to keep this simpler, more Susie-ish. I use so much chicken stock at home, I find it’s easier to keep a small jar of Better Than Bouillon in the fridge than jars and jars of chick stock.

7 ounces (200 g) bacon
1 (16-oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (16-oz) can garbanzos, rinsed
1 (16-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 cups (750 ml or 750 g) water
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor
1 teaspoon (1.5 g) cumin
2 teaspoons (3 g) chili powder
2 teaspoons (3 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (1.5 g) cayenne, optional if you want a kick
1 teaspoon (1.5 g) dried oregano
1 1⁄2 cups (200 g) red bell pepper, 1⁄4-inch dice
1 1⁄2 cups (200 g) green bell pepper, 1⁄4-inch dice
crème fraîche, optional
Cheddar cheese, optional
Fritos, optional
Green onion, optional, sliced

Cook the bacon. Place bacon slices on a cooling rack placed on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet. Put into a cold oven. Set to 400 ̊F and cook until crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add all ingredients except the bell pepper and bacon to a large pot and cook over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and cook until liquid reduces to the texture of chili, about an hour. Add the diced bell pepper at the end and stir to combine.

Divide among serving bowls and top with crème fraîche, grated cheddar cheese, Fritos, and/or sliced green onion. Or eat them straight out of the pan, like Susie does.

Braised Chicken Thighs

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Zelda deserves a few nights off, for all she does for the Weissmans.

4 chicken thigh and leg quarters (4 thighs and 4 legs)
Kosher salt, as needed
4 tablespoons (50 g) canola oil
8 cloves garlic (6 g)
1 pound (453 g) potatoes, 1⁄2-inch dice
2 onions, cut into wedges
1⁄2 pound (225 g) shallots
1 lemon, 1/8-inch slices, plus 1 lemon, halved, for lemon juice garnish
4 tablespoons (30 g) capers
4 tablespoons (30 g) green olives, diced
4 tablespoons (10 g) dill
4 tablespoons (10 g) parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 ̊F.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt.

Add oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add chicken skin-side down and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cooling rack on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Smoosh (technical term) garlic under the broad side of a chef’s knife. Leave the skin on and add to the pan. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned, tilting the pan to cook the garlic in pooled oil. Once the garlic is browned, remove and discard.

Add the potatoes, onions, shallots, and lemon wheels to the pan. Place chicken on top of the vegetables and move the pan to the oven. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. You can use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness (155 ̊F). Chicken legs are pretty forgiving to overcooking, so I tend to just go by time.

To complete, divide the potatoes and onions among 4 plates and place the chicken on top. Top with capers, olives, dill, a squeeze of lemon, and parsley.

Crème Fraîche Cheesecake

Last updated: February 18, 2026

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 2–4 servings

Why does everything have to be so sweet all the time? America loves sugar. Ohhh boy, do we love sugar. Our Cromag brains go bonkers when we taste sugar.

I’m done with all the sweet. I want bitter. And salty. Maybe a little sour in there for good measure.

Enter the Crème Fraîche Cheesecake. This is a dessert for people who don’t like things too sweet. It looks sweet. Sounds sweet. But it’s not too sweet. A lot like Midge. She looks like a nice, normal 1950s housewife but when she gets on stage, there’s a whole other side of her.

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake

4 ounces (114 g) cream cheese
1⁄4 cup (100 g) crème fraîche
11⁄2 tablespoons (40 g) sugar
1⁄4 cup (60 g) heavy cream
1⁄2 vanilla bean
1 egg

For the Graham Cracker Topping:

8 (60 g) graham crackers
1⁄2 cup (60 g) pistachios
1 stick (113 g) butter
Salt, to taste

Directions

For the cheesecake

Use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and crème fraîche in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sugar and cream and beat to mix until smooth again. Use a paring knife to cut a vanilla bean in half and reserve the other half for another use. Slice down the vanilla bean half to open the bean and expose the seeds inside. Take care not to cut all the way through the vanilla bean. Open the pod by folding the sides back and slide the knife down the length of the bean to scrape out all the seeds. Add them to the bowl along with the egg and beat to combine.

Preheat the oven to 325 ̊F. Put the mix in a 4-inch by 13⁄4-inch springform pan, place it on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, and put it in the oven. Bake until the cake is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. It should still wobble a bit in the center.

For the topping

Add graham crackers and pistachios to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until it’s a fine meal.

Add butter to a small skillet over medium heat. It’ll melt, then bubble, then bubble smaller bubbles. When it smells nutty, remove from heat and pour into the graham cracker mixture.

Stir. It’ll look like wet sand. After it cools a moment, taste it and add salt to taste. I usually add 1⁄2 teaspoon, but add as much or as little as you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.

Brisket!

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 6–8 servings

You’ve gotta love Midge’s unwavering support of Joel’s comedy career, especially her knack for getting Joel better time slots. Stand-up can be a grind. In the current New York comedy scene, fledgling comedians perform on “bringer shows”—comedians bring paying audience members in exchange for a spot on the show. I perform at a club with a ten-person bringer requirement. When I first started out, I didn’t have ten friends (I still don’t) so I did favors (wink) for the producer.

Even if you don’t do stand-up, the Brisket can grease the wheels on any important thing you need done. Need your car fixed? Brisket. Want a promotion? Brisket. Need your neighbor to do some weird favor involving a snow shovel, some rope, and a petting zoo? Brisket.

This brisket is easy enough to be a weeknight meal but would be equally at home for a special occasion.

1 pound (453 g) carrots, 1⁄2-inch dice
1 pound (453 g) celery, 1⁄2-inch dice
1 pound (453 g) onions, 1⁄2-inch dice
1 brisket, 3–5 pounds, fat and silverskin trimmed (I prefer only a thin strip of fat on top)
Kosher salt, as needed
4 tablespoons (50 g) canola oil
1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot
32 ounces (1 L) beef stock
Maldon sea salt, as needed

Preheat the oven to 275 ̊F.

For the vegetables

Wash the carrots by running them under cold water and rubbing them with a clean dishrag. The point here is to dislodge any dirt. We’re not going to be eating the carrots in the end, so presentation isn’t as important. Dry the carrots with a fresh dish towel. Remove the root end and cut each carrot into 4-inch-long sticks. Cut lengthwise to halve each segment, then cut lengthwise again to quarter the carrots. Congrats, you’ve just made carrot sticks! We want 1⁄4-inch-thick dice for this preparation, so cut each stick crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. You can group three or four sticks together to speed up this process. Set aside in a small bowl.

Remove the root end of the celery by cutting crosswise about 1 to 2 inches up from the root. You want to remove the root and the whitest parts of the celery. Separate the stalks and wash, using your fingers to dislodge any dirt. Dry, cut into 4-inch-long sticks, then cut crosswise into 1⁄2-inch- thick slices. Set aside in a small bowl.

Remove the top (opposite the root end) of each onion. Stand the onion on the cut side and cut in half through the root end. Remove the dry outer layers. With the large cut side down, slice downward every 1⁄4 inch, making sure not to cut all the way through the onion. Hold the onion from the top and make horizontal cuts every 1⁄4 inch. Now, make vertical cuts every 1⁄4 inch down the length of the onion. You’ve just diced an onion! Set aside.

For the brisket

Trim excess fat and silverskin. Salt the entire exterior of the brisket. Grab a few fingers’ worth of kosher salt and sprinkle over the meat from a height of at least 12 inches. Why so high? Because this results in a more even coating of salt. Don’t worry about the amount of salt you’re using here. This may seem like a lot, but remember, that there’s a lot of meat beneath the surface, and a lot of the salt falls off in the cooking process. Repeat for all sides of the brisket.

Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a large pan over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully add the brisket—try to avoid splattering everywhere, cussing, and having your spouse roll her eyes at you while suggesting you just order pizza and try to be a man. When the meat is browned on its first side, after about 2 to 4 minutes, flip it to another side. Repeat until all sides are browned, about 12 minutes total. If a side sticks, give it another minute instead of forcing it up. Once complete, remove the brisket from the pan and set aside. Spoon the fat out of the pan. It’s served its purpose, and will only dilute the flavor in the completed dish. Do not wipe the pan clean.

The pan should have brown stuff stuck to the bottom. This is good. This is flavor. We’re going to deglaze the pan, freeing up that yummy brown stuff. The brown stuff is technically called fond. And I’m fond of fond.

Turn the heat to medium, add the wine, and use a wooden spatula to scrape up the brown bits. This is called deglazing. Reduce the wine to a glaze, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the brisket back to the pan. Optionally, and to make things easier in the final steps, cut a piece of cheesecloth larger than the pan and cover the meat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery on top of the cheesecloth. Add enough beef stock to cover everything. Gather the cheesecloth and place it inside the pan. Place the pan over high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Remember, simmer does not mean a boil. You should see water vapor coming off the top, but it shouldn’t be bubbling. Once it reaches a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 5 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. If you’re in a rush, you can increase the heat to 325 ̊F and cook for less time, but the meat won’t be as tender.

To complete

Remove the pan from the oven. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth, lift the vegetables out of the pan and reserve to a large bowl. Remove the brisket to a cooling rack to drain for a moment, and then transfer to a cutting board.

Heat the remaining liquid in the Dutch oven over medium high heat and reduce by half to concentrate the flavors. Reserve.

Slice the brisket across the grain into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Don’t know where the grain is? Grab a corner of the brisket and pull. You should end up with a long strand of meat. That is the direction of the grain. Cut across that. Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Scatter the reserved vegetables around the meat and drizzle some of the reserved sauce over the whole thing. Top with a few generous pinches of Maldon sea salt.

Blini!

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 20 blini

I love potato blini. Everything about them. They look cute. Feel cute. Even the name itself is cute.

Blini. It sounds like a sidekick in a Pixar movie, doesn’t it? Make a bunch of them, and they’ll be your little minions. They even kind of look similar.

They’re like little clouds on which you can layer different flavors. But whatever you top it with, make sure it’s flavorful. A common topper is caviar. Tiny, crunchy, salty. Is that what caviar tastes like? I don’t know, I’m not a Russian oligarch.

Here we top it with gravlax and deep-fried capers for a rich and salty crunch combo.

These will taste very plain on their own, severely lacking in salt. If you find yourself cursing my name, just take a deep breath and remind yourself, “These are supposed to be topped with something salty, like gravlax.”

You could easily top these with roasted red peppers for a vegetarian version. Or caramelized onions. Ohh, man, I’m getting hungry again.

1 pound (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tablespoons (56 g) butter + more as needed
2 tablespoons (25 g) crème fraîche
2 eggs
2 tablespoons (20 g) flour
Maldon sea salt, as needed

Put potatoes in large pot and cover with at least 1 inch of cold water. Turn the heat to high. Once it comes to a gentle simmer, adjust heat to maintain just a gentle simmer. You don’t want a full boil, as it could damage the outsides of the potatoes. (If the outsides get damaged, the potatoes will begin to absorb water, which means they won’t absorb as much fat later!)

Cook until you can easily pierce the largest potato with a knife, about 30 minutes. It should slide in smoothly. You shouldn’t feel any starchy resistance once they’re fully cooked. If they’re larger, they could take as long as 40 to 50 minutes or longer. Keep that knife handy and, after 20 minutes of simmering, test every 10 minutes.

Drain in a large sieve (or your tamis!) or remove the potatoes from the water with a spider, skimmer, or whatever.

As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them with your fingers. Or, don’t peel them and place them directly on your tamis (more on this in a moment).

Meanwhile, put 4 tablespoons of butter and the crème fraîche into a large mixing bowl.

Put the potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or my favorite, a tamis. You can process the potatoes directly into the bowl. If you feel more comfortable handling the tamis, you can place a sheet of parchment paper directly on your countertop and process the unpeeled potatoes through the tamis right onto that sheet.

If you didn’t process the potatoes directly into the bowl, add them to the bowl with 4 tablespoons of butter and the crème fraîche. Use a wooden spoon and mix to incorporate.

Add the eggs one at a time and stir to incorporate. You’re going for the texture of pancake batter. Add some of the flour to thicken if necessary.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add a small pat of butter to the pan and swirl the pan to coat. Spoon flatware teaspoon-sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip the blini and cook for until browned on the other side.

Serve with gravlax, caviar, or just a small dab of crème fraîche and a pinch of Maldon sea salt.

Risotto, tomatoes, feta, paprika

Yield: 2 servings

Risotto isn’t difficult to get right. It’s impossible.

Cook it too fast, and it’s soupy undercooked rice. Too slow? And you’ll never get dinner on the table.

What is it about risotto that makes me want to take a nap midway through?

Try as you might to follow a recipe from a famous chef (like me), it never turns out as easy as they claim or as sexy as the pictures look. Oh, you might get close. You might get 90 percent through the recipe, and think to yourself “I’ve got this!”

You do not got this.

It can be daunting, like doing stand-up right after Lenny Bruce. Here’s my suggestion: take the pressure off yourself. Treat each batch of risotto as a learning experience, have a glass of wine, take a Xanax, relax. You’ll get through it. And you’ll come out a better cook because of it.

32 ounces chicken stock or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, divided
2 tablespoons (25 g) olive oil
1 pound (453 g) onions, 1⁄2-inch diced
1⁄2 cup (100 g) Carnaroli risotto
2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt
1⁄2 cup (120 g or 120 mL) dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
1 bunch (20 g) thyme, tied with a piece of kitchen twine
1 heaping cup (120 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons (2 g) thyme
2 teaspoons (6 g) sweet or smoky paprika. Doesn’t matter!
1⁄2 cup (80 g) feta, crumbled
1⁄2 loosely packed cup (3 g) mint

Add chicken stock to a small saucepan, simmer over medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions to pan and sweat until translucent. Add risotto to the pan and increase heat to medium-high to toast the risotto, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Add the salt and white wine to the pan, stir to incorporate, and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Add the cherry tomatoes, thyme, and paprika to the pan. Stir to incorporate.

Add 1⁄2 cup of chicken stock to the pan, stir constantly, and cook until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Continue adding stock 1⁄2 cup at a time and stirring until the liquid has been absorbed.

When the risotto is al dente, remove from the heat and stir in the feta, 2 tablespoons butter, and mint. It’s important to stir vigorously at this point. The harder you stir it, the more emulsified the butter and cheese will be. Serve immediately.

Brown Butter Rugelach

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

How much do I love Herb Smith? Exactly as much as Vern, with every bone in my body.

He’s is one of my favorite cameos. Such confidence, such charisma, and such poor joke-writing skills. Did anyone else want him to tell Midge “never wage a land war in Asia” and “never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”? I kept waiting for him to laugh hysterically and tip over. That never arrived. But his pickle did! (The pickle’s funny.)

I loved his giant order at the Stage Deli. “A half pastrami on rye, and a half-chopped liver on challah, a stuffed cabbage, some kasha varnishkes, and a bit of arugula.” The first time I watched, I thought his order contained “a bit of rugelach.” When I rewatched it with the captions—after I decided to include this rugelach recipe, and after I wrote, tested, and photographed it—I found out he actually ordered arugula.

So.

Here’s a bit of rugelach for you. I’m sure Herb would’ve appreciated the surprise with his order if the waitress had misheard, too.

Yield: 16 cookies

4 ounces (114 g) butter, divided
4 ounces (114 g) cream cheese
1 cup (150 g) flour
1⁄4 teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
1⁄2 cup (100 g) jam of your choice (I love blackberry, raspberry, or a combination of the two.)
1 egg (55 g)
Maldon sea salt, as needed
Turbinado sugar, as needed

Add half the butter to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the remaining butter to a small skillet over medium heat. You don’t need to stir. It will melt, then bubble, then brown. Watch it closely once it starts smelling nutty. It doesn’t take much time to go from brown to burned. Pour it into the bowl containing the rest of the butter. Use a silicone spatula to scrape all the little brown bits into the bowl.

Add the cream cheese to the bowl and stir to mix the ingredients together. You only need to mix enough so that you don’t splatter the liquid everywhere in the next step. (I found this out the hard way . . .)

Use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix on low until incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and compress it into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller baking sheets) with parchment paper. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half. Place one half, flat-side down, onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll into a disc about 9 inches wide. It’s okay if the sides crack while you’re rolling. Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, you can pull off the cracked parts and press them into other parts of the dough to make it more disc like.

Spoon half the jam onto the disc. Use a paring knife to slice the discs into 8 equal wedges. Roll each wedge in on itself, starting with the wide end and working inward, and place on the parchment paper–lined baking sheet.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 ̊F.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Use a small brush to paint each rugelach with egg. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and coarse sugar.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rugelach are golden brown.

Watermelon salad, feta, mint, EVOO, harissa

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 4 servings

How beautiful is this salad! So good. So pink. So salady. But not too salady. Almost no green stuff, save for a few leaves of mint and pistachios, if you can count those. Use the ripest watermelon you can. The melon should feel heavy for its size and should sound hollow.

1 pound (453 g) watermelon, 1-inch cubes
a heaping 1⁄2 cup (100 g) feta cheese
1/3 cup (40 g) pistachios
2 tablespoons (25 g) olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
1⁄4 cup mint
1 tablespoon harissa powder
8 tablespoons parsley

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Divide among 4 serving bowls. Garnish with parsley.

Butter-Roasted Carrots

Note: this recipe was part of a book I wrote called Eat Like A Maisel.

Yield: 4 servings

Maybe Zelda has the night off. Or you’re more focused on a main item, like the Brisket (page 142) or the Rack of Lamb (page 151). Or maybe you just feel like a bunny. Doesn’t matter. This dish is easy, tasty, and the pop of color and textures from the parsley, mint, pistachios, and feta make for a nice surprise.

1 pound (453 g) carrots

1 pound (453 g) butter

4 tablespoons (5 g) parsley

8 tablespoons (2.5 g) mint

1⁄4 cup (40 g) feta

1⁄4 cup (30 g) pistachios

Kosher salt, to taste

4 garlic cloves, optional

1 bunch (20 g) thyme, tied with a piece of kitchen twine, optional

Wash the carrots, scrubbing vigorously. Wrap a clean dishrag around the carrot and push and pull the carrot through it. Seriously. You’re going to be uncomfortable. You’re going to make anyone watching you uncomfortable. But when you’re done, the carrots should have a soft, velvety skin. Which I think makes this whole exercise even more awkward.

Melt butter in a large sauté pan. You want a pan small enough to fit the carrots, but not so large that you have tons of extra room. I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet. You can chop them into shorter lengths if you wish, but I prefer the presentation of full-length carrots.

Add the carrots to the pan. Careful! Don’t splash any of that butter. This is the time to add the optional garlic and thyme.

Preheat the oven to 300 ̊F.

Carefully move the carrots to the oven and roast for 2 hours. If the carrots aren’t completely covered in butter, rotate or baste them occasionally so they don’t dry out.

Remove from oven. Transfer the carrots to a cooling rack on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet. Transfer the butter in the pan to a jar. Congrats, you just made carrot-flavored ghee! Use this as you would butter, keeping in mind that it’ll have a subtly sweet flavor.

Toss the carrots with parsley, mint, pistachios, feta, and salt (to taste) and serve.

Potato Kugel

Yield: 4-8 servings

The kugel, to me (a gentile), is the epitome of Jewish comfort food. It makes me wish I’d had a bubbe to make this for me. Both the Weissman and Maisel households would have a kugel on rotation. And for good reason. It’s easy to prepare, it’s so flavorful, and it can feed a large group.

2 pounds (900 g) russet potatoes, grated
1⁄4 cup (35 g) flour
2 tablespoons (25 g) canola oil
1 pound (453 g) onions, 1⁄2-inch dice
1 cup (30 g or 1 ounce) green onion, chopped
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt
1⁄2 cup (100 g) crème fraîche
Chives, for garnish

For the potatoes

Fill a large bowl with cold water and set next to your work area. Grate the potatoes using a food processor fitted with the grater attachment or a coarse grater and add to the bowl of water. This will help remove some of the starch, which will help make the kugel lighter. Dry them in a salad spinner or by laying them out on a clean dishcloth. Toss with 1⁄4 cup flour.

For the onions

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add onions. Sweat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

For the custard

Add the 3 whole eggs, the 3 yolks, the salt, and the crème fraîche to a large bowl and mix together.

To complete

Preheat oven to 400°F. Add onions and potatoes to the custard and mix together. Lightly oil a 7 x 9–inch casserole dish with 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add the potato custard. Bake in a 400 ̊F oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the custard no longer wobbles when you jiggle the dish. Garnish with thinly sliced chives.

farro salad, parm-reg, greens, seeds, olives

tl;dr: melt fat, sweat shallots, toast farro, deglaze, pressure cook 15 minutes @ 1 bar, mix everything, serve

Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups

Ingredients

10 g (1 T) really good bacon fat
40 g (1/2 cup) shallot, sliced 1/16-inch-thick
200 g (1 cup) farro
400 g (about 2 cups) vegetable stock and whey, about 50/50 mix
5 g (about 2 tsp) kosher salt
50 g EVOO
10 g lemon juice
40 g sunflower seeds
40 g Parm-Reg
100 g mixed marinated olives
25 g Arugula

For the farro

10 g (1 T) really good bacon fat
40 g (1/2 cup) shallot, sliced 1/16-inch-thick

Sweat in the base of a pressure cooker.

200 g (1 cup) farro
400 g (about 2 cups) vegetable stock and whey, about 50/50 mix
5 g (about 2 tsp) kosher salt

Add to the pan, seal, and pressure cook for 15 minutes at 1 bar. Start the timer once it reaches full pressure. Depressurize by running cool water over the top of the pressure cooker. Taste for doneness. It should be al dente. If it's undercooked, cook uncovered over medium heat to finish. You can reserve the cooked farro in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To Complete

50 g EVOO
10 g lemon juice
40 g sunflower seeds
40 g Parm-Reg
100 g mixed marinated olives

Mix together in a large bowl.

25 g Arugula
the cooked farro from above

Add to the bowl, toss to combine. Divide among 4 bowls and serve immediately.

Ribs Ribs Ribs

This is, without a doubt, my favorite way of preparing ribs. Yes, it takes days cook them to absolute perfection, but instead of looking at it as 36 hours you have to wait, look at it as 36 hours you get to build anticipation.

In my household, one rack feeds two people. If you serve it with side dishes it'll feed four.

Ingredients

2-4 servings

• 1 rack of baby back ribs
• 50 g (8 T) paprika
• 50 g (4 T) kosher salt
• 40 g (4 T) garlic powder
• 30 g (4 T) chili powder
• 10 g (1 T) brown sugar

For the Ribs

• 1 rack of baby back ribs

Heat a water bath to 65˚C (149˚F). Cut the ribs to fit into your vacuum sealer bags and vacuum seal. Cook sous vide for 36 hours. Remove from the water bath and, if not cooking immediately, chill in an ice bath. Once they're cool, transfer to the refrigerator. Yes, you can leave them in the vacuum bags.

To complete

• 50 g (8 T) paprika
• 50 g (4 T) kosher salt
• 40 g (4 T) garlic powder
• 30 g (4 T) chili powder
• 10 g (1 T) brown sugar

Heat the oven to 350˚F. Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Mix spices in a small bowl. Place a large cooling rack on a foil-lined two-thirds sheet pan. Apply the spice mix liberally to ribs and place on the cooling rack. Cook until a nice dark bark has formed, about 30-40 minutes.

Chicken Croquetas

Makes 32-36 balls

150 g, 1 1/2 cups Spanish onion, 1/4" diced
114 g butter, 8 tbsp
375 g, flour, (about 2 1/2 cups)
5 g, 5 tsp kosher salt
1000 g, ~1 L, 4 cups milk
300 g chicken
Flour, as needed (1 1/2 cups)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil, as needed

150 g, 1 1/2 cups Spanish onion, 1/4" diced
114 g butter, 8 tbsp
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sweat until translucent.

375 g, flour, about 2 1/2 cups)
5 g, 5 tsp kosher salt
Slowly add flour, stirring to incorporate fully. Cook over medium heat until the flour taste cooks off. Stick a spoon in there and taste it if you’re not sure what that means.

1000 g, ~1 L, 4 cups milk
Add milk. Bring to simmer. Stir to fully dissolve the flour into the milk.

300 g chicken
Add chicken. Continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture is shapable by hand. Don’t reach in there and grab it! You’re not an idiot. Give it a few minutes. Stir enough so that it doesn’t burn. It’ll get a little tough. That’s okay. Once it’s pretty stiff, reserve to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until cool.

Flour, as needed (1 1/2 cups)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil, as needed
Place the flour, eggs, and Panko in three separate bowls. Heat 2 inches of olive oil to 375˚F in a heavy bottomed, deep sided pan. Grab small handfuls of the cooled batter and shape into small balls [hehe]. Dredge the little guys in flour, then the egg mixture, then Panko, and then directly into oil. Work in batches of 4-5 balls so the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop. Adjust the heat to keep the temperature as close to 375˚F as possible. Cook until brown. Repeat with remaining balls.

Note

This is part of a cookbook proposal that’s out on submission right now. If you’d like to see what a book proposal looks like, click here.

Arancini with Kalamata Aioli

If someone had told me how easy it was to make arancini, I would have occasionally set aside some risotto for leftovers.

Actually that’s a lie.

I’d still probably eat it all. But I’d cook more specifically for arancini.

These balls are perfect to pass around while your guests arrive. They’re small enough to grab with two fingers and eat in two bites. Make more than you think you’ll need…trust me.

Ingredients

• 500 g leftover risotto

• 50 g kalamata olives, food processed into a paste.

• 50 g good mayonnaise

• 100 g all purpose flour

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 100 g panko

• 60 g mozzarella, broken into 12 small chunks

• olive or canola oil, as much as you need for frying

Recipe

Stir the olive paste and the mayonnaise together in a small bowl until well mixed. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Prepare three bowls, one each for the flour, beaten egg, and panko. Set a large piece of parchment near the bowls. This is where you’ll place the coated balls.

Using your hands, form small balls [tee hee!] of leftover risotto. The balls should be about 35-40g each, a little larger than a golf ball. Stuff each ball with a piece of mozzarella and reform the ball.

Roll the ball in flour, then in the egg, then in the panko. Reserve on a piece of parchment paper.

Heat oil to 325˚F in a deep-sided pot. You’ll need a few inches’ worth, enough to let the balls float freely. Use a spider to carefully lower a few balls into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until the balls are golden brown. Work in small batches, about 3-5 balls, so that the oil temperature doesn’t drop too low.

Serve immediately with the reserved kalamata aioli.

Note

This is part of a cookbook proposal that’s out on submission right now. If you’d like to see what a book proposal looks like, click here.