When Brad Mahlof started sharing his love of cooking – and his heritage – via Instagram, he had no expectations of where it would lead. The New York-based real-estate developer is currently appearing – and crushing it! – on the second season of “The Great American Recipe” on PBS.

Debra Eckerling speaks with Brad Mahlof about the show, his love of cooking, and his Libyan heritage, as well as his recipes for Chraime with Salmon and Easy Couscous.

On the first episode of the season, Mahlof won both challenges. His first dish, Chraime is a Libyan fish stew.

“It’s easy to make, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner,” he said. “It has a lot of the flavor profiles of Libyan cuisine, so you can get a taste for it. And it’s super delicious. Once you make it, you’ll be hooked.”

Mahlof said the most surprising thing about being on the show is seeing how well he and the other contestants are able to push themselves to their limits. They’ve created a special bond; the kind of community that can only come from this kind of shared experience.

“I can go to the grocery store and get excited about some random piece of lettuce, and these are the friends that I could text about it,” he said. “This niche group of friends care about [my] little quirky behaviors of spending six hours at a grocery store, going aisle by aisle.”

Mahlof believes a cook’s journey is a constant evolution. No one starts off as an amazing cook; it takes practice, so don’t get discouraged.

“Even these recipes that now I do with my eyes closed,” he said. “I remember when I was much younger I’d call my mom every single week. ‘Mom, how do you do this?’ She had to walk me through everything, and it still didn’t come out right.”

Remember, he added, “Your food is only as good as the ingredients that you use. Definitely spend the time, spend the money, if you can, to source the best ingredients possible. And that’s going to yield the best food results.”

Read the full article, listen to the podcast, and get the recipe.