In The Kitchen With Brooke Baevsky Of Chef Bae: On $2000 Pizzas + Cashew Cream Cheese

L.A. wouldn’t be L.A. without someone knowing how to create a $2,000 pizza. Luckily, that person is Brooke Bavesky, the under-30, celebrity private chef and mastermind behind Chef Bae (TikTok + Instagram) and Overheard Eats.

When Brooke isn’t telling us how to host a healthier holiday bash or making a name for herself at her local Erewhon, she’s transforming the plates and minds of L.A.’s elite, one quality ingredient at a time.

While we often get to have a peek inside of the dishes she makes for others, we wanted to get a juicy deep dive into Chef Bae’s personal pantry choices and hear about all of the deliciously exciting things she’s cooking up this year.

In the Kitchen With Brooke Baevsky Of Chef Bae

Food philosophy in short: Quality ingredients, recipes with integrity, and a drizzle of tahini.

What’s always in my fridge: Clean, plant-based milk from brands I love like MALK or Three Trees Organic. I also have dairy-free cheeses like Violife, Monty’s, and Nuts For Cheese. Self-plug: My Monty’s Limited Edition Frosted Carrot Cake Jar —which has sold out nationwide four times—is about to launch at my beloved Erewhon next week, which is so exciting. It’s grain-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan carrot cake in a jar in collaboration with Monty’s Cashew Cheese, using their maple cream cheese frosting. My boyfriend is also always eating it, so I have to have it in my fridge.

What’s never in my fridge:
I’m kosher, so I avoid all pork and shellfish. I also stay away from processed meats of any kind, artificial food dyes, and honestly—this is controversial—saffron. I know it’s supposed to be a luxury, but I could live the rest of my life without having any saffron or caviar (sorry!).

Meal I make in a pinch: My Thai Peanut Noodle Rice Paper Rolls that are super easy, meal-prep friendly, and don’t involve cooking.

Comfort food I make for nostalgia: Chicken schnitzel. My dad would always make it for us when I was a kid—to the point where I called it Daddy’s Chicken. Now, I make my own grain-free, Chef Bae version, using almond flour and za’atar. Mediterranean food in general is comforting and nostalgic for me.

Go-to proteins: I’m all about the quality of my meats and proteins—where it comes from and how it was raised. Wild-caught salmon, Pumfu (which is pumpkin seed tofu that has changed my life since I’m allergic to soy), free-range chicken, and grass-fed, grass-finished beef.

Favorite veggies lately: I love anything that’s in season and pairing those different vegetables together. One of my favorite chefs, Sean Brock, always says, “What goes together grows together.” For the winter, I love warming, heartier vegetables like squashes and sweet potatoes. Right now, I’m really into pairing butternut, kabocha, and winter squash with wintery flavors like chili, maple, and seasoned nuts.

Must-have munchies: I love Lesser Evil Snacks Popcorn, but my go-to snack is a yogurt parfait. I’ll use Cocojune Coconut Yogurt with Purely Elizabeth Granola, add in some protein powder, and top it with honey for a hangry-proof snack that keeps me going.

5 staples always on hand: Za’atar, chickpeas, tahini, dark chocolate, and a food processor.

Go-to post-workout snack or meal: I always have protein bars on hand. My favorites come from Raw Rev, Intrinsic Nutrition, and E3Energy. I also lean on my Chef Bae Mint Chip Smoothie that uses a lot of veggies for added body and fiber without a lot of sugar (but tastes exactly like mint chip chocolate ice cream).

Favorite condiments: Tahini. But I also love Primal Kitchen’s paleo and refined sugar-free BBQ Sauce or adding in coconut aminos where I can since I can’t have soy. I also love to make my own dressings and even my own hot sauce (I’m obsessed with hot sauce). My favorite right now is Sauce Bae’s Skinny Habanero Hot Sauce with turmeric, which is phenomenal (and no, I don’t only love them because of the name!).

Ingredient that makes everything better: Peanut butter.

Best bargain-shopping tip:
Buy what’s in season for produce, and don’t buy anything in the impulse section. Try not to grocery shop hungry. You’ll definitely spend way more money.

Best label-reading tip: Ignore everything on the front and go directly to the back. People in food marketing and branding can be very deceptive.

Weirdest thing I often buy: Not sure if this is weird, but I really like chewing natural gum without any of the artificial sweeteners. Or… a keychain for all of my hot sauces.

Favorite splurge: Quality protein powders and jewelry. I love jewelry. Let’s not forget jumpsuits, which—by the way—I have my own line coming out in the spring, which will be sold on Amazon. I have been working on this for a long time and cannot be more excited.

For last-minute entertaining: Do mezze dips and spreads because they look beautiful, but can actually be made in a food processor or blender in five minutes, coming together very quickly. Or you can add garnishes like an oil drizzle or edible flowers to any food you’d buy at a grocery store.

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