Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook - Hardcover

Gelen, Carolina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593581873 ISBN 13: 9780593581872

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2024

Synopsis

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Wildly popular blogger and viral recipe creator Carolina Gelen presents 100 crowd-pleasing, effortlessly delicious recipes that showcase her simple-but-sophisticated style.

“Not a lot of cookbooks make me shouty, but this one did instantly: Everything looks so good! Clever, innovative, and fresh, I hardly know what to cook first.”—Deb Perelman, author of Smitten Kitchen Keepers

ONE OF NPR’S BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR

Far from a fussy chef or unrealistic food influencer, Carolina learned to cook at home with a family who loved food but could rarely go out to eat. Taking that passion to the next level, she worked in restaurants and translated her skills into a successful full-time recipe developer who cultivated an online community of millions who love her recipes.

Her debut cookbook, Pass the Plate, features 100 recipes for creative but familiar takes on beloved comfort foods—almost all are brand-new, but there are also some beloved fan favorites. Dishes such as Chicken Schnitzel with Caramelized Lemon Gremolata and Many Mushrooms Lasagna to Broccoli Cheddar Beans with Crispy Cheddar Panko and Upside-Down Pineapple Coconut Cake will satisfy cravings and inspire confidence in the kitchen, regardless of your skill level. With personality-packed chapters such as Egg-Stravaganza, Nosh & Nibble, Salad Days, and Veg Out, everyone will find something to enjoy.

Full of gorgeous photography and heartwarming stories about Carolina’s Romanian family, Pass the Plate will bring comfort to your kitchen and have friends and family asking for seconds.

About this title

About the Author

<b>Carolina Gelen</b> is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and food content creator. She is known for her popular, approachable, and pantry-friendly recipes, which have resonated with millions of home cooks. Her journey began in Transylvania, Romania, where she was born and raised. In 2021, she immigrated to the United States to pursue her passion for food full-time.  Her cooking style draws heavily from her upbringing in a small town in Transylvania, where she learned to create resourceful recipes for everyday cooking using simple ingredients.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

In Romania, though I was an only child, I grew up in a large family, surrounded by lots of loud aunts, uncles, and a bunch of cousins who were like my siblings.

When we’d get together, the room would instantly become super loud, but as soon as the food got to the table, it would create a sense of calmness. The aroma of the food was so inviting and comforting, whispering at us to enjoy life. We’d set up these big pots and pans of chicken soup, roast chicken, mici (Romanian flavored meat rolls), couscous, and cabbage rolls, plus all the accompaniments—so many homemade pickles, marinated roasted peppers, fresh bread, piles of fresh scallions, raw garlic cloves, chiles, and dips. The person closest to the food would plate everyone’s meal, telling everyone at the table to “pass the plate” so they could fill it for them.

I wanted to channel that spirit of good food and family here in my first cookbook, filling it with recipes that are so delicious but easy to make, using ingredients you probably already have.

I hope this becomes a cookbook you can count on for any occasion, from a latenight snack emergency, a special anniversary, a breakfast gathering, to a cozy Wednesday night in.

The food in this book is a diverse collection, drawing from my immigrant background, including living in Transylvania for most of my life, moving to the US, where I became familiar with classic American foods, and working in various professional kitchens with so many talented folks. You’ll find American classics with unique twists and upgrades, such as my rich and creamy Brie mac and cheese with garlicky panko, alongside nostalgic Eastern European dishes I crave when I’m missing home, like my garlicky one-pan chicken couscous or ginormous cabbage roll cake. You’ll also find fun dishes born of letting loose in the kitchen and being creative and resourceful, like my crispy ketchup rice for breakfast or a humble no-bake salted milk chocolate pie.

I believe cooking should be an enjoyable experience, not some stressful task you always postpone. With these highly doable recipes, I want you to feel comfortable in the kitchen, regardless of your background or skill level. With this in mind, most recipes in the cookbook use pantry-friendly, humble ingredients that you can find in most grocery stores across the country and are as stress-free and flexible as possible. I made it a point to make my instructions thorough and the design easy to follow along.

There’s truly something for everyone, and I can’t wait to see what you find for yourself and make your own. My dream is that Pass the Plate will live on your kitchen counter, developing so many creases and grease stains because it’s so well-loved that you come back to it repeatedly, enjoying recipe after recipe. If this cookbook keeps you inspired, satisfied, and brings you closer to your community, I have fulfilled my biggest goal. I hope you will love the food so much that you can’t help but ask for seconds and pass the plate to the person next to you.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593581873
• ISBN 13: 9780593581872
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272