ScheckEats—Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science

Scheck started his food blog, ScheckEats, while in high school and expanded to TikTok and Instagram during the COVID crisis while a college student at Cornell. His first book is a revamp of classics along with food-science tips. Introductory chapters cover kitchen tools, equipment, and staple pantry ingredients, all of which are basic and accessible in the United States. The following chapters cover breakfast (fried eggs, tomato toast, granola) and vegetables (soups, salads, roasted broccoli and cauliflower). A number of recipes focus on potatoes done in various ways, including crispy roast potatoes, which was a viral hit on Scheck’s TikTok channel. A chapter on proteins includes such items as Coca-Cola–braised brisket and slow-cooked ginger chicken as well as a number of salmon recipes. Finally, a chapter on desserts includes tangy key lime pie with gingersnap crust, along with recipes for cakes, cookies, and homemade vanilla extract. The book’s asides cover things like cleaning nonstick cookware and cake decorating tips. A chart notes which recipes are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and/or dairy-free.