Cook This: 3 recipes for living your 'guest life' from What Can I Bring?, including peach and ginger upside-down cake

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Our cookbook of the week is What Can I Bring? by food writer, recipe developer and cookbook author Casey Elsass.

Jump to the recipes:whipped blue cheese, black bean salad with Sazón vinaigrette, and peach and ginger upside-down cake.

To say Casey Elsass is no stranger to writing cookbooks would be an understatement. What Can I Bring? (Union Square & Co., 2025) is technically his 20th title — his first solo effort after co-authoring and ghost-writing 19 others. Not one to rest on his laurels, Elsass has four more cookbooks coming out this fall and next spring, with other projects on the horizon. As much as he enjoys writing for and with others, though, the experience of going it alone was freeing.

“It was really nice to be able to write as myself for the first time. That felt incredible. It was great to work on my own timeline. It was great to bring all of those experiences from the 19 times at bat when my name was on the cover and the pressure was really on,” says Elsass, laughing.

Elsass filled What Can I Bring? with 75 recipes for living “your guest life”: dips, drinks, salads, brunch, breads, not one but two dessert chapters (one on “MVPs” cookies, bars, pie and ice cream, and the other on cakes), and homemade edible gifts.

He came up with the idea of focusing on winning dishes to take to parties during the pandemic. “I really took advantage of getting together and being in community, and I didn’t realize that until it wasn’t an option anymore, and I missed it so much.”

Elsass kept the project on the back burner, secretly filling a Google Doc with ideas. Writing his own cookbook wasn’t always a dream, but it became one. After quietly working on it in small ways, he told his boyfriend, artist Pacifico Silano, about the concept one night at dinner. Elsass called his agent in the morning, and they sold the proposal within a month.

In 2019, after selling his hot sauce, maple syrup and honey company, Bushwick Kitchen, Elsass started writing cookbooks in earnest. (His very first foray was a 2016 Short Stack edition on maple syrup.) It took time to figure out the pacing of projects to build a sustainable career, but Elsass has carved out a space in the food world that brings him joy.

“I feel very lucky that I wake up excited for my work every day,” says Elsass. “Almost everybody I work with has always dreamed of having a cookbook, and then I get to be with them in a very intimate way as that dream becomes a reality for them, and that is such a special gift.”

Working with so many people, understanding their palates and points of view, has shaped Elsass’s cooking. “They’ve influenced me in a thousand tiny little ways. Their fingerprints are all over this book in little decisions here and there.”

Take chef Jeremy Salamon’s Hungarian and Jewish cookbook Second Generation (HarperCollins Publishers, 2024), which Elsass worked on. Since desserts are so central to Hungarian cuisine, Salamon felt they warranted two chapters. When Elsass was putting together the proposal for What Can I Bring?, he knew he would do the same because “Just bring dessert” is such a common host refrain.

“That’s Jeremy’s fingerprints,” says Elsass. “When it was my turn, they were all there with me.”

As a prolific cookbook author and recipe developer, Elsass is skilled at making delicious food that shines. He also has an active social life (“not to brag”) and gets invited — and invited back — to plenty of parties. All this to say, he has a lot of experience making an impression with his culinary contributions, whether at backyard barbecues or holiday gatherings.

“Bringing a dish to a party is not competition, but it also kind of is because we all want to be that one. We want to be the star of the show, no matter what. And if someone says they don’t, they’re lying to you,” Elsass says with a laugh.

“I wanted these dishes to be very familiar, very approachable, but I wanted everything to have some kind of little special twist and element that just makes it feel brand-new again. And so, if you’re going up on a crowded table of things, your dish is going to be the one that stands out.”

WHIPPED BLUE CHEESE

Makes: 1 1/2 cups, enough for 6 people

4 oz (113 g) Gorgonzola Dolce or any blue cheese
4 oz (113 g) goat cheese
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon, plus a little more for garnish
2 tbsp roughly chopped dill, plus a little more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Crudités, such as green beans, carrots sticks, chopped celery, separated endive, cucumber spears, sliced bell peppers, halved radishes and broccoli florets, for serving

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the Gorgonzola, goat cheese, lemon juice, cream, tarragon, dill and a bunch of good cracks of pepper. Use a fork to mash the cheeses, then switch to a handheld mixer to whip until the mixture is nice and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (Or use a regular whisk and a lot of elbow grease.) Taste for seasoning — depending on how strong your blue cheese was you might feel like adding a pinch of salt here. Use a rubber spatula to scrape into a small serving bowl. It can be served right away or wrapped with plastic wrap, refrigerated for up to 3 days, and brought to room temperature 30 minutes ahead of time.

Step 2

To serve, use a spoon to swirl the cheese in cute little peaks and valleys, then drizzle some olive oil on top and add a nice sprinkle of herbs and a couple more cracks of pepper. Don’t forget to make a lovely little nest of crudités around your dip.

BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH SAZÓN VINAIGRETTE

Serves: 8

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
Juice of 4 limes
2 tsp kosher salt
1 jalapeño, diced
8 sweet mini peppers, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and diced
2 (15.5-oz/439-g) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 packets Sazón seasoning, any flavour
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

In a medium serving bowl, whisk the vinegar, lime juice, salt and 1/4 cup of cold water. As you dice the jalapeño, peppers, onion, scallions and avocado, add them to the bowl and lightly toss to coat in the vinegar mixture. Set a timer for 10 minutes to lightly pickle.

Step 2

Add the black beans, cilantro, vegetable oil and Sazón. Toss to completely mix, then taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir again before serving.

PARTY TRICK

Sazón is a pan-Latin pantry staple, made from vibrantly coloured annatto, turmeric or saffron mixed with fragrant spices like coriander, cumin, garlic or oregano. The magic ingredient is MSG, which gives this salad irresistible umami. If you’re using a bottle of Sazón instead of packets, measure out 1/2 tablespoon per packet. You could also use an equal amount of Tajín or a chili powder mix instead and adjust the salt as needed.

PEACH AND GINGER UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Makes: an 8-inch (20-cm) cake

Nonstick cooking spray

Peaches:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp ground ginger powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 lb (454 g) ripe peaches (see Party Tricks)

Cake:
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) and set a rack in the lower third. Set an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) cake pan right-side up on a piece of parchment. Trace around the bottom of the pan, then cut around the inside of the circle to avoid the ink. Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick spray, then press the parchment round to the bottom.

Step 2

Make the peaches: Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the prepared pan and swirl to coat the parchment. In a small bowl, pinch the sugar, cornstarch, ginger and salt together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter. Cut the peaches into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay the peach slices, slightly overlapping, in a circle around the rim of the pan, then another overlapping circle inside, then a few more pieces to cover the centre. You’ll probably have extra slices, so A) pick only the best ones for the pan and B) enjoy your snack.

Step 3

Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a big bowl using a handheld mixer), beat the butter and the sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, letting each one totally mix in before adding the next. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the sour cream, ginger, cinnamon, salt, almond extract, baking powder and baking soda and mix on low for 1 minute more, until everything is combined. Set a small mesh strainer over the bowl, pour in the flour, and tap to sift over the batter. Mix on low for 1 more minute, then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again.

Step 4

Scrape the batter over the peaches. Slide the pan into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. (If you’re using a 9-inch/23-cm cake pan, set the timer for 25 minutes.) Slide a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, you’re good. If not, set a timer for 5 minutes and test again.

Step 5

Set a timer for 15 minutes to let the cake cool slightly. Use oven mitts or thick kitchen towels to protect your hands. Put the cake pan in one hand and set the serving plate on top, making sure it’s centred. Put your other hand on top of the plate and quickly flip. If the cake doesn’t drop onto the plate (it’s going to, but I just want to be sure), set the plate on the counter and lightly tap once or twice. The parchment will probably come out with the cake, but if it stays in the pan and holds any peach slices captive, just pluck them out and place them back in their slot on the cake. Let the cake cool for about 30 minutes before serving, or cool completely. Serve the slices plain, with whipped cream or with ice cream.

PARTY TRICKS

To pit the peaches — and this works for any stone fruit — hold the fruit in one hand and a paring knife in the other. If the stem is the North Pole, cut all the way around the fruit from north to south, then turn the fruit in your hand to keep cutting around the equator. Twist the top and bottom in opposite directions and you’ll be able to pop the pit out and slice the fruit.

This can also be done with a 16-ounce (454-gram) bag of frozen sliced peaches that has been thawed in the fridge overnight.

If you’re travelling with this cake, strategically stick toothpicks between a few of the peach slices, then loosely cover the plate with plastic wrap so it’s tented on the toothpicks.

Any leftover cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Recipes and images reprinted with permission from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass ©2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photographs by Gentl and Hyers.

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