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Recipes, lessons, and inspirations from an adventurous Jewish girl who lived in Italy and returned to California to transform her community into a bunch of badass cooks.
WHY IS THIS COOKBOOK DIFFERENT?
It's not written by a celebrity chef, it's written by a teacher and comedienne who lived in Italy for years.
It will show you how to make the best food with the absolute least amount of effort.
It features unabashed memoir, life lessons through food, and “classroom corners” that explain how and why recipes work, so you can put down the cookbook and finally learn to trust your instincts.
It was edited by a Hollywood comedy writer, because who else could edit Meal and a Spiel!
You’ll find both a chapter called Pasta That’s Better Than a Restaurant and one called I Can’t Believe It’s Not Pasta! because I’m a Californian who came of age in Italy, and I believe in tradition, indulgence, and balance over dieting. My No-Noodle Lasagna will rock your world.
And it has a denim cover! With rose gold lettering. Because all badasses know how to rock a good pair of jeans and sparkle from the inside out.
Join a tribe of people who are preparing fantastic food as a playful way to create connection and healing for themselves, their friends and family, and for society at large.
Recipes for Every Diet
Balance Meets Indulgence
“The whole point is to live life and to use all the colors in the crayon box."
- RuPaul
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
- Ludwig van Beethoven
“Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.”
- William Shakespeare
"It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate—you know someone’s fingers have been all over it."
- Julia Child
Because cooking isn't just about making food, it's
about connecting more deeply with yourself and the world
“The purest way of tasting food is directly from your skin. Be thankful that you’re not a restaurant chef, but rather a home cook who can pleasantly dip a finger directly into the pan to decide what your food needs. If you want others to have a visceral reaction to your food, then you have to get primal with it. Lick your fingers.”
Learn how and why recipes work, so you can finally become an intuitive cook.
Principles of Slow Cooking
Rules for an Al Dente Pasta
Pasta Faux Pas
How to Choose an Olive Oil
How to Brown Chicken So It Doesn’t Stick to the Pan
WTF is My Broiler??
and many more...
YOU'VE NEVER HAD A COOKING TEACHER LIKE THIS
She's like Amy Schumer meets the Dalai Lama meets Julia Child
ABOUT ELANA
Born to parents who defrosted Lean Cuisine, Elana began cooking as a child because the kitchen was the only place her mother couldn't find her. In her 20’s she had an epiphany which took her to Italy for 5 years. There, she worked in bars, fell in and out of love, ate her way through the peninsula, and garnered life experiences that she would one day write about. While devouring every aspect of the local culture, she learned to cook from an Italian mamma in a Tuscan villa. In 2010, she returned to Los Angeles and founded Meal and a Spiel, the cooking school. Fast forward 8 years, and her community has grown to span the entire country, transforming the lives of people of all cooking levels.
Badass cooks speak out!
Heather Petis
Marine Biologist. Whale Saver. Mother
Little Italian Potato Sticks
"These were outstanding! SO easy to make and absolutely delicious. I have a kid who is a ketchup fiend and not once did she mention pulling it out. The flavor of both of these variations are stand-alone-delicious."
Charlie Zabriskie
Real Estate Finance Guru. Father.
No-Noodle Lasagna
"Our picky South African neighbors who manage to find things to complain about at Michelin Star restaurants said this was one of the most delicious plates of lasagna they've ever eaten. It was delicious indeed. And the sauce deserves its own praise."
Sally Kravich
Holistic Nutritionist, Pregnancy Specialist
Un-Red Roasted Tomato Soup
"Yum, yum, yummy! My husband said it's the best tomato soup ever! And I don't normally like tomato soup but I loved this one. The way you roast the tomatoes, using a soffritto as a base, your no-chop broth, and adding the garlic and basil at the end makes for one superlative tomato soup recipe!"
Shari Weiner
"What a treat!!! I absolutely love your new cookbook “Meal and A Spiel”. I realize that this is what I have been waiting for... Your book is inspiring and thoughtful and beautifully written. It is elegant and presented in such a logical and direct manner, that I couldn’t put it down.
I followed your instructions and read it in bed tonight.
It is easy to follow and makes me want to have a true love of cooking. You are inspiring me."
Laura Bialis
"This is the most amazing cookbook I have ever owned. With the most number of recipes I actually will make and my family actually will eat!!!
And I’m laughing out loud as I read."
Idell Natterson
"I usually read non fiction, but I think the new genre for my reading is Elana's style and content. I've already changed my cooking habits: no more measuring. I felt like I was in sunny Italy with her. The problem is I got ravenously hungry and if I read too much at a time I'll cook it all and gain 40 pounds."