This is a Cookbook

Get into the kitchen. Learn to cook real good food. Make it crazy delicious. And don’t be too worried about a little mess. In This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life, brothers Max and Eli Sussman—Brooklyn-based chefs—share more than 60 killer recipes that demystify the cooking process for at-home chefs, call on everyday ingredients, and pack in tips for how to make life in the kitchen easier and frankly, more fun—no matter how small your kitchen.


Combining years of elbow grease working the fiery lines at numerous restaurants, the Sussmans currently hail from Brooklyn’s über-hip Roberta’s and Mile End. Drawing on their first-hand expertise, here they present the kind of good eating, go-to dishes they most enjoy preparing at home, with each chapter organized by a key occasion: Lazy Brunch, Dinner Party, Backyard Grub, Night In, Midnight Snacks, and Sweet Stuff.


The duo dives into familiar comfort foods from around the world and irresistible creations for any time of the day—from homey Latkes With Lots of Sauces to unusually tasty Fried Grape Salad with Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese. The Sussmans also offer up inspiration for taking on slightly more challenging DIY projects like Makin’ Bacon and Forget the Frozen Pizza, as well as crib notes for how to throw dinner a party, complete with potent cocktails (such as Call a Cab punch) and themed menus (like Some of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s Favorites).