Carolina Gelen Shares the Comfort Meal That Reminds Her of Home

Carolina Gelen has amassed over a million followers on Instagram, thanks to her delicious and aesthetically-pleasing recipes made with approachable techniques. Her recipes often feature flavors inspired by her Romanian-Hungarian upbringing. Gelen lived most of her life in Transylvania, Romania until moving to the U.S. in 2021. 

With the upcoming release of her debut cookbook, Pass the Plate, Gelen gave EatingWell an exclusive look at one of the recipes, a tasty Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan. She also shared some inside details about her favorite comfort food from home and the most rewarding part of writing her cookbook. 

EatingWell: What makes your cookbook, Pass the Plate, unique? 

Gelen: Pass the Plate is full of pantry friendly, unique recipes and innovative takes on classics! The most frequent comment I get about my recipes is: “This was so good! That twist made so much sense, it was so approachable and familiar, but I would’ve never thought about putting those things together.” My cookbook embodies that style, so each recipe is written from a beginner cook’s perspective. To make instructions clearer, time estimates are paired with visual cues for each dish. It feels so reassuring to read something like “This dough looks crumbly and dry, and that’s perfect! You’re on the right path, the texture will make sense later!” when making a recipe you’ve never tried before. 

EatingWell: Can you tell us the inspiration behind the Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan recipe?

Gelen: Growing up, whenever my mother would cook cauliflower, she would save a wedge for me to snack on. She would thinly slice it, season it with a little bit of salt and pass it onto me. As I got older, I turned it into a refreshing salad with a bright, lemony dressing. It’s a very nostalgic recipe! 

EatingWell: Is there a certain occasion when you like to make this salad and anything you like to pair it with?

Gelen: It’s such a quick and simple recipe, I find myself making it as a snack during the day, but most often as a light and refreshing side dish for dinner. My favorite thing to serve it with is fish. Its bright, lemony flavor complements the fish so well. 

EatingWell: Do you have a favorite recipe that you included in the book? Why is it your favorite, if so?

Gelen: My one-pan garlicky chicken couscous! It’s a no-fuss dinner I find myself making very often throughout the week: you sear the chicken until the skin is golden and crispy, toast the couscous in that flavorful chicken schmaltz (fat) then bake them together with a bunch of garlic. Finish everything off with a bright and refreshing sauce on top and dinner’s ready. 

EatingWell: What did you find to be the most rewarding part of the process of creating this cookbook?

Gelen: Seeing everyone try the food for the first time during the cookbook photoshoot was so rewarding. To this day, a year after the photoshoot, I get texts from the photo team making the recipes they fell in love with and it makes my day every single time. 

EatingWell:  Do you have a comfort meal that reminds you of home?

Gelen: Definitely. That would be my mother’s buttered noodles with melting onions and cabbage from my cookbook, in Romania we call them tăiței cu varză. They’re a lazy dinner my mother would make when she didn’t feel like cooking. They’re buttery, a little sweet from the onion, a little spicy from the freshly cracked pepper and so comforting. 

EatingWell: What is your favorite meal of the day and do you have a go-to meal?

Gelen: Dinner, dinner, dinner! I enjoy slowing down after a long day of work, digging through my fridge and pantry and coming up with a quick (or not so quick) meal to make at the end of the day. I can’t say I have a go-to meal, it’s always changing, but I do gravitate towards a one-pan meal (like the garlicky chicken couscous from the book, or my one-pot baked risotto with blistered tomatoes and burrata), a big pot of soup or some kind of pasta at the end of the day. 

EatingWell: What does “eating well” mean to you?

Gelen: Eating well, to me, means listening to your body and making sure you give it what it needs: sometimes it’s a sweet treat, freshly fried schnitzels or a bowl of cheesy pasta. Other times it’s a light and refreshing salad or a big bowl of soup. Life’s all about balance! 

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.