Recipes Tested by Sasha Pravdic

Sasha Pravdic

Sasha’s boundless enthusiasm for cooking and eating are probably her two most defining features. She is not sure if that is good or bad! As a child, Sasha loved watching her mom cook. One of her most cherished childhood memories is of her mother making Dobos Torta for “company”. She would pour the hot caramel over the top, warning Sasha not to touch. Later after it hardened, she would pass the flame of a lit match over a terrifyingly large knife back and forth to heat it and quickly cut through the hardened caramel to make outlines of slices. It was so exciting and honestly seemed like pure magic- just thinking about it makes Sasha catch her breath. That feeling of creating magic in the kitchen has always stayed with her.

Sasha started saving recipes and cooking in earnest while she was in high school and has never lost her love of all things kitchen and cooking related. She has no formal training, just a willingness to try lots of recipes and the persistence to repeat, tweak and practice a recipe until she gets it right. In a fast moving world, she loves the unhurried pace of a meal well-prepared and enjoyed. Her “job” as a tester could not be more perfect!

Sasha’s has so many favorites from Leite’s that she doesn’t know where to begin. But begin she will and here are a few: No-Knead Everything Bagel Bread, Caldo Verde, Baked Fontina with Garlic and Thyme, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Roasted Tomato-Basil Tart with Cheddar, and Everything Bagel Chicken Cutlets.