Meet the Gilmore Girls Superfan Who Has Cooked One Dish from Every Single Episode

If you know anything about the iconic TV series Gilmore Girls, it’s that it turns all of its fans into happy obsessives. We watch (and rewatch and rewatch) the original seven seasons (bingeable on Netflix), we criticize the streamer’s 2016 sequel, A Year in the Life, and we debate whether we’re Team Dean, Team Jess, or Team Logan (IYKYK). But, as I discovered during researching an essay for a new collection of writing about the beloved series, obsessions go beyond fan chit chat.

For example, Rory’s famed bookishness (518 books are mentioned in the series) has spawned an avid community of book clubs, reading challenges, and even Goodreads pages. But even more deliciously, did you know that an ambitious home cook in Texas loved the show so much she set out to create one dish from every single episode (that’s 153 dishes) and document her recipes and how they connect to the show? 

That amazing superfan (and super cook) is Larisa Kliman, a college counselor, home cook, and creator of Eating Gilmore, a blog that has documented every dish she’s made, from Luke’s famous burger and Pop-Tarts to Sookie’s grandest desserts. Kliman loved the project so much, when she finished all 153 episodes and A Year in the Life, she began an Encore series this spring. What’s it been like to cook her way through Gilmore Girls, what are her favorite recipes, and which character would she want to cook for? We checked in with Kliman between rewatches.

How did you first discover Gilmore Girls?

I first discovered Gilmore Girls on syndication on ABC Family. Funnily enough, I caught a scene from the pilot when I was channel surfing one summer while I was home alone in middle school. It was the scene where Lorelai and Rory are fighting about Rory not wanting to go to Chilton after meeting Dean. The quippy fast dialogue caught my attention. I would catch random episodes occasionally that summer and over the next few years in high school. It wasn’t until college when I collected all seven seasons on DVD that I watched the show all the way through. 

What did you love about Gilmore Girls? What got you hooked? 

Gilmore Girls feels like a weighted blanket to me. Stars Hollow has been my home for almost half my life. It’s comforting and familiar. There’s drama, but it’s nothing too high stakes or stressful. The banter is engaging and fun. Even after so many re-watches, I’m still catching new references because the show’s creator Amy Sherman Palladino is so brilliant. 

You’re a home cook, not a professional. What inspired you to connect to Gilmore Girls via cooking? 

I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking, even as a kid. I grew up with an Easy-Bake Oven, the Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook, and Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual. However, cooking has been (and remains) purely a hobby for me. 

I made the connection during the pandemic, when I was looking for a project. I had discovered Bradley Bakes, who recreates dishes from pop culture, in the spring of 2020, but didn’t have the idea to cook through Gilmore Girls until the summer, but I didn’t get the nerve to actually start until November! At the time, I thought it would be a big deal to make it through the first season. I never thought I’d still be doing this four years later and have recreated more than 200 Gilmore Girls dishes. 

How did you decide what to cook? 

At first, the idea was to recreate every single food or drink mentioned on the show, but that sounded like an overwhelming and daunting task. Plus there was an octopus ice cream mentioned in season six that I was not touching! (Joke’s on 2020-me because I ended up making that this past summer!) I had seen the show enough times to know there were unique dishes throughout the episodes that I could probably manage recreating a different dish inspired by every episode. There were only a few episodes in which I made a dish that wasn’t technically mentioned on the show but was inspired by the plot. 

You nailed it! Three years later, you’d made a dish each inspired by all 153 episodes. What are some highlights?

I’m most proud of Sookie’s Pretzel Bid-a-Basket from Season 2, Episode 13 (“A-Tisket, A-Tasket”).  This episode centers around the bid-a-basket town event, and Sookie goes all out to make her basket entirely out of pretzel with a goat cheese filling. It was definitely a challenge to recreate, but I loved how it turned out! 

Luke’s Pumpkin Pancakes from Season 4, Episode 9 (“Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out”) has been my most recreated dish, and they are a favorite of mine as well. We all claim Gilmore Girls as an autumn show, and I don’t think you can get more autumnal than pumpkin pancakes with homemade cinnamon butter! 

A surprising favorite of mine ended up being Weston’s Bakery’s Banana Cream Pie from Season 7, Episode 18 (“Hay Bale Maze”). I wanted to make something a little more unique than a traditional banana cream pie. I made the crust out of vanilla wafers (a classic component to another popular banana dessert: banana pudding). The filling is also baked and reminiscent of banana bread. I really enjoyed how it turned out. 

What were some of your biggest recipe challenges? 

Definitely the pretzel basket, but another complicated Sookie dish that took me a few times to get right was her Chocolate Espresso Tassel Hat Cake from Season 2, Episode 21 (“Lorelai’s Graduation Day”). Sookie has made me do more construction while cooking than I thought I’d ever do! 

I also had fun figuring out Sookie’s Muffin Bottom Pie from Season 7, Episode 12 (“To Whom It May Concern”). I decided to use the muffin bottoms to make the crust and made the pie filling out of pudding. I recently made a fall version of the muffin bottom pie for my Eating Gilmore Encore where I’m going back through the show to recreate even more dishes. The muffins for this pie were apple cinnamon walnut, and I liked it even more than the first time around!

Any fails you’re willing to share? 

I attempted to make Homemade Marzipan from Season 4, Episode 10 (“The Nanny and the Professor”). It didn’t taste as bad as they made it out to be on the show, but I had trouble forming it into shapes as is tradition. I only managed to make little carrots. 

I wouldn’t call it a failure, but I was not a fan of Luke’s Santa Burger from Season 1, Episode 10 (“Forgiveness and Stuff”). It’s one of the most iconic dishes from the show, however, so I knew I had to make it!

Speaking of iconic dishes, what do you think are the most iconic dishes on Gilmore Girls? 

Pop-Tarts for sure! That’s probably the dish everyone thinks of if you were to ask them to name a food associated with Gilmore Girls. I’ve made a few different flavors of homemade Pop-Tarts over the course of my project. Luke’s burgers are also a Gilmore Girls staple, and it was my dish for the series finale (Season 7, Episode 22 “Bon Voyage”); I even made my own burger buns! What’s been so fun about this project is how many different dishes connect with people. 

Why do you think the food of Gilmore Girls is so resonant… and inspiring? 

I like to say that food is its own character on the show. I don’t think there’s another TV show that talks about food more than Gilmore Girls. Two important characters (Luke and Sookie) are chefs, and the main conflict of the show revolves around the famous Friday night dinners. Food connects the characters, pushes the narrative forward, and brings the quirky town of Stars Hollow to life. I definitely approach the show differently now; the food stands out to me upon rewatching, and I’m always wondering if it’s a dish I’d like to recreate or not. 

If you were creating an all-Gilmore Girls dinner party menu, what would it be?

Oh, this is a fun question! I haven’t done a Gilmore Girls dinner party, but now you have me thinking! This menu has Gilmore Girls classics with some deeper cuts thrown in for true fans!

I would say to start off, you could welcome guests with Miss Patty’s Founder’s Day Punch. It’s definitely a way to get the party started! For a nonalcoholic option, I’d recommend my Mint Gimlet Mocktail as a nod to Emily Gilmore’s favorite cocktail. 

For appetizers you have to do the DAR Salmon Puffs, Mushroom Caps from Richard and Emily’s party in season 3, and Deviled Eggs to throw at Jess’s car!  

For dinner, you of course have to make Classic Luke’s Burgers (bonus points if you make your own buns)! To accompany the burgers, you could make the meal Luke makes when he fills in at the Dragonfly Inn for Sookie and puts Goat Cheese in the Fennel Salad and Walnuts in the Béchamel. 

Desserts are big on Gilmore Girls, so you’ll have to go all out here! You could make Homemade Mallomars and spell out a message for your guests. Rum Balls from Weston’s Bakery will surely be a hit. If you’re feeling fancy, you can make Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Fondue or Raspberry Soufflé from Friday night dinners. And if you really want to impress your guests, you can make one of my personal favorites, Sookie’s Chocolate Amaretto Mousse Cake! 

If you like to end your night with coffee, you could make the Mocha Chocolate Caramel Swirl-a-Chino from Weston’s Bakery. Or curl up with a cozy homemade Chai Latte. 

You’re doing an Encore series of dishes and posts on Eating Gilmore. Why revisit the series again? What are you looking to discover? 

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet! I was about halfway through season seven and planning my dishes for A Year in the Life, and I was starting to feel sad. There were still so many dishes I wanted to make! However, I do think the end is in sight! I haven’t decided what’s in store for me next, though. Maybe recreating dishes from other shows or even movies? 

Who are you the most like in the show when it comes to food? 

Sookie for sure! She’s actually who I relate to the most personality-wise too. I love how creative she is with her dishes, and channeling her while cooking has helped me unlock my own creativity too. Even if I’m not making one of her dishes, I still think about how she’d approach the recipe. 

If you could share a meal with one of the characters, who would it be and what would you cook for them? 

I think I’d be too nervous to cook for Sookie! She can be pretty critical. I’d love to cook for Lorelai. For one thing, she is so not picky so it would take the pressure off! And I would adore spending time with her and getting to hear her talk about literally anything! 

The dish I’d make is a deep cut, but I think she’d love it! I made Dr. Pepper BBQ Chicken Nachos for Season 5, Episode 6 (“Norman Mailer I’m Pregnant!”) in honor of the nacho machine Taylor Doose gets at the market to attract trucker business. This dish has a rich, homemade cheese sauce with white cheddar and pepperjack. The nachos are topped with roasted corn, red onion, jalapeños, cilantro, sour cream, and queso fresco, but the showstopper is the shredded chicken with a Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce! The sauce was inspired by Alexis Bledel and Jared Padelecki’s home state of Texas (which I share!) as they share a scene discussing the nachos in this episode. I think Lorelai would love how decadent and flavorful these nachos are!

After all this close watching (and amazing cooking), do you ever still watch Gilmore Girls? 

I still love it, wholeheartedly! I listen to it almost every night to unwind my mind before bed. If anything, it’s become even more special to me. I’d have to say, it’s essentially become one of my best friends–as cheesy as that may sound. 

Discover more Gilmore Girls obsessions in the new book, Life’s Short, Talk Fast: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can’t Stop Watching Gilmore Girls, featuring an essay on Rory Gilmore’s bookishness by Tracey Minkin and edited by bestselling author (and Gilmore obsessive) Ann Hood.