This Is TASTE 700: Elbow Bread's Zoë Kanan Makes the Case for the Knish
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Dec 12, 2025 Zoë Kanan, the baker-partner of Elbow Bread in NYC, shares her culinary journey from her Texas roots to running a Jewish-American bakery. She discusses her passion for reimagining the knish, focusing on flavor and texture while nodding to tradition. Grayson Samuels, a writer and baker, highlights his transition from theater to food writing and his fascination with regional cuisines, especially Florida's dining gems. Together, they explore the vibrant landscape of modern baking and its cultural significance.
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Hidden Cookbook Gems Influence Pastry
- Zoë names Gina DePalma's out-of-print pastry books as a favorite and recommends hunting them down.
- She credits Melissa Weller for introducing her to DePalma's work.
Cinema Inspired A Classic Dessert Revival
- Zoë was inspired by a Charlotte Russe scene in Once Upon a Time in America and recreated the dessert at Elbow.
- Film-driven food fantasies can become real menu items in bakeries.
Travel TV Sparked A Storytelling Lens
- Grayson Samuels grew up watching Travel Channel hosts like Samantha Brown and Andrew Zimmern and mimicked hotel-room pilgrimages to places featured on TV.
- Those shows taught him to meet food with curiosity and kindness toward makers.
