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

by Carolina Gelen

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Cooking made accessible, Carolina Gelen is here to make your kitchen tastier, without all the hassle of ridiculous meals no ordinary person has time to make.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593581872
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	4,572
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Carolina Gelen is on a mission to share her love of food with you. 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. She is a recipe developer and food content creator who cultivated an online community of millions. While most people know her for her wildly popular food blog and social media channels, her work can also be found in the New York Times and on Food Network and Food52. She loves nature and fell in love with the mountains of Utah, where she currently resides.

Read an Excerpt

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.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/16/2024

Foodie influencer Gelen debuts with an eclectic and endlessly appealing collection of recipes for any occasion. Taking inspiration from her experiences working in professional kitchens, she puts a new spin on dozens of classics. For example, she gives chicken nuggets an upgrade with a coconut-panko coating and pineapple-basil dipping sauce, opts for butter beans in place of penne to go with her vodka sauce, and bakes risotto with blistered tomatoes and burrata instead of simmering it. Some recipes pay tribute to her native Transylvania, among them one-pan garlicky chicken couscous, cabbage roll casserole, and cremes (a slice of vanilla custard on puff pastry), while others draw from cultures across the globe. Whether showing readers how to prepare the West African-inspired peanut butter chicken mafé stew, mushroom shawarma, or tacos inspired by arayes (Middle Eastern meat-stuffed pita pockets), Gelen makes sure all of the ingredients are easily obtainable. Her thorough instructions are a breeze to follow, and Gelen’s notes throughout are valuable (for the upside-down pineapple coconut cake, canned or frozen pineapple will work in a pinch). This is a treasure trove of inspiration that home cooks will turn to time and again. Agent: Nicole Tourtelot, Gernert Co. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

From the root of the ‘pass the plate’ phrase born around the small table in Romania where she grew up to diving head-first into the food industry in her first year in the U.S. her new adopted home. Quickly spotted by The New York Times and Food 52, the eyes of foodies were on Gelen. From breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to ‘nosh & nibbles’ and desserts, her debut book has a recipe—100 of them—for everyone. And that personality we know and love on the screen shines through each and every page.”—Forbes

“Pass the Plate will be useful for both new cooks and experienced ones who fall into idea ruts every so often. It’s an approachable and highly usable book that suggests that Gelen has much more going for her as a recipe developer than her social media following alone.”—Eater, “16 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2024”

“[Gelen’s] recipes always make me think about food in a new way, and her cookbook is no exception. . . . From a sesame-crusted breakfast quesadilla to a cardamom-scented upside-down cake, nearly every single recipe in this book caught my eye. I can’t wait to cook through the whole thing.”—Simply Recipes
 
“Carolina Gelen’s debut cookbook is packed full of real recipes for real life, each bursting with the warmth you know and love her for. There are so many smart dishes using simple ingredients in ingenious ways that I don’t even know where to start! Now’s our chance to hang out in the kitchen with our favorite social media friend.”—Sohla El-Waylly, New York Times bestselling author of Start Here

“Carolina’s Pass the Plate is a must-have for all food lovers. Her talent shines on every page of the book as she brings exciting, innovative ideas and flavor to the table. Carolina’s recipes are unique, yet she keeps the recipes highly approachable and extremely cookable for all levels of cooks. I am certain that readers will fall in love with cooking all over again as they cook their way through Carolina’s first masterpiece.”—Alex Snodgrass, New York Times bestselling author and creator of The Defined Dish

“Carolina’s like your favorite cooking teacher, bringing warmth and expertise into your kitchen. With a focus on doable, yet extraordinary recipes, she unlocks a world of flavor you never knew existed.”—Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm
 
“In a world where many people just do the same thing over and over again, Carolina Gelen, her recipes, and now her debut cookbook do the exact opposite. I am constantly blown away not only by her creativity but also by how each and every recipe I’ve made from her is perfectly done. Her flavor combinations are unmatched. Her techniques are flawless. Her imagination knows no bounds. I would do anything to be her neighbor. Trust me when I tell you that this book will be your new favorite!”—Gaby Dalkin, New York Times bestselling author and founder of What’s Gaby Cooking
 
“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

“Pass the Plate offers a glimpse into the mastermind of Carolina Gelen I’ve been waiting for—and it’s everything I hoped it would be. Her passion, grit, and love for food melts off each page, and the recipes are a rare and welcome combination of simple and drool-worthy. I can’t wait to make every single one!”—Melissa Ben-Ishay, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Baked by Melissa

From the Publisher