As stars of “The Bear,” a comedy-drama about a fine-dining restaurant in Chicago, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach have learned a lot about friendship and professional kitchens. Their bond extends off-screen, too: the two are close friends and avid home cooks who, like many of us, rely on a few common recipes.
“When I work, I can't do anything new,” Edebiri said. One of your greatest hits? Creamy Basil Corn Pasta by Melissa Clark.
“I've cooked with so many recipes for so many years,” Moss-Bachrach said. “But at this point, I'm either too tired or exhausted, and I mainly do the things I know.” Their rotation features easy-to-remember recipes, like Tamar Adler's crepes and Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce.
Among her favorites is her mother-in-law's vegetarian borscht, a recipe that has a lot of meaning in her family.
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food stylist: Anna Billingskog.
Below or on YouTube, watch as Moss-Bachrach teaches Edebiri her family recipe. (Her mother-in-law is Ukrainian and even brought her daughters to the shoot for a little family history lesson.) The actors talk about their culinary and restaurant experiences, both real and fictional.
Below are excerpts from the interview and outtakes, which have been edited and condensed.
Ebon, can you start by telling us what borscht is?
EBONY-BACHRACH MOSS It is a dish that is truly part of Ukrainian culture. Every family does it and there are many, many different versions. Some have meat, others beans, others tomatoes. It is a true Eastern European staple and a real workhorse. Almost like the equivalent of an Italian marinara, where it becomes a reflection of the different families in the different regions.
Credit…Victoria Chen
How often did your mother-in-law, Lidia Yemchuk, do this to you?
MOSS-BACHRACH My daughters grew up with this. She lived in Los Angeles and every time we got off the plane and went to her house, borscht was always the first thing we ate.
Ayo, have you tried this borscht before?
AYO EDEBIRI I had never tried this borscht before.
MOSS-BACHRACH Have you eaten borscht?
EDEBIRI I've had borscht before. Beets are not part of my cultural food pyramid, I would say. I'm excited to have this borscht.
MOSS-BACHRACH It wasn't for me either, because a lot of times, I think in America, borscht becomes like this strange sugary beet. It's in a jar and that's not really for me. This is a tasty dish. The beet has some sweetness, but it's more of a cabbage soup. The flavor is more like cabbage soup than beet soup.
Before today, had you ever cooked together?
MOSS-BACHRACH We have cooked together! We went on vacation together and Ayo came home.
EDEBIRI Lazy things. I haven't really cooked well for you, I guess.
MOSS-BACHRACH That's right.
EDEBIRI OK. Is that something I should probably change?
MOSS-BACHRACH Yeah!
Do you often cook according to a recipe or do you usually freestyle?
MOSS-BACHRACH I've cooked with so many recipes for so many years, and the New York Times Recipes app has been with me for a long time. But at this point, I'm either too tired or exhausted, and I mainly do the things I know. I'm not as adventurous and explorer as I used to be.
EDEBIRI I feel like when I work I can't do anything new.
Do you remember what's in your recipe box?
MOSS-BACHRACH The first thing that comes to mind is Tamar Adler, she has crepes in similar proportions. I really love that recipe. Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce, but that, I don't really need to check, because it only has three ingredients. It's like tomatoes, butter and onion.
EDEBIRI This summer there was corn pasta. If you want, cook the corn and then blend half of it. That was one of my greatest successes. Also the Alison Roman shallot pasta.
Credit…Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
What is the best thing you learned from your time at “The Bear” that you have incorporated into your cooking or your home kitchen?
MOSS-BACHRACH Tortilla?
EDEBIRI I can't eat eggs after that omelet.
MOSS-BACHRACH Oh, really?
EDEBIRI Courtney and me [Storer, culinary producer on “The Bear”] We made that omelet, really, because we made it! We made the recipe, figured out which chip would go best with it (salt and vinegar), and ate it all because we both thought, “We don't want to waste food.”
MOSS-BACHRACH I stayed that day. I didn't photograph that day, but I wanted to because I've tried many times over the years; I watched that Jacques Pépin YouTube of him making omelettes many times. I just can't understand it. So I stayed to watch Coco and Ayo make the omelette.
What cooking skills did you need the most help with before starting “The Bear”?
MOSS-BACHRACH it's like that [gesturing to Ayo chopping onions]It's like a staging. That's what the cooking show sells. It's just the drilling of the cut.
EDEBIRI I also think, in relation to mise en place, only the steps. Like when to do what for efficiency and cleanliness.
MOSS-BACHRACH One thing I learned at “The Bear” was that when I cooked before, I liked doing this a lot. [rapidly stirring the ingredients in the pot]. And then Matty [Matheson] It was like, “Just leave things alone. Let them do their job. You don't need to be constantly moving things. Let them interact with the heat and let some time pass, move them so their friends can interact with the heat.” I like that philosophy.
EDEBIRI You know, it's not a skill, but a device I got from “The Bear” and now I love it. The scrapers. I love a scraper. Now I can't be without a scraper.
Credit…Taylor Miller for The New York Times
Have you ever cut yourself while cooking?
MOSS-BACHRACH Oh my god.
EDEBIRI Oh yes! What is your worst?
MOSS-BACHRACH When I picked up the mandolin.
EDEBIRI Oh my goodness, mine is a mandolin too!
MOSS-BACHRACH Becoming arrogant.
EDEBIRI My friend came to prepare dinner and I thought: This is like God acting in my house. I started gossiping and that was good too. I remember what it was, it was good, and I was like, “Yeah, girl,” and then my fingertip changed for a minute. When I had to do TSA PreCheck, it was dampened because it said, this is not your hand.
Can you tell us about your previous work in the food service industry?
EDEBIRI My first job was as a dishwasher in a nursing home. And then when I was in college, and also after college…
MOSS-BACHRACH ABC kitchen, right?
EDEBIRI ABC Kitchen. I started in the reservation office, then we worked our way to the host's booth and then I started serving. Then when V opened, I would be a barista at V. Sometimes I would have a double shift day, doing V as a barista and then serving at Kitchen. Sometimes I stopped by Kitchen to cover. I have served many famous people. This is so striking.
MOSS-BACHRACH Alright, go, go, go. We're done cutting, so the gossip gods don't scratch your fingers.
EDEBIRI Steve Buscemi and Paul McCartney entered. They were on a double date and everyone was very nice.
MOSS-BACHRACH They were together.
EDEBIRI They were together and then they tipped me a hundred dollars. And I was like the host. I remember saying, “God will shine on you forever.”
If you were a plate of food, what would you be? Can you answer for each other?
MOSS-BACHRACH The first thing is that she would be a Shirley Temple.
EDEBIRI Thank you so much.
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food stylist: Victoria Granof.
MOSS-BACHRACH Was that good?
EDEBIRI That was really nice.
MOSS-BACHRACH I know my friend. She is a sweet and fizzy cocktail.
EDEBIRI You could be this borscht, but with a little spicy sauce.
MOSS-BACHRACH I have reach.
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