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How often does someone get famous doing one thing and, then, while still riding high doing that very thing, resurge as famous for something else entirely?
Melissa Ben-Ishay is exactly that: a genuine original. The creator, owner and founder of Baked by Melissa built what has become a defining fixture of New York City's dessert world, those tiny, visually perfect mini cupcakes that somehow managed to be impossibly Instagrammable before Instagram was even a thing. Her cupcakes didn't just survive the social media era, they were made for it, even though they predated it.
But Ben-Ishay wasn't done. In 2021, while still helming her cupcake empire, she went viral on TikTok... for salad. Specifically, her Green Goddess Salad, which swept across the Internet and introduced her to an entirely new audience who had no idea she was already a household name in New York. Suddenly, she wasn't just the cupcake queen. She was a full-on culinary personality.
Now, Ben-Ishay is channeling that momentum into a new cookbook, her third, Come Eat: 100 Nourishing Recipes to Eat Every Day.
We sat down with Ben-Ishay to talk about her gastronomic inspirations, her favorite spots around NYC and what it means to reinvent yourself without ever leaving. Below are edited excerpts from our conversation—followed by an exclusive recipe from her new cookbook.
What inspired your latest cookbook?
"I'm really in the thick of my mom era, to say the least, and, as somebody who is in the food industry, I create one recipe a day—and yet the most challenging question I face is still: what am I making for dinner? The fact that I have to answer that for the rest of my life is crazy. This book is dedicated to moms, to make getting dinner on the table easier.
I grew up in a family where family dinner was really important. We ate together every night, and I realize now, as a mom, how important that is. It teaches kids so much more than just eating: the art of conversation, curiosity, what makes a meal a meal, which is protein, vegetables, grains. Last night I actually broke my no-phone rule at the table to show my seven-year-old why you have to eat a variety of vegetables and what that does for your body."
What section of the cookbook stands out to you the most?
"The section I'm most proud of is how to eat leftovers. They should be used as an ingredient, not a meal. They are so versatile.
You basically reinvented yourself on social media while still running Baked by Melissa after your Green Goddess Salad went viral. Was that intentional? How did it feel?
"What I'm sharing on social media is just more of myself. I think what I recognized the first moment I shared a salad on the Baked by Melissa account was: these people are giving me permission to do more. This community has been such a gift.
I really enjoy sharing on social media. I do most of my content creation on one day of the week, it's about 20% of my time, and it is genuinely the best day. I have so much fun."
How do you come up with new Baked by Melissa flavors and do you have a favorite?
"We have regularly occurring concept meetings where we plan future assortments months in advance. We know through experience, my own and the company's, what flavors work and what our customers are looking for. We engage with our customers every day. There's absolutely a desire to do something new, but within a framework that works.
My favorite is cookie dough but I'm also really excited about the limited edition flavors tied to the cookbook. I used recipes from the dessert section: day caramel, maple tahini and a donut flavor."
What are your favorite restaurants in New York?
"I love Hillstone. Their ice cream sundae comes with a vessel of hot fudge that you pour all over it, and it is amazing. While we're on ice cream: Caffe Panna is delicious, and Van Leeuwen is great: ice cream that actually tastes like ice cream, not flavorless.
And Bubby's in Tribeca: those pancakes double as dessert. I usually order a main the pancakes, and a scoop of ice cream. That's my order.
I live in Hoboken, so Antique Bar and Bakery is a spot in our town that I love. They have a bread pudding that is so good, and a cookie skillet that comes right out of the oven with a big scoop of ice cream on top. You shouldn't order two huge desserts, but it's very hard to choose between the two."
What are your favorite things to do in New York City with the kids?
"We love Broadway shows. My kids love the Sloomoo Institute, that's basically all they want to do, and the Museum of Ice Cream. But, honestly, I love to just walk around SoHo. It's so nostalgic for me because that's where it all started for Baked by Melissa."
Do you have any Mother's Day plans?
"We're going to the Union Square Greenmarket to pick up herbs and flowers for our garden, then going to breakfast and coming home to plant until the kids go and play sports. That sounds like a perfect day to me."
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Crunchy Cashew Slaw
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
⏲ 45 minutes
Serves 4-6
This salad is a project and worth every ounce of effort. If you’re like me and enjoy the process just as much (if not even more) as the output, this one’s for you. It’s in the same category as my Big Salad: It’s great to make ahead, bring to gatherings, and works so well as leftovers. Each component—the slaw base, the dressing, and the brittle—is a recipe in and of itself. And together, they make for a wow-worthy salad that will become an instant favorite.
When I have leftovers from this salad, I like to use them as an ingredient in a bowl with sliced cukes, a big scoop of cottage cheese, and any other leftovers I have in the fridge. The leftovers are even better than the first time you eat it and a gift to yourself the following day. Pro tip: Keep some of the cashew crunch topping for yourself to snack on all week long.
BOX: HOW TO PREP IN ADVANCE
1. Make the brittle 1-2 days in advance and leave out at room temp so it stays crispy.
2. Chop all your veggies the day before and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. Make the dressing and store separately in the fridge.
4. When you’re ready to serve, thin out the dressing with water or lemon juice until it’s a pourable consistency. Drizzle over the slaw and toss to combine.
5. Top with brittle and serve immediately.
½ head green cabbage
½ head red cabbage
3-4 heads baby bok choy
1 red pepper
2 carrots, peeled
3 mini cucumbers
½ cup parsley, chopped
For the Cashew Crunch
1 cup roasted, salted cashews
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons avocado oil
¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
For the Creamy Cashew Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons (about ⅓ cup)
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup roasted, salted cashews
One 1” knob fresh ginger
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Finely chop the green cabbage, red cabbage, bok choy, and red pepper and add to a large bowl.
3. Add the grated carrots, and cut the cucumbers into small, confetti-size pieces (I do this by trimming off the ends, cutting them into ⅛” thick slices, turning to slice into ⅛” thick pieces the other way, and then chopping them into ⅛” cubes.)
4. Chop the parsley and add the cucumbers and parsley to the bowl. Stir to mix everything together.
5. Now, make the crunchy topping.
6. Roughly chop the cashews and add them to a bowl with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, honey, salt, and avocado oil. Season with a few turns of black pepper.
7. Stir everything together with a spatula or spoon, to evenly coat with honey and oil.
8. Spread the mixture into a thin layer on the prepared pan.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely, it will harden into a brittle.
10. Break into small pieces and serve over salads or just eat as a snack. If you don’t use it all immediately, store at room temperature.
11. While the topping is in the oven, make the dressing.
12. Add all the dressing ingredients (except salt) to a blender and pulse to combine.
13. Scrape down the sides of the blender and add ¼ cup water. Blend again. Continue to add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is pourable but creamy.
14. Stir in the salt and adjust to taste.
15. To serve the slaw, pour the dressing over the salad in the mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Top with the crunchy cashews.