Brad Mahlof Wins “The Great American Recipe”

On August 7, home cook Brad Mahlof was named the winner of the second season of PBS’s “The Great American Recipe.” “I think I made the Jewish community very proud,” Mahlof told the Journal. “I know my family is thrilled. I’m thrilled.” 

The New York-based real estate developer’s aim was to share his Jewish culture and love of cooking. He is of Libyan Jewish descent on his father’s side, while his mother’s side is Ashkenazi. “There are no Jews left in Libya; all that we have left to pass down is our food,” Mahlof said. “I’m not a food creator by profession, so to have this opportunity to come on a TV show and share my stories, share my food, is so surreal.”

Throughout the season, talented home cooks from around the country showcased their signature dishes as they competed to win. Unlike other food competition shows, (and unlike its first season), on the second season of “The Great American Recipe,” the judges did not eliminate a chef each week. Instead, the show kept track of the scored dishes on each episode. 

The three highest-scoring chefs — Mahlof; Salmah Hack, who cooks Guyanese food and Leanna Pierre, whose recipes are Caribbean-inspired — competed in the finale.  “I don’t know what the secret sauce was that drove us to success, but I’m not surprised that it was the three of us in the finale,” Mahlof said.

Pierre was the first person Mahlof met on the show, which is filmed at a barn in southern Virginia. “We shared a ride from the airport to the hotel, and we immediately connected,” he said. “I’m like, ‘She’s serious competition.’” He felt the same way about Hack, noting “the way she cooks and her gift with spices and being able to meld delicious flavors together.”

In the first round of the finale, each contestant was given a letter and a recipe card from a loved one. For this assignment. Mahlof’s mother sent him the family Matzah Ball Soup recipe to cook. For the second and final round, the chefs had three hours to create an entrée, side dish and dessert that represented their Great American Recipe. 

Then, each chef had a special someone arrive to help out. Mahlof’s mother appeared to assist him with his winning dish of Mafrum (a meat-stuffed eggplant that is fried and then braised until soft) with couscous, which he described as the “crown jewel of Libyan Jewish cuisine. For dessert he made Fig Upside-Down Cake with Whipped Cream for dessert. “My mom gave me a hug, and [whispered] in my ear, ‘I’m proud of you, no matter what. So let’s just have fun.’” he said.

Mahlof said sharing that experience with her made it even more special. “I think the love that we put on our plate was definitely tasted by the judges, and I think that might have been one of the contributing factors to the win.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, when Mahlof started sharing his love of cooking and his heritage via Instagram, he had no idea this is where it would lead. “I took it upon myself to make it a passion project to record and cook these recipes, and hopefully memorialize them, so they get passed down to the next generation and beyond,” he said.

When a casting person from the show reached out, Mahlof thought it was a joke. “I got a DM on Instagram, saying, ‘We think you’d be such a good fit for this show,’” he said.  Although Mahlof ignored it, they kept messaging him until he finally responded. “It was just so off my radar to ever do something like this,” Mahlof said. “But the opportunity came about, and I said, ‘Why not?’ If this is what the universe is saying, let’s go for it.”

Mahlof represented well; he is the definition of “putting himself on a plate.” In fact, his winning recipe is on the cover of “The Great American Recipe Season 2 Cookbook.” 

Mahlof looks forward to the next phase of his culinary career, so stay tuned. “This is just the start of the journey,” he said.

Learn more about Brad Mahlof and “The Great American Recipe.” Follow @CookwithBrad on Instagram. 

Watch the Taste Buds with Deb interview with Brad Mahlof.

For a taste of Mahlof’s cuisine, try his hummus recipe.

Brad Mahlof’s BEST 10 Minute Quick Creamy Homemade Hummus

Israeli and Middle Eastern families take tremendous pride in their hummus recipes and claim to make the best version. They clearly have not tried mine! 

Hummus is a must have in my kitchen and has been a pantry staple since I was a little kid. I use it to accompany meals and also as a wonderful healthy snack. While store-bought hummus is fine, and can work in a pinch, there really is no comparison between that and a fresh homemade batch. 

The creaminess, depth of flavor and freshness are unparalleled.  I’ve timed it and I can make my “instant” version, from start to finish in 6 minutes, so there really is no reason not to make it yourself. 

Ingredients
2 15-oz cans of chickpeas
2/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (more can be added to taste)
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
¾ Tbsp Kosher salt (more can be added
to taste)

Directions
1. In a high-powered blender or food processor add 1 can of chickpeas, liquid and all, plus 1 can of drained chickpeas, but be sure to reserve the liquid in case it’s needed.
2. Next, add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, cumin and kosher salt.
3. Blend ingredients on high for 5 minutes, until perfectly smooth. See note below.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes
I sometimes make this in two batches so that I do not overcrowd the blender and ensure that the blender does not get stuck when trying to blend the ingredients.