What To Bring To The Cookout, Dinner Party, or Other Summer Gatherings

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "What To Bring To The Cookout, Dinner Party, or Other Summer Gatherings"

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Author: WNYC
• Description: ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers, aiming to engage thinkers, doers, makers, and creators in conversations about the what and why of their work. The show fosters a community that celebrates diverse perspectives, making it a companion and curator of New York City's rich cultural landscape.

Episode Details:

• Title: What To Bring To The Cookout, Dinner Party, or Other Summer Gatherings
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Guest: Casey Elsass, Food Writer and Cookbook Author
• Release Date: May 23, 2025

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Introduction: Setting the Stage for Summer Gatherings

At the onset of Memorial Day weekend, often considered the unofficial start of summer, Alison Stewart introduces the episode's focus: preparing listeners for various summer festivities such as cookouts, barbecues, picnics, and potlucks. Emphasizing the cardinal rule of not showing up empty-handed, Stewart invites food writer and cookbook author Casey Elsass to discuss her new book, What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life.

The Pressure of Bringing a Dish

Timestamp 01:12 – 02:00

Stewart opens the discussion by addressing the common anxiety associated with contributing a dish to social gatherings. Casey Elsass acknowledges this pressure, stating, “bringing something to a party isn't a competition, but it also kind of is” (01:26). She explains that while the act isn't meant to be competitive, there's an unspoken desire to bring something that stands out and garners attention. Elsass's book aims to alleviate this stress by offering “75 answers to the very stressful question we all have to ask” (01:26), providing classic yet innovative dishes that add a special touch to any event.

Timing Your Contribution

Timestamp 02:37 – 03:02

Elsass emphasizes that a guest’s decision on what to bring should align with their arrival time at the event:

• On Time: Bring appetizers.
• Reliably Late: Bring drinks.
• Stopping By Later: Bring dessert.
• Bringing Nothing Else: Bring a present.

She notes, “if you're always on time, bring appetizers... if you're reliable late, bring drinks” (02:37). This strategic approach ensures that contributions complement the flow of the gathering and the host's needs.

Emphasizing Room Temperature Foods and Presentation

Timestamp 03:02 – 04:12

The conversation shifts to the importance of bringing room temperature foods. Elsass advocates for dishes that don’t require refrigeration, easing the host’s burden of finding storage space. She explains, “room temp food, especially because some things like dips, salads actually taste better at room temperature” (03:22). Additionally, she highlights the significance of presentation, advising guests to bring their contributions with necessary utensils and serving dishes, while keeping components separate to ensure freshness and aesthetic appeal.

Navigating Guest Etiquette: Bringing Nothing

Timestamp 04:12 – 05:17

When asked about guests arriving empty-handed, Elsass shares her perspective shaped by her upbringing: “I was raised that you always walk in the door with something in your hands” (04:25). However, she acknowledges that modern interpretations vary. Her book's final chapter offers “five short recipes that are just little food gifts” for guests who prefer to leave a thoughtful token without imposing on the host’s plan, such as homemade hot fudge or seasoned oyster crackers.

Listener Interaction: Addressing Diverse Concerns

Timestamp 05:17 – 21:07

Throughout the episode, Stewart fields calls from listeners seeking personalized advice:

1. Kian from Westbury (06:05 – 07:08):
   Bringing a traditional Persian dessert, "seca," raises concerns about its reception. Elsass encourages bringing unique, culturally significant dishes, stating, “what's exciting about a party is the unexpected” (06:49). She believes that thoughtful contributions can enhance the host’s experience and add depth to the gathering.

2. Diane from Westchester (07:14 – 07:50):
   Co-hosting a graduation cocktail party for 50 parents requires a transportable, room temperature-friendly dish. Elsass recommends bringing drinks, particularly batch cocktails, suggesting that a signature cocktail can make the guest the “MVP of the party” (07:27).

3. Al from Westchester (07:50 – 08:32):
   Questions whether to label contributions with a card. Elsass affirms the practice, linking it to the “lost art of saying thank you.” She advises including a note expressing appreciation for the event and the host’s efforts (08:17).

4. Zach in Control Room (11:49 – 13:07):
   Discussion of Gochujang and cheddar scones, highlighting their unique flavor profile and transportability. Elsass shares her approach to creating scones that are “super savory” and ensure longevity for next-day enjoyment (12:48).

5. Mark from Rye Brook (13:12 – 14:04):
   Attending a potluck-making party and seeking to elevate his usual pasta salad contribution. Elsass suggests introducing picklebacks—pickles accompanied by whiskey shots—as a distinctive and enjoyable alternative (13:40).

6. Linda from Long Island City (14:16 – 15:19):
   Hosting a Memorial Day dinner and inquiring about assigning specific dish categories to guests. Elsass supports this approach, highlighting the communal and spotlight-sharing benefits of such organization (14:42).

7. Nancy from New Canaan, Connecticut (17:51 – 18:41):
   Invited to a weekend stay at a friend’s house with plans to cook. Elsass advises taking charge of the menu if comfortable or simply contributing by treating guests to dinner and sending a thank-you note afterward (17:51).

Recipe Highlights and Culinary Tips

Timestamp 08:32 – 21:07

Casey Elsass delves into specific recipes from her cookbook, offering practical tips and personal anecdotes:

• Maple Miso Cucumber Salad (08:53 – 09:59):
  Elsass shares her method of removing cucumber seeds to prevent water dilution of the dressing, enhancing texture and flavor longevity. She describes the dressing as a harmonious blend of rice wine vinegar, miso, sesame oil, and a unique twist of maple syrup, which adds depth and sweetness akin to mirin.

• Gochujang and Cheddar Scones (11:49 – 13:07):
  Referred to as “biscuits in name,” these scones are enriched with gochujang and cheddar, creating a savory and rich flavor profile. Elsass emphasizes the importance of technique to maintain the scones' flaky, biscuit-like layers despite the dense ingredients.

• Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake (15:20 – 17:04):
  A complex recipe that successfully integrates brown sugar into the airy structure of angel food cake without compromising its lightness. Elsass discusses the meticulous process required to balance moisture and flavor, ultimately achieving a spongy yet fluffy texture.

• Pickled Potato Salad (15:03 – 16:05):
  A bold take on traditional potato salad, infused with pickle juice, pepperoncini, and fresh herbs. Elsass eliminates raw onions to avoid overpowering scents and textures, promoting a vibrant and tangy dish that stands out.

• Subway Cookies Anecdote (21:05 – 22:08):
  Elsass recounts a memorable experience where her homemade "Subway cookies" sparked unexpected camaraderie on a subway ride, highlighting the universal appeal of well-crafted treats.

Practical Advice for Transporting and Presenting Contributions

Timestamp 18:54 – 19:45

Elsass offers strategies to ensure that dishes remain intact and presentable during transit:

• Utilize deli containers, Ziploc bags, or Tupperware for versatility.
• Invest in specialized transport cases for delicate items like pies and cakes.
• Choose recipes that are inherently transportable and stress-free.

Emphasizing Detailed Instructions and Personal Taste

Timestamp 19:45 – 20:52

Elsass explains her meticulous approach in her cookbook, catering to all skill levels by providing detailed instructions, substitution options, and reminders to “set timers” to maintain precision during cooking. She encourages readers to taste as they cook, ensuring that each dish aligns with their personal flavor preferences, thereby preventing common culinary mishaps.

Conclusion: Celebrating Culinary Contributions

Timestamp 21:05 – End

As the episode wraps up, Stewart and Elsass reiterate the joy and significance of thoughtful contributions to social gatherings. Elsass emphasizes that each recipe in her book carries personal memories and is designed to enhance the communal dining experience. The episode concludes with appreciation for the listeners’ participation and anticipation for future discussions on All Of It.

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Notable Quotes:

• “Bringing something to a party isn't a competition, but it also kind of is.” – Casey Elsass (01:26)
• “If you're always on time, bring appetizers... if you're reliably late, bring drinks.” – Casey Elsass (02:37)
• “What's exciting about a party is the unexpected.” – Casey Elsass (06:49)
• “Every recipe is marked by effort level, so you know right away what you're getting into before you get your heart set.” – Casey Elsass (19:45)

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This episode of All Of It provides invaluable insights into the etiquette and art of contributing to social gatherings. Through thoughtful discussion and practical advice, Alison Stewart and Casey Elsass empower listeners to navigate the complexities of being considerate guests and resourceful contributors, ensuring that every summer event is memorable and enjoyable for all involved.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it from wt. Welcome back to wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. As we wrap up another week of all of it and head into the Memorial Day weekend, AKA the unofficial start of summer, we want to make sure you're equipped for whatever celebrations, parties, cookouts, barbecues, picnics, potlucks and other festive summer festivities. If you've been invited to some kind of gathering, you know, the cardinal rule, don't show up empty handed. Or a new cookbook centers around this rule in case you've been known that you gotta bring something but you can't decide what. The book is called what Can I Recipes to Help youp Live youe Guest Life. And it's from food writer and cookbook author Casey Elsass, who is here now in studio. Hi Casey.

[Casey Elsass]

Hi, Alison. Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

So one of the things that people think when they go to parties is they're fun and you want to bring a dish that will add to the fun. But there's a certain amount of pressure you feel about bringing a dish. What is that pressure that we feel?

[Casey Elsass]

Well, I say in the introduction, bringing something to a party isn't a competition, but it also kind of is. Everybody wants to be that thing at the party that is finished first. Everyone's talking about it. And so I really set out to write this book as a cookbook, but also as a self help book because I think of these as 75 answers to the very stressful question we all have to ask. And to me, they're very classic dishes that are familiar, but everything has a little twist to it that just makes it feel extra special and brand new in some kind of way.

[Alison Stewart]

Listeners, let's get you in on this conversation. If you have to bring something to a party, what do you usually bring? Or what thoughts on food should you or shouldn't you bring to a party? Our Phone lines are open. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. If you're going to a Memorial Day party or a gathering or a cookout and you want to have your questions answered, we've got Casey right here. 2124-339692-21243 wnyc, you write that your decision about what to bring should be tied to the time that you plan to arrive at the party. Explain that.

[Casey Elsass]

Well, I think there's been a lot of information on being a great host, but not a lot of information on being a great guest. True. And I think one of the biggest things as the guest is just be aware of what kind of guest you are. So I say right up front, if you're always on time, bring appetizers. If you're reliably late, bring drinks. If you're stopping by later, bring dessert. And if you bring nothing else, bring a present.

[Unknown Host]

All right.

[Alison Stewart]

You advise bringing room temperature foods, which is kind of interesting because it means, first of all, the host doesn't have to find space in her refrigerator for it. But how important is the presentation of it? Because you could bring something that looks like it's all wrapped, all ugly. But in terms of the presentation of what you bring, why is that important?

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah, Well, I think two things. First of all, I'm a huge advocate for room temp food, especially because some things like dips, salads actually taste better at room temperature. Fats and acids just sing a little bit better. But also, as someone who hosts a lot, I'm usually playing a game of culinary Tetris. And I don't want you coming in expecting a burner, the oven, a fridge, shelf. So just come prepared. But also, part of that is bring everything you're going to need. Your host is not your Williams Sonoma. You need to have your serving bowl, your utensils, your cups. But I also advocate for packing things up separately. Like, if you're bringing a salad, greens go in one container, croutons in another container, dressing in another container, bring your bowl and just throw it together there. And then you have the most beautiful presentation right on the fly.

[Unknown Host]

This says, should we say anything to guests? This is a text we got. Should we say anything to guests who show up with nothing? Even in jest? I've held grudges against folks who came to picnics empty handed.

[Unknown Caller]

Ooh.

[Casey Elsass]

I mean, that's not how I was raised.

[Unknown Host]

But what if you said, oh, you shouldn't bring anything? And then they don't bring anything.

[Casey Elsass]

I mean, if you told them that.

[Unknown Host]

If you're sitting there and you're looking at them like, hey, is there a code there? I'm wondering.

[Casey Elsass]

Well, so what I've learned in promoting this book is some people really have strict rules about, if I've told you not to bring anything, don't bring anything. So if there was a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding. I was raised that you always walk in the door with something in your hands. So in my book, the last chapter is five short recipes that are just little food gifts. If you want to just leave something behind for your host but you're not imposing something on what they have planned. And for example, like homemade hot fudge, there's a hot sauce, there's seasoned oyster crackers, just really simple things for them to enjoy later.

[Unknown Host]

We're talking about the new cookbook what Can I Bring Recipes to help you live your guest life with food writer Casey Elsass. We want to know if you're going to some sort of event this weekend and you're trying to decide whether you want to cook or bring something along and you have some questions. Our phone lines are open. 212-433-969-2212, wnyc. Or if you have any particular thoughts about guest etiquette, what kind of food you should or shouldn't bring to a party, we'd like to hear from you as well. 212-433-9692. Let's talk to Kian, who's calling from Westbury. Hey, Keon, you're on the air. He's listening. Hey, Keon, are you there? Oh, Kian, he's not there.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, there you are.

[Unknown Host]

Hey.

[Unknown Caller]

Hi. Hi.

[Unknown Host]

Hi. Hi.

[Unknown Caller]

How are you?

[Unknown Host]

I'm good. How you doing?

[Unknown Caller]

I'm doing very well.

[Unknown Host]

Okay, good. What's your question?

[Unknown Caller]

So there's this, there's this dessert called seca. It's part of my Persian heritage. And I, so it's, it's kind of a interesting dessert. And yeah, it's foreign. You know, I'm not sure if the people would really, I don't know if they'd like it. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

What do you think about that? When somebody is bringing something that is special to them but they're not quite sure if the host is going to like it or the, or the guests are going to like it.

[Casey Elsass]

Those are my favorite kind of things. I mean, like, what's, to me, what's exciting about a party is the unexpected. And I also think part of being a great guest is putting a lot of thought and effort into your contribution. Because when you bring something incredible, the host sparkles by association.

[Unknown Host]

Nice. Let's talk to Diane, who's calling from Westchester. Hi, Diane, you are on the air.

[Unknown Caller]

Hi there. How are you doing?

[Unknown Host]

Great.

[Unknown Caller]

So I am co hosting a graduation cocktail party for about 50 parents. But if it's someone else's house. I need something that travels well and that I can serve at room temperature. What should I bring?

[Casey Elsass]

I think drinks are always a good thing. A really, like, batch cocktail is always a great idea. I say in the book, I'm always a fan of a melting bucket of bottles and wine and beer, but I think it's so chic to have a signature cocktail be part of the party. And so if you're the person that brought the signature cocktail, you're immediately the MVP of the party.

[Unknown Host]

Good luck. Have a great time. Al is calling from Westchester. Hey, Al, thanks for calling all of it.

[Unknown Caller]

Oh, thanks for taking my call. Question. When I when I bring the food or the wine, should I put a card with it so they know it's from me? I feel like, is that tacky? Sometimes I try to find the host, so I'm actually handing it to them so I know it's from me. If I put effort into it, I don't know how to do that. Should I put a card with the food or with the wine or what's the best way to do that?

[Unknown Host]

What do you think?

[Casey Elsass]

I think that's great. And also in the book, I talk about kind of this lost art of saying thank you that I feel like we've sort of left behind. And so if you're bringing a card to your host to explain what it was, also just include a little note about how much you appreciate this event and the effort that went into it.

[Unknown Host]

There you go, Al. I hope that advice works out for you. My guest is Casey Elsass. He's written a book called what Can I Bring Recipes to help you live your guest life. Let's talk about a couple of your recipes. The first one I want to talk about is very easy Maple miso cucumber, page 89. Walk us through this.

[Casey Elsass]

So I love a cucumber salad. If I'm at a Chinese restaurant, a Polish restaurant, I'm ordering it. The problem with cucumbers over time is they're like 90% water. So whatever sauce you're going to make with it is going to get watered down eventually. So maybe controversially for my version, I scoop out the seeds from the middle because that's where most of the water is concentrated. And so for me, I feel like I get a better crunch over a longer period of time. And the dressing on these is a lot of ingredients. You would expect rice wine vinegar, miso, sesame oil, but the twist is maple syrup, which actually in flavor is not that far off from mirin. And actually plays a similar role of just adding a sweet note. But I think miso and maple actually are really wonderful together. This dressing obviously goes with the cucumber salad, but hot tip, I also love it on roasted vegetables, too.

[Alison Stewart]

Do you wait and put the dressing on the cucumbers when you get there?

[Casey Elsass]

If you're bringing this somewhere else? Yes, I would wait till the last second because the minute the dressing touches those cucumbers, they're going to start releasing water.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Julia, who's calling in from Westchester. Hi, Julia. Thanks for calling, all of it. You're on the air.

[Unknown Caller]

Hi.

Thank you.

Thanks for taking my call. So I am actually hosting a barbecue, and I have. This happens to be one where I'm hosting a kosher barbecue, and I have guests asking me what they should bring. And I feel a little awkward because I don't want to impose this barbecue dietary restrictions on them. So I don't know what to say when they ask me what they should bring. So I wanted to know if you had any recommendations when, you know, I just don't. I don't want to tell everyone to bring a bottle of wine. So I wanted to know if you had any recommendations when there's a dietary restriction involved.

[Casey Elsass]

I think the one thing every party always runs out of is ice, and you can never have enough of that. So especially if, you know people are coming at staggered times. Assign out that ice so you have a new bag arriving every hour or so.

[Alison Stewart]

Good advice. We are talking to Casey Elsass. His book is called what Can I Bring? Recipes to Help youp Live youe Guest Life. Our phone number is 212433, WNYC, 212-433-9692. Going to a party. You want to know what to bring, give us a call. We'll have more of your calls and more with Casey after a quick break. This is all of it. You're listening to all of IT on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. We're talking about the new cookbook what can I bring Recipes to help you live your gu with food writer Casey Elsass. All right, we're gonna go back to your book. Zach. In our control room, they made these for our staff, and they were so good. I heard these gochujang and cheddar scones, but apparently, you know, to roll up his sleeves a little bit for this one. This one's sort of a medium level of hard.

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

What's special about these scones?

[Casey Elsass]

Well, so they're scones in name, but I would say they're biscuits and spirit.

[Alison Stewart]

All right. Yes.

[Casey Elsass]

I grew up in New England, so I think antagonizing British people is just part of my heritage. But I think scones are always so dense and so dry. And so I wanted a version a that has a ton of flavor, but more importantly has those really flaky, soft layers that a biscuit has. So there's a ton of butter. Heads up. But what I think is really great is the play of gochujang and cheddar, which are both very, like, sharp, pungent flavors. Gochujang, if you don't know, is sort of a fermented Korean paste that is a little bit spicy, but I would say is more savory and has a lot of depth of flavor. Cheddar's really salty, but also has a lot of flavor too. And so the two of them together just make this super savory, rich, feeling, delicious biscuit.

[Alison Stewart]

And I can imagine if you brought these and they didn't get finished, they would be great the next day.

[Casey Elsass]

Well, if they don't get finished, they're coming home with me.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh. Oh, okay.

[Casey Elsass]

They're not yours anymore.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, you don't get to. Oh, you get to take pictures.

[Casey Elsass]

I mean, they're that good. I'm not letting you keep them. But yeah, those with a fried egg on top would be amazing.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Mark calling in from Ryebrook. Hi, Mark. Thanks for calling all of it.

[Unknown Caller]

Hey, guys. So I have a question. I go to a monthly potluck making party, if you know what that is. Everybody brings guitars and banjos and crap like that, and I tend to just stop at a deli and buy a couple pounds of bow tie pasta salad they have that I like and throw it in a bowl and bring it. Is that pretty lame? Should I be doing more?

[Casey Elsass]

I mean, I think that's great. Lucky for you, I do have pasta salad recipe in this book. But for this kind of party, I think the recipe you really need is my recipe for picklebacks, which is a jar of pickles. And the way you serve it is with a bottle of whiskey, and you do a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. And the pickle juice just erases the whiskey like it never happened. And if I were at that kind of party, that's what I'd want.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, you might have trade in the pasta for some pickle juice and whiskey. Good luck to you. Let's talk to Linda from Long Island City. Hi, Linda. Thank you so much for making time to call all of it today.

[Unknown Caller]

Hi. Thanks so much for taking my call. I'm hostessing a dinner over Memorial Day weekend, and I want to know if it was polite for me to ask my guests to bring certain things, like, can I just put it up for somebody to bring an appetizer, somebody else to bring a salad, somebody else to bring dessert, or somebody else to bring the wine? I don't impose on my guests.

[Casey Elsass]

No, I think that's great. I think a communal dinner is such a nice thing. And to me, what's exciting about that is as the plates are going around or as everyone's taking a portion, everybody gets their moment in the spotlight as they get their compliments on the thing that they brought.

[Alison Stewart]

You have in here. Pickled potato salad. We're going into dangerous territory talking about potato salad.

[Casey Elsass]

I know a lot of opinions on.

[Alison Stewart]

Pickled things about potato salad. Tell me about particular potato salad.

[Casey Elsass]

Well, I'm Irish, so if you give me a potato, I'm gonna love it.

[Unknown Host]

Fair go.

[Casey Elsass]

But I do have my own rules about potato salad.

[Unknown Host]

Okay.

[Casey Elsass]

I think. I mean, we've all, like, politely pushed some around a plate and smiled through it, and I don't want to do that to anybody. So I would say the keys are a lot of acid. Potatoes are very bland, but they soak up flavor super well. So there's pickle juice and pepperoncini juice and vinegar to give them a really punchy flavor. A little bit of heat, I think, is super great. The pepperoncini gets chopped up with the pickles, too, so there's a lot of crunchy, spicy, little flavor in there. A lot of fresh herbs do a lot to help balance it out and make it feel really fresh. And also, my number one rule is no raw onion. It's always stinky. It hurts my esophagus. I don't like it. So there's actually no onion in this potato salad.

[Unknown Host]

You have brown sugar angel. It's listed as hard in this book. Yes, it's a brown sugar angel food cake. First of all, how does the brown sugar change angel food cake, which is light and airy?

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah, it is still light and airy. I will say, this recipe almost killed me. It almost did not make the book, but I figured it out finally. The problem with brown sugar is it's very dense. So I had to figure out how to get it in without deflating all the careful work of whipping the egg whites. And the solution was by blending it up with the flour, which helps aerate it and help soften it. But the nice thing about brown sugar is, like, the difference between brown sugar and regular sugar. There's just so much more flavor. Because there's molasses in it.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, yeah.

[Casey Elsass]

But there's also so much more moisture, which is really nice, especially with an angel food cake. It has that lightness, but there's also kind of a spongy density that I really love.

[Unknown Host]

And the moisture doesn't drag it down?

[Casey Elsass]

No. And I mean, it took me a lot of tries. I got it right. A friend tested it. Another friend tested it the day we shot it on set for this book. I didn't even want to look. I was so nervous. So it works, but it takes some time. It takes some technique. It's definitely not a beginner recipe. But I will say if you try it and it flops, just tell everyone it's pound cake and they won't know the difference.

[Unknown Host]

This text says, I'm going to a barbecue this weekend and I'm bringing two of her favorite bee and white crumb cakes. She moved away so she doesn't enjoy them often. One to serve one for the freezer so she can enjoy it later. That's a great idea.

[Casey Elsass]

That is the best idea I've ever heard.

[Unknown Host]

Let's talk to Nancy on Line 7 calling from New Canaan, Connecticut. Nancy, thank the stage. Thank you for taking the time to call all of it.

[Unknown Caller]

Hi.

[Unknown Host]

Hi.

[Unknown Caller]

So I'm going to my friend's house for the weekend and we're going to go out one night and cook one night. So I'm wondering, is it tacky to just treat them to dinner for the night we go out or should I pay for groceries and do I still bring something besides that?

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah, I mean, I love to cook. And so if I'm at someone's house for the weekend, that's my job. While I'm there is the night we're cooking. I'm taking over. I'm in charge of the menu. If you're not super comfortable and confident, then, yeah, pay for dinner. And I don't think you need to bring something additionally. But once you get home, just mail them a really nice, thoughtful thank you card to thank them for the weekend.

[Unknown Host]

If you're bringing food to a party, you have to have the food that can get to the party. What should you have in your arsenal so that your food gets from your kitchen to your party kitchen?

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah, I mean, I tried to make these recipes as transportable as possible, so a lot of them are fine to go in the bowl you're going to serve it in or packed up in Ziploc bags or Tupperware. I keep a lot of those deli containers in my apartment, and that's my favorite thing to pack in. But for specific things like desserts, I mean, you definitely, if you're cooking a pie often, it's worth investing in a transportable case for that. Same thing for cakes, I would say don't pick a recipe that you're not ready to bring from point A to.

[Alison Stewart]

Point B in your book. There's lots of instructions. They're very super detailed. It reminds people to set timers when they put on aprons. You include different options for substitutions and when it's okay to leave out a certain ingredient. Why did you want this book to include as much detail as possible?

[Casey Elsass]

I think there are some ways where cookbooks fail us. Recipes assume a lot of knowledge or a lot of experience sometimes, and I wanted this book to be approachable to anybody at any level. Every recipe is marked by effort level, so you know right away what you're getting into before you get your heart set. But for things like timings, like, the minute I set a timer on my phone, my mind is already somewhere else. So I didn't want to just generally say 15 minutes later. I want to remind you, set a timer, because things like that are where a recipe will really run off course quickly.

[Alison Stewart]

Before getting into the recipes, you talk about the importance of tasting as you go and thinking about flavors in layers. Why is this such an important part of cooking?

[Casey Elsass]

These recipes are my palate and my point of view, and they're not yours. So I need you to be tasting everything as you're making it, because what tastes good to me might not taste good to you, and there's still time to save it before you're finished. So it's really important to just every step of the way, take a little taste and make sure you feel like you're on the right track with this recipe.

[Alison Stewart]

This text says pickle juice. Pickle juice. What the heck is pickle juice? They don't sell it at shoprite. Thanks, Roger.

[Casey Elsass]

It's the juice that the pickles come in, so the brine. So just buy a a jar of pickles and that's your pickle juice.

[Alison Stewart]

What's your favorite recipe?

[Casey Elsass]

Everyone asks me that, and I don't have a good answer because I love each of them in different ways. Everything in this book is either something I've been bringing for a long time or that I made specifically for this book. And so they have very specific memories attached to them.

[Alison Stewart]

I did want to ask you about Subway cookies.

[Casey Elsass]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

What are Subway cookies?

[Casey Elsass]

They are not the Subway Sandwich Shop cookies. Spoiler alert. I'm sorry to disappoint everybody. These are cookies that I made years ago and I had tried a few versions. I felt like I had the final ones. I was on the way to see some friends and I packed up a Tupperware to bring them on the subway. And the woman sitting next to me, they're very, they use black cocoa, which is what's in Oreos. So they're super dark and then chocolate chips. And the woman next to me was like, oh, those are so beautiful. And I was like, would you like one? So I gave her one. And then when I opened the container, the woman on the other side of me was like, oh my God, those smell incredible. So I gave her one. And then we were all just eating cookies on the subway together.

[Alison Stewart]

The name of the book is what Can I Bring? Recipes to Help youp Live youe Guest Life. It is by Casey Elsass. Thank you so much for joining us, Casey.

[Casey Elsass]

Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

And that is all of it for this week.

[Unknown Host]

I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I will meet you back here next time.

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