Max and Eli Sussman have been on a culinary tear. The brothers have published three cookbooks since 2008 while making names for themselves in some of New York City’s best, most approachable restaurants, including The Breslin, Roberta’s and Mile End Deli. Just in time for the holidays, the Sussman brothers released Best Cookbook Ever, a fun, circumstance-driven cookbook that will prepare you for the apocalypse or vegetarians, whichever arrives first. The brothers promoted their book with a dinner at Santa Monica’s Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe.

The Sussmans spent the bulk of the day prepping dinner down the street at sister restaurant Rustic Canyon before transitioning down Wilshire Boulevard to Huckleberry to finish. Their family style feast captured the late fall season. The night’s comfort food menu included roasted winter squash salad with chestnut celery vinaigrette, radicchio and kale; chard salad with artichoke hearts and Kalamata olive vinaigrette; and roasted rosemary lamb shanks served with crispy duck fat potatoes. The meal was relaxed and of-the-moment. The brothers wisely deferred to master pastry chef Zoe Nathan for the finale. She made sugar-dusted jelly donuts and my personal favorite, silky coffee pudding with a feather-light whipped cream cap, plated with liquor-licked Amaro almond truffles.