Key Takeaways
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Rachel Brosnahan’s favorite holiday dish is her husband’s vegetarian Wellington with mushrooms and walnuts.
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She partnered with Ferrero Rocher to celebrate the holidays and loves their new cinnamon spice chocolate squares.
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Brosnahan enjoys bone broth on set for energy and believes eating well means listening to your body in moderation.
Rachel Brosnahan hopped on a call with EatingWell to discuss her favorite time of the year: the holiday season. From her on-set snack habits, to her favorite dish that she looks forward to every year, it’s clear that the actor cares deeply about the people and food that she surrounds herself with during the holidays.
Plus, the The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Superman star partnered with Ferrero Rocher on their new limited-edition cinnamon spice chocolate squares to kick off its Raise a Rocher campaign, igniting the brand’s annual holiday countdown and sweepstakes. Brosnahan also explains what the partnership means to her and talks about all things chocolate. Read the full interview below.
With the colder weather approaching, is there a favorite meal that you always have when you’re not feeling well or under the weather?
I’m a chicken soup girl. There is a deli in New York called the 2nd Ave Deli that makes a chicken noodle matzo ball soup in a huge jar. It has whole chicken legs and things in it. It’s a very full jar, but as soon as I start to feel sick, if I can get a good jar of that, and if I eat it for three days, I’m cured.
Wait, how big is this jar?
This [jar] will feed you for at least two days. It’s not a Mason jar, it’s a giant jar.
That’s awesome. Speaking of favorite meals, is there one you always look forward to either on Thanksgiving or during the holiday season?
My husband, Jason, is very upset that this accidentally became everyone’s favorite meal, but he makes a vegetarian Wellington. That is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, and he has really perfected the art of it being crispy on the outside, no soggy bottoms—if you’ve ever seen the Great British Baking Show.
It’s done with mushroom and walnuts at the center. It’s delicious. I’m not a vegetarian, but I think I prefer it over beef Wellington. Apparently it’s labor intensive, so Jason’s bummed.
Does it serve a lot of people, then?
Yes, it could probably serve, if everyone got one slice, eight to ten people. And I love it as leftovers with an egg in the morning too.
Why did you decide to partner with Ferrero Rocher on their new cinnamon spice chocolate squares?
I’ve been such a big fan of the brand for a long time. I have such nostalgic memories of eating this chocolate, especially the pralines growing up. My dad used to bring them back from business trips, and they made me feel very, very fancy. So it’s been really fun to partner with Ferrero Rocher to ring in the holiday season, which is also my favorite time of the year, and to discover flavors like cinnamon spice chocolate squares that I hadn’t tried before.
Have you tried it? I’m so curious to know how much of it is cinnamon, chocolate and spice.
It’s delicious. I, admittedly, am not a huge cinnamon person. I love the praline flavor, I love hazelnut, I love white chocolate. So when I first heard about this new chocolate, I was a bit trepidatious but excited to try it. And I have to say, I love that it tastes like real cinnamon. There’s a chocolate outside and then a sort of cinnamon swirly center and it’s soft.
I love the harder outside and the soft middle. It feels like it pairs perfectly with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. It’s been a really, really fun new discovery. I love it.
Are there any other chocolate desserts that remind you of your childhood?
The memory with my dad is a big one because I used to think he was getting them from all these really exotic places, but in reality he was probably picking them up wherever he could get them on his way back from the airport. But, and this is a huge one for me, a really warm chocolate cake.
I’m half British and spent a lot of time in the U.K. growing up, and there used to be a bakery near my grandparents that would make this warm, gooey chocolate cake that I have very fond memories of. I’m a chocolate girl through and through.
Whenever you are on set filming, is there a certain snack or ritual that you do to keep your energy going?
It depends on the hour. I think earlier in the day, I do try to sip on bone broth. I find that the protein in it—or something about it—makes me feel like it maintains energy throughout the day and keeps me full. Especially if I don’t have time before, like between breakfast and lunch to stop and eat a snack. It’s something I can take with me and hide somewhere on set.
Do you have a food hot take that you will always stand by?
I mean, I’ve learned that this is a bit of an unpopular opinion, but salad should not have fruit in it. I will die on this hill.
I appreciate fruit. I appreciate salad. Salad with fruit is a no for me. Those two things should not coexist. Why did we do that? That’s a no for me.
Is there a certain fruit in salads that you’re just like, absolutely not?
All of it, strawberries, peaches. Like, why? Eat them separately and then eat a salad and then eat your fruit, or eat a fruit and then eat a salad, but I can’t do it together. Especially when you put cheese in there too, I’m like, what is this?
I’ve had fruit salads before, but this kind of seems like a lot, you know? It’s just too many flavors happening in my mouth.
What does eating well mean to you?
Eating well means listening to what your body is craving and having moderation. I think, to me, eating well means nothing is off limits, but I’m paying attention to what makes my body and brain feel good and something. Those two things are at odds and that’s okay.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Read the original article on EatingWell