100 Questions with Esty Wolbe: Behind the Scenes Secrets

[Music] Hey guys, today we're going to make spaghetti squashuka cinnamon buns out of leftover. Today we're going to make baked ziti mini del. Yeah, just it's rolling the whole time. Equals crispy. But if you want just a reg Oh, sorry. And everyone needs an ready. Are you ready? [Music] Ready. Great. Come on. That was a good day. We had a good day. [Music] Hi, Esie. Hi. Okay, so in honor of your 100th episode with kosher.com, we have 100 questions for you. Oh, cute. You ready? Yeah, let's do it. All right, Essie, what time did you get up this morning? 6:30. And what do you usually have for breakfast? Just a coffee. What's the most common misconception about your cooking and your recipes? Probably that my kids love everything I make and they don't. Where did you grow up? Brooklyn. And how often do you film? Every couple months. Window or aisle seat? Window. You said 100 questions. Yeah. Okay. So, walk with me cuz I got to grab something. All right, cool. Let's go. What's the biggest challenge you face when filming? Probably being away from my family. Who would you love to have on set with you? My husband. He's my best friend. So, what's your favorite kosher.com show besides your own? Tova does it. Duh. What's the ultimate cooking hack? Um, I like to prepare a lot of minced garlic and chopped garlic and I freeze them flat in ziplocks and then it's always ready to go when I need it. It's a huge time saver. Did you really film the overnight oats episode in 2 days? No. Have you ever taken cooking classes of any sort? Uh, only if watching my mom counts. What's the best fan interaction you've ever had? Oh, it was the cutest thing. It was this little girl in the supermarket. She was so stunned she could barely speak. So, do you know which episode is your most watched episode ever? Big Titi for sure. What's your favorite cheesy dozen episode? Um, the one where I make stuffed cabbage with my mom. Is there something that you tried making recently that didn't come out as expected? Yeah, all the time. I'm a regular person. What made you move to Florida? Quality of life. What's the biggest differences between New York and Florida? Probably winter weather. Do you own a winter coat? Yes, but I only use it when I come here. What's your favorite cookbook? Uh, food lab, but for the science, not the recipes. What's your go-to drink? Water. What's your favorite comfort food? A dense, rich, fudgy chocolate cake. What are five ingredients you have to have in your pantry? Um, pasta, marinara sauce, rice, panko, and chickpeas. Where do you get your cooking inspiration? I get it from everywhere, but probably mostly from Instagram or something recreating something that I had in a restaurant. What's your kid's favorite dinner? Spaghetti hot dogs. What's one food you haven't tried yet? Indian food. What's the one piece of advice you'd give to new cooks? Uh, prep all your ingredients before you start so you have everything ready to go. What's one dinner your whole family will happily eat? Um, parents included. Parents included. Um, grilled chicken, oven fries, and a big salad. What do you need to do to prepare for the show? Fresh manny. And who decides what you'll cook on the show? It's team effort. What's your favorite food trend? Date bark. What's the worst food trend of all time? GH. You know those like folded tortilla things? I don't understand that. So, what do you prefer? Cooking on set or cooking in your kitchen? In my kitchen, pizza, burgers. Burgers. Best cooking advice? Best cooking advice is just have fun with it. Worst cooking advice? Salt at the end. Like, no. What's a common misconception about cooking? That cooking is hard. There are simple recipes and there are more involved recipes, but you can make anything. If you could switch lives with any chef or food personality for a day, who would it be? I know. Family trait you're happiest you got? Sense of humor. Family trait you're happiest you passed on? Sense of humor. What's your most underrated ingredient? Uh, probably soy sauce. Like liquid salt. It's genius. So, what's your favorite childhood snack? Um, Swiss roll cakes. I can like taste it right now. Yum. So, if you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Probably Pokeballs. What's the most important thing you've learned in your career? Uh, that sometimes done is better than perfect. What's something you can't do? Whistle. Silly kitchen spurge. You just can't justify. M. A KitchenAid ice cream attachment. Favorite guilty pleasure. Hagen's coffee ice cream. Okay, so a controversial question now. Mondo or soup nuts? Croutons. Cakes or cookies? Don't make me choose. Ice cream, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coffee. What are you most nostalgic about? Like holiday food traditions. What was the hardest episode to film? Oh god, it was so simple and we just couldn't get it right that it actually never aired, but it was this like pretzel white chocolate M&M thing that just wasn't working, so you never saw it. So, did you ever get nervous before a shoot? Um, yeah, sometimes. What were your career aspirations when you were 12? I was going to be a doctor. What's the your favorite recipe? Uh, potato cookle. What's your favorite recipe of someone else's? Dory Greenspan's French lemon cream is so good. Sweet or savory? Sweet. Vodka cookish? Kokush for sure. Quickest supper hack? I always keep frozen chicken nuggets on hand. What's something you wish you'd known before filming episode one? Um, that you don't have to taste the raw eggs, so you just skip the tasting part. What was the funniest onset moment? Probably my mom roasting me in that stuffed cabbage video. What are some job perks? That I get to see my New York family when I fly in. What do you do to unwind? Um, I wait all week for shave cuz there's nothing like it. Any tips on work life balance? You're not going to like this one, but put your phone away. So, what's something that always surprises you? that a 4-minute video can take three plus hours to shoot. Different and easy sides. I think different is overrated. Roasted green beans are popular for a reason. What do you think is the most important quality a food personality should have? Humility and grit. Dream vacation. Oh, eat my way through Italy. Best compliment you've ever received. My oldest son had a bunch of friends sleeping over when I was um recipe testing for the deep fried ice cream and they came downstairs and like you got to taste this and tell me what you think. And one of his friends took a bite and looks at him and he goes, "You live like this?" And I was like, "Yeah, yeah, he does." What's your biggest recipe development failure? Um applesauce, gummy candies. It's not meant to happen. Favorite meal train meal? Uh chicken, rice, salad, brownies. Do I really need a metal baking sheet? Yeah, you really do. It actually comes out better. All the food comes out better. Favorite Florida restaurant? Hadel. Favorite New York restaurant? I'm really simple girl. I love falafel tonami. Same. What will we never find in your recipes? Fennel. What's the best advice 100th episode SD gives to first episode SD? Um, just be yourself and have a good time and everything will fall into place. What's something people don't know about you? That I was born in Ukraine. What would be the title of your future cookbook? M probably be home. Any fun food related plans or projects coming up? Always. Voice notes or nah? Um parv on it. Go to bagel order? Everything bagel, tuna, lettuce, tomato, and a little salt. What's the best part of a shoot day? Tasting all the food. What's your least used appliance? M dishwasher. And what's the secret to your chicken soup? Cook it for hours and hours and hours. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person. Weird pet peeve. When things are wet like knobs and handles like dry your hands. What kitchen shortcut goes against everything you stand for? Jarred minced garlic. What's the most common question you get asked? Um, probably about my wig, where it's from. It's from Gel Rosen's wig. How have things changed over the years since you've been working at kosher.com? Um, I moved. Jenna moved and I miss her so much. And we have a gorgeous studio kitchen now. Do you bake sourdough every week? How many tries does it take to get a recipe right? Sometimes one and sometimes more than I care to admit. What's the most What's the most impressive dish you've ever cooked? And for who? Um, probably for a Yandiff. I made this gorgeous whole lamb shoulder and it was just spectacular in a showpiece and I brought it to the table and everyone was like, "Ooh." And it was delicious. It was just perfect. Kitchen organizing tip. Um, group like things together and keep your mostused items close by. What's the best way to ensure that your cakes are moist and fluffy? Um, don't over mix and don't overbake. Sand mixer, handheld. Um, I like a stand mixer. I have a hot pink KitchenAid and I love it. Sugar substitutes are meh. Not for me. How to keep roasted vegetables from getting soggy. M. Don't overcrowd the pan. Use high heat and a real metal baking pan. What's a food related custom your family has? I don't know if this counts, but a potato cookle is never meant to go into shop as whole. You have to cut into that and enjoy it right out of the oven. So, what would your dream kitchen definitely include? A gigantic fridge and freezer. So, last question. Is that really your backyard? This? No. I wish it's an LED screen. And we actually really got to go cuz we're filming another episode. So, thanks for stopping by and see you next time.