Casey Elsass's What Can I Bring?: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life

Have a Little: Cookbook Chat

This Spring is packed with so many fun cookbooks and this week I am so excited to feature Casey Elsass’s debut book: What Can I Bring? Casey is one of the kindest people in the biz and its no surprise that cookbook authors far and wide have brought Casey on to their projects to get them over the finish line. He has worked on over 20 titles as a as co-author, ghostwriter, friend, and unlicensed therapist.

I asked Casey a few questions about writing his first solo book and he is generously sharing his recipe for Hot Fudge at the end of this post. I happen to think that a hot fudge sundae (with store bought ice cream) is one of the best dinner party desserts in the world. Its comforting, easy, delicious, and customizable. A jar of hot fudge also makes a lovely little gift for your host to enjoy later. What more could you possibly want?

Thank you for stopping by Casey!

Q + A with Casey Elsass

You're known as a "cookbook doula" in our industry. What is the most important lesson you learned while working on other people's books that helped you bring your own to life?

So many lessons! What a gift to get to go through the process so many times—I had 19 cookbooks under my belt before I wrote my own. I learned how to shape text, produce a photoshoot, translate design to print, with a lot of different authors, editors, photo teams, and art directors. When it was my turn, all of that experience gave me a lot of clarity for how I wanted the book to look, feel, and read. But the pressure of having my name on the cover made my 20th time at bat feel like the first time all over again!

The book is obviously full of so many beautiful and delicious recipes to bring to a party. What is your favorite non-food gift for a host?

Two things, one controversial and one not. The controversy is I think bringing flowers for your host is a lovely, generous thing. For the Type A hosts that get stressed out by this gesture, here are two things to remember: Anything can be a vase and guests are always dying for a little job! For a less formal gathering, bring a disposable camera. Make it known it's up for grabs, let everyone go nuts, then send around the digital files so you can all relive the night a week later.

What recipes would you suggest for someone who wants to prep their party dish in advance?

If you need to plan a couple days out, fridge-friendly dips like the Seven-Onion Dip, Salt + Vinegar Salsa Verde, or Muhammara are only going to get better over time. And if you're thinking sweet, cakes like Pumpkin Carrot Cake, Birthday Suit Cake, or Bruce Bogtrotter Cake can all be made ahead. Bake and cool the cake layers, wrap them tightly, they're good to sit at room temp for a few days, and frosting goes in the fridge. You'll have everything you need for a quick assembly just before heading out.

What was your most hard won, tricky recipe to get just right?

The Brown Sugar Angel took a lot of belly flops to get right. I tried using cartons of egg whites thinking I was going to discover a genius shortcut, but the extra pasteurization killed the angelic lift. And brown sugar is denser than regular sugar, so I tried making syrup, sifting, starting with it in the mixer. The best solution was pulsing it with the other ingredients to get the flavor without the heft. Even after it worked in my oven, my tester's oven, and my friend's oven, I still held my breath when we made this one on set.

I also love to head to the grocery store when I am traveling internationally. What is one of your most inspirational discoveries while traveling abroad?

I'm so glad you're in this club too! Touching everything in a grocery store is my favorite way to understand the country I'm in. Mexican grocery stores have so many incredible flavors of Tang packets, my boyfriend and I brought back two of each last time. Italians have a Nutella-ish spread called Pan di Stelle and I can't get enough. Swedish grocery stores have the best candy bins, hot tip. France has these roasted chicken chips that are insane, in Korea they have a honey butter flavor that's elite, and Japan has these incredible cod roe and mayo pizza chips. The chip aisle is always extremely important to me.

Bouillon croutons? I am obsessed with this idea. How did this recipe come together?

I'm obsessed too. I wanted to build a Caesar salad that would travel well, sit well, and still pop with flavor. So obviously, a crouton is an essential player in that team and this is kind of my ideal situation. Big chunks of torn bread tossed in an olive oil and bouillon mixture get lightly toasted so they’re crunchy on the outside, pillowy inside, and super flavorful. (Maggie Hoffman said they have a Zuni Café vibe, which is the highest compliment I could imagine!) They're paired with the Caesar recipe, but honestly they could go on anything.

Is there a recipe that people might pass by that deserves a little extra love?

I've loved watching my friends flip through the book and see what they gravitate towards—everyone finds something different. The ideal life of this book is over time, as seasons and events change, you'll keep coming back and finding something new you didn't consider before. So my answer is: buy the book and report back!

Anything else you want us to know about you and your book?

Think of it more like a self-help book in disguise. "What can I bring?" is such a stressful question, but I'm giving you 75 of my favorite recipes that solve the problem deliciously, with ease. Every recipe is marked with effort level, so you know exactly what you're getting into, and dietary restrictions, so you can be considerate of your fellow guests. Whether you’re a first-time guest or a potluck pro, I’ve got you covered. Think of me as your +1 in cookbook form.

Hot Fudge

Photographs by Gentl and Hyers. Food Stylist: Tyna Hoang. Prop Stylist: Stephanie De Luca. Recipes 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.

Makes 1 pint jar, plus a little extra for you

1 (4-ounce) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1¼ cups sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder (see Party Tricks)

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup (relax, see Party Tricks on page 180)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Before you start, save yourself from bacteria and make sure the 1-­pint jar and lid ­you’re about to use is thoroughly scrubbed with soap and hot ­ water. (If you need to run the dishwasher anyway, throw it in there and come back to this page when it’s done.)

Use a serrated knife to cut diagonally across the choco­ late bar. Rotate the cutting board a quarter turn and cut diagonally in the other direction to create small pieces. Slide the choco­late to one side. On the other side, cut the butter in half lengthwise, then cut across in 4 equal pieces. Keep everything close by, we’ll need them in a moment.

In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together ­ until the cocoa is no longer lumpy. Pour in the milk and cream. Whisk again—and I mean whisk!—until the cocoa mixture is fully hydrated. Cocoa powder ­ will burn and get ­ bitter easily, so put your biceps in it. I’d ­ really encourage grabbing a spatula and ­ running it around the edges and bottom just to be sure.

Set over low heat and continue whisking occasionally. When sugar melts and the sauce ­ is runny, about 5 minutes in, remove from the stove. Add the chopped choco­ late and let it sit for 5 minutes to slowly melt. Add the butter, corn syrup, and vanilla, and give the sauce a good whisk until the chocolate and butter are fully incorporated.

Pour the sauce into the jar, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top, and twist the cap on tight. Place the jar in the refrigerator to cool, at least 2 hours or overnight. Any bonus hot fudge is yours and it can be enjoyed right away on ice cream or refrigerated in a small (clean!) airtight container and enjoyed within a couple days.

Rip off a piece of tape for the jar and write what this is (it’s Homemade Hot Fudge, silly goose) and a use-by date exactly two weeks from ­ today (ask a calendar if ­ you’re not sure). Be a good friend and gift the jar as soon as you can!

PARTY TRICK

I prefer the taste of Dutch-processed cocoa powder ­ here, which could be as ­ simple as Hershey’s Special Dark 100% cocoa, or something more luxe like Droste or Valrhona. If you already have a box of regular cocoa powder around, just use that.