My Secret-Weapon, Show-Stopping Mosaic Jell-O
“What can I bring?” It’s the first question everyone asks when they get the party invite. And luckily, my new cookbook — this should be easy to remember, it’s called What Can I Bring? — has 75 solutions to that very-stressful question, including dips, drinks, salads, desserts, and a chapter of homemade food gifts when you’re told to “just bring yourself.”
But, of course, it’s not only about bringing something. Here are a few simple rules that, in my opinion, will make you not just a good guest but a great one.
1. Be honest. Make sure you’re committing to a dish that matches your dillydallying or extremely punctual self. If you’re always on time, bring appetizers. If you’re reliably late, bring a drink. If you’re bringing nothing else, bring a small present.
2. Come prepared. The best guests arrive with a dish that’s ready to go without needing a shelf in the fridge or a rack in the oven. Never show up expecting to derail your host’s careful game of culinary Tetris for something of your own.
3. Bring the cheers. Trust me, I am not above a bucket of seltzer and beer, or a sticky counter of alcohol with mixers. But if everyone shows up with a cheap bottle of bubbly, it literally becomes a Champagne problem. Try to bring a little vision to the drink you bring (my book has an entire chapter to empower you) — because in a room full of cans, we should all aspire to be the signature cocktail.
4. Say thank you. My friends Kyle Marshall and Julia Bainbridge are two of the most naturally elegant people I know. I once had Kyle over for a group dinner and Julia over for a small brunch. Two business days later, each time, there was a card sitting in my mailbox simply saying thank you. A thank-you card is an old-fashioned gesture that still lands in this century. Even if a card isn’t right for the occasion, a simple text goes a long way to making your host feel seen and appreciated.
5. End on a sweet note. My friend Emily once showed up to a movie night with warm cookies and a gallon of milk, and it was so effortlessly cool, I still haven’t recovered. Bringing a playful dessert is always the right answer.
So, on that note, as we head into summer, I’m going to share my secret-weapon, show-stopping, get-them-talking dessert: Mosaic Jell-O. Just promise me when someone compliments you on your impeccable taste, throw in a shameless plug for me: “It’s from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass. Have you read it?”
Mosaic Jell-O
From What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass
Serves 10
Start this recipe 2 days ahead
Mosaic gelatin is an easy preparation of multicolored squares of cut-up Jell-O get mixed into a beautiful, milky-white cloak of gelatin, so they’re suspended like stained glass. My friend Vivian is a Jell-O fanatic, and I’ll never forget her eyes popping out of her head when I brought over this dessert-as-sculpture showpiece. If Jell-O is a perfect summer dessert (and it is, please don’t argue with me), then this is the perfect way to present it.
3 (3-ounce) boxes Jell-O, in different flavors and colors
7 packets unflavored gelatin (look for the 1-ounce box of Knox unflavored gelatin next to the Jell-O. Each one has four packets in it, so get two boxes)
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup cold water
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
Whole milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Arrange your Jell-O flavors from lightest to darkest color. (This way you can do one batch right after the other without having to stop and wash your bowl.) Starting with the lightest, pour the powder into a medium bowl. Add 1 packet of unflavored gelatin and whisk until they’re combined. Boil water, then measure out 1 cup and pour it into the bowl. Whisk until the powder is completely dissolved, then whisk in 1 cup of very cold water. Pour the mixture into a quart container, cover, and refrigerate overnight so the Jell-O is completely set. Repeat with the other two boxes of Jell-O along with two more packets of unflavored gelatin.
The next day, run a paring knife lengthwise and crosswise in each container to cut the Jell-O into squares, then around the perimeter for an easier release. Use the knife to coax the Jell-O out and into a large bowl. It’s totally fine if there are a few small bits, it’ll just add to the mosaic effect. Take a moment here to very thoroughly coat a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then flip it upside down in the sink so the spray evenly spreads without pooling in the bottom.
Pour ½ cup cold water into a medium saucepan. Pour the remaining four packets of unflavored gelatin into the saucepan and whisk a couple times to mix. Set a timer for 5 minutes, or until the gelatin has hydrated into a solid mass. Pour in the evaporated milk. Fill the empty can halfway with whole milk (that’s ¾ cup, to be precise) and pour that in, too. Set the saucepan over low heat. At first nothing will happen, but after about 1 minute you should be able to start slowly whisking as the gelatin melts into the milk. Keep whisking for about 2 more minutes, until you have a completely smooth milk mixture. Remove from the stove and whisk in the condensed milk and vanilla. Let the mixture cool completely, about 15 minutes, then whisk again.
Flip the Bundt right-side up. Scatter a layer of Jell-O cubes along the bottom of the pan, mixing up the colors as you go, then ladle in the milk mixture until it’s almost covered. Keep alternating Jell-O and milk, but take it slow because each layer of Jell-O is going to displace the milk and make it rise farther up the pan. Fill almost to the top, leaving about 1⁄2 inch of space. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and carefully slide it into the refrigerator. Let it set overnight again.
To make sure the mold releases easily, fill a large bowl with warm water and slowly dip the Bundt in so the water comes about halfway up the sides. Hold it there for 2 or 3 seconds, then pat the outside of the Bundt dry, especially inside the center tube. Put the Bundt in one hand and set the serving plate on top, making sure it’s centered. Put your other hand on top of the plate and quickly flip. If the mold doesn’t drop onto the plate (It will! But just in case!), don’t panic. Lightly tap the plate on the counter. If that fails (It won’t! But just in case!), flip it back over, and take another dip in the water. Serve with a pie server or knife so everyone can cut their own slice.
Cover any leftover Jell-O with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Casey Elsass is a food writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author living in Brooklyn. What Can I Bring? comes out next week. His recipes have appeared on Bon Appétit, Delish, Epicurious, and Food52. In his free time, he enjoys attending the opera, eating his way around the world, and RSVP-ing yes to every party invite. Toby and I met him last summer and immediately fell in love — Casey is the real deal!!!
P.S. Five fun things we noticed at a drinks party, and seven rules for being a great dinner host.
(Photographs by Gentl and Hyers, food styling by Tyna Hoang, and prop styling by Stephanie De Luca. Recipes reprinted with permission from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.)
Comments
116 commentsFor everyone confused about the “white jello” – – think panna cotta. Flavor combo you can think whipped cream and fruit, or a similar to a custard tart and fruit.
Would you say this is kind of like Panna Cotta with jello cubes?
I made this over the weekend and brought to a BBQ – what a showstopper! It’s so joyful and fun to make. Thank you for sharing!
I made this for a dinner at the weekend and it’s a genuine showstopper (and lovely to eat). It’s great to have something that’s pretty straightforward to make, happy to sit and wait without it drying up/going stale/going cold and which can feed a crowd. I’m in England so there were some changes. For any fellow Brits who might be interested in making this: our jelly is sold in cubed blocks of concentrate; make up your colours/flavours per the instructions here (which comes to slightly less than the packet instructions of one UK pint) — no extra gelatine powder needed. For the milk mixture, I used Dr Oetker’s unflavoured gelatine, which comes in 12g packets. I used two packets and reduced each of the milks by a fraction. It came out perfectly.
This is very cute and fun! I kind of want to soak a bowl of strawberries in champagne (or maybe champagne jello?) and use them instead of the colored jello cubes in this recipe. Hmm or maybe peaches, for a peaches and cream dessert. Is that insane?
It doesn’t sound crazy to me! This recipe looks similar to your idea. https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sparkling-fruit-jello-mold-243620
I will seriously never make this, but would be in heaven if someone showed up to my party with this fresh new Bundt.
Casey, I grew up with J-ellO cups but it was never as fancy and fun as your mosaic J-ellO. My brain is now thinking of which J-ellO flavors to pick. I’m worried the condensed milk might be too sweet. If I reduce it, do I need to bump up the milk to compensate for the liquid? Your book looks fantastic!
Thanks so much, Bebe! The condensed milk gets so diluted in the mix, it’s not overly sweet at all. I brought it to a party recently and everyone commented on how they were expected a sugar bomb and pleasantly surprised it was not :)
I never thought Jello could be beautiful, but here we are. Also loving the colorful outfit of the person who’s holding it! It’s so joyful. I’m thinking of making homemade vanilla for hostess gifts, I know it takes some time but I’ve heard the results are amazing and with the price of vanilla it would probably be appreciated.
You would have a lifetime invite to my house if you brought me homemade vanilla extract!
I made homemade vanilla as Christmas gifts 2 years ago, it was a huge hit. I did start it a few months before the holiday and included a little tag on the bottle that said something like “best after Feb 1”. It was a huge hit.
HIGHLY recommend the memoir Jell-O Girls by Allie Robottom.
Looks amazing but very foreign to me. I had an open house party last week and told everyone who asked to bring the specialty of their house. It turned out a very relaxed and fun party. We borrowed a fridge for the drinks from our neighbours, put it on our balcony and stuffed it with prosecco. later we mixed jugs of Pimm’s which was a huge success. the best gift we got was a food basket with things for breakfast the next day – godsend because we had forgotten to shop for Sunday (when stores are closed here).
I love the idea of borrowing a fridge for drinks! That is so, so smart.
an absolute game changer! our fridge is stuffed to the brim every day of the year and I did not want the “bottles in the bath tub” scenario.
Oh my! That looks delightful!!
Has anyone cracked the code on the lactose free version of this recipe?
Coconut based milks would work i bet?
Many grocery stores now carry oat milk and coconut milk cans of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. The whole milk could be swapped with any plant-based milk, and you’re in the clear!
Of course, jello and gelatin are not vegetarian, so it’s funny to make this pretty dessert with plant milk! :) Many years ago, my son came home from preschool with a stomachache and I learned that some mom brought jello for snacktime.
My mother made rainbow layered jello squares for all our birthday parties. I remember it being slowly added to layer by layer, with white between each color, for a whole day before the party. I’m in my late 40s and whenever I have a conversation with someone I knew as a child, they bring up my mom’s rainbow jello. My best friend in particular usually brings up the time she put a square in her party favor bag and took it home to show her family and then forgot about it for a couple days.
When I lived in Mexico City, it was customary to get gelatinas made with milk from El Globo for all the birthday parties! I was surprised to learn that they were as important as the birthday cake! I’m happy to see this recipe here on Cup of Jo–& I look forward to trying it out!
Where I live (Utah) Jello salads were so ubiquitous that they became a joke and even members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make fun of them. A local choreographer made a dance called “Green Jello” and the green Jello pin was the top seller at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. Although I’m not Mormon I have definitely consumed all number of Jello salads, usually made with tons of Cool Whip and chunks of pineapple. Food made from other food, or ersatz food. That said, I make my mother’s cranberry Jello salad every Christmas and I love it. There’s a place for everything and Jello will never die.
This is a hard pass for me, but it is stunning. It is funny the ‘rules’ for catching up with people. The people I hang out with, someone hosts and the guests bring great champagne, snacks and desserts and usually flowers – yes it always seems that the guest goes to more trouble than the host! haha but the host has to clean up before and after I guess. But also, it doesn’t;t matter if they don’t. We are friends! A friend recently went to an Italian pastry place, so even though I had said I was making a cake for dessert, they were like “yeah but you need breakfast” – and yes, eating a box of cannolis, biscuits and other gems was an amazing breakfast!
I agree. All these rules for getting together ! Are we friends or not ?? Good grief. I wouldn’t care a bit if someone brought something not in tune with my so called menu. These get together rules sound awful and I wouldn’t even want to come over if the host is thinking like this. To each their own though but man oh day.
My Mom made something similar. It was called “Prism Cake” !
Mosaic Jello and overall jello in general is a staple at most Latino celebrations. Birthday cake is always accompanied by “gelatina” and milk jello is a fave. Mosaic or a fruit filled molded gelatina are a Tias (aunt) pride and joy at any party, bonus “ohs and ahhs” if served in a Princess House cut crystal dish.
Princess House crystal brings back so many memories of my younger hostessing days. I loved those pieces.
I’m so delighted by this recipe!
I showed the photo to my husband and asked him what he thinks. He said “Oh wow. I forgot to tell you, but we’re in invited to a party. We should bring that!” So there you go. Then I told him that we have to tel people to buy the book ‘What can I bring’. He said “Ok but it’s in Santa Clarita so don’t forget your wallet” I told him that he’s thinking of El Segundo and, honestly, everything went downhill after that.
hahahahaaa
I *think* I got this great idea from CupofJo (mostly because that’s where all great ideas come from) but the never fail hit has been to bring something for breakfast the next day – something like donuts or banana bread or croissants – the hope is for the host to be able to relax the morning after a long day of prepping and partying and cleaning up! Every time I do this I get a deeply grateful text about it! My other go-to gift (if they drink alcohol) is homemade Baileys. It can be added to after dinner coffee if they want to serve it that night or poured over ice or vanilla ice cream if they want it for dessert, OR if it doesn’t vibe with what they planned, it can be put in the fridge and it keeps for weeks to be enjoyed later (some hair of the dog in coffee to go with their pastry breakfast!)
That is such a nice and thoughtful gift!
I love both of these ideas so much.
I love both of these ideas, Emily!
I just threw my step-father a surprise 80th birthdy party for 50+ people, and if someone had brought me breakfast pastries for the next day I would have passed out in glee. I second the homemade Baileys, I use Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, my mom was so thrilled.
I might try a summer of the jello salads of youth- every church event, graduation, baby shower, potluck, funeral, etc had some variation. This is known a stained glass salad to me- usually featured at baptisms. I am partial to strawberry/pretzel, or apple/snickers but my parents swore by lime jello featuring pears and horseradish- oddly delightful. Oh and one with ham (spam?) and chunks of pineapple suspended throughout… can not wait to see what my kids think.
A summer of Jell-O sounds like the best idea ever!
I love strawberry pretzel salad. I made it last summer for the first time and several times since ! I’m 66. But never made it before. My whole family loves it. It’s nice to have a well loved go-to. The jello featured here is gorgeous. But I’m not very ambitious. I’ve enjoyed the article and pictures though ! :)
My sweet grandma gave me a Tupperware Jello mold for a bridal shower gift many years ago. I stuck it in the back of a cupboard and never used it (sorry, Grandma!) Maybe this summer is the time (celebrating our 30th anniversary!) to bring that thing out and make this lovely Jello mosaic dessert.
My 30th is this summer too! July 8. Happy anniversary to you!!
SASHA! Ours is also July 8th :) Happy Anniversary to you as well!!
How fun!!!! We got married at a beautiful outdoor venue. There was a huge thunderstorm , but it cleared just in time to walk down the aisle. My dad cried before he took my hand, the only time in my entire life I saw him cry. Our DJ canceled that day. Didn’t matter. We ate leftover cake for a week on our road trip honeymoon. My beautiful friend who baked our cakes (one carrot, one chocolate) died from colon cancer just a few years later. I still miss her. My adorable niece, who was our flower girl is now pregnant with her 3rd little girl. Every day I’m so glad I chose my Jordan’s, we are happier than ever. Oh, I wore a big poufy princessy princess Di dress with a flower crown, and I’m still glad I did. Sleek column silk dresses with no frills were all the rage , but they looked awful on my boyish figure. It was satin with lace and pearls and sequins and a long train too. Please tell about your wedding day Josephine!!! I’m dying to hear.
This is such a sweet story! Dust it off and make grandma proud!
As a bona fide rule follower—for better or worse (usually worse!)—I’ve been trying to follow these kind of traditional guest etiquette rules for years. Eventually, I realized: those just aren’t the rules where I am. Maybe it’s where I live (the West), my age (I just turned 30), the typical size of get-togethers (8-15 people) or my culture (Jewish). So, I decided to write a list of what it looks like to be a great guest in my area: 1. Trust that the host has it handled. If they want you to bring something, they will tell you. Otherwise, you’re insinuating that their appetizers or desserts or drinks don’t usually hit. 2. Many of my friends give a window of time when a party starts — i.e it starts between 6-6:30, not it starts at 6. Show up anytime in that window! If a window isn’t given, did they use “-ish” to describe the time? Or was it exact? Plan accordingly. 3. I imagine this is a controversial one and maybe hyper-specific to my friend group, but stay late! Hosting is a lot of work, but worth it to gather with dear friends. Make the evening last! Would love to hear others’ “rules!”
My rules are similar to yours I’d say! We live in the Midwest, are in our mid thirties, all have at least two kids.
Really great advice!!!
I like your point about rules being more specific and less general, to place, group, vibes. I very much agree. In my circle: You don’t clean You do bring food, or something, or at least ask if it’s helpful You do stay and clean up You don’t stay late You keep it very casual You ask before you bring along an uninvited guest You absolutely rsvp
Stay late is the rule for guests in my home too!
OOoh man do I LOVE talking about things like this! I’m an experience designer, which means that thinking up party rules (or, as I usually call them “Working Agreements” is actually my job!) The guest rules I have for myself (unless explicitly named differently by a host) are these: – Show up on time if there is a start time. Many of my friends are excellent cooks, so I know oven timing and hot food are at risk if I don’t. – If asked to bring something, bring the nicest version that I can afford. This is the time to splurge on Talenti or a really good bottle of wine as a thanks for the host’s work and effort! Plus, we’re in our late 30s/early 40s with little kids, so I rarely splurge for myself. What a treat when someone else does! – If I’m told to “just bring myself” I still bring something because my Grama would roll over in her grave to see her granddaughter show up empty-handed. A jar of chives just snipped from my garden, a grocery store bouquet, a Swedish dish cloth and a card… doesn’t have to be fancy to be a thoughtful gesture. – Read the room for how long to stay. If the host starts cleaning up around you, pitch in and then get out. If the host is chatty and lingering, you can be, too. – Send a heartfelt thanks. I love and value thank you notes AND I have completely fallen down on that job. It’s a lot to get us all out of the house looking nice when we can, to write a lovely thank you note is something that I just can’t remember to do these days. I hope to get back to the practice in future, but for now, I send a thoughtful text en route home and remember that’s better than no thanks at all.
So late to reply to this, but the “rules” in our social circle is: – Host has it all covered and typically goes all out to host a true feast – Always bring something, a couple of bottles of wine/champagne or dessert – If it’s an occasion (eg. birthday) you bring a proper personal gift for the host, not wine/dessert – Guests don’t clean up but if it’s more casual and there’s not help with serving, we might help bring dishes to the kitchen and leave them on the counter – There’s typically a specific time for arrivals, and you are to arrive 15 mins late
I do not like jello, but I loved the way the recipe is written! As someone who is not a confident cook and also likes to understand why I’m doing something, this was delightfully and thoughtfully written.
This comment means so much to me Louise! I wrote this book with cooks like you in mind and I’m glad it resonates :)
Love this post! (And the warm cookies and milk idea? Genius.) My own Christmas “signature” is a Jello dish, but usually nothing so beautiful and tasty as this… One Thanksgiving at my in-laws house, years ago, I was flipping through a cookbook they had from the 1940s and reading out the vaguely terrifying gelatin-based recipes. Things that included lime jello, shrimp, black olives, and horseradish. I decided to make one of them as a joke that Christmas. Thus was a tradition born. Every year, I choose a new jello recipe to make… some years, I go with ones that I think will actually be tasty, but most years, to be honest, I’m going for the shock factor. (They’re usually… actually not as bad as you think they’ll be. Very, very occasionally, a terrifying-sounding recipe surprises us by being actually GOOD.)
I’m trying to process this. I think in my culture, jello dishes have never been a thing at all, I’ve only ever seen the topic come up on blogs or meme sites or something like that. So lime jello. Shrimp. Olives. Horse radish. I’m having a cognitive dissonance 😂 BUT your tradition actually sounds really cool. I hope you are lucky with this year’s recipe :)
Book links didn’t work for me!
Try this!
buy a bunch of hostess donettes, slice them in half, have gigantic platter of donut bites
Several years ago I was invited to visit my aunt and uncle, who were in their nineties, at their retirement community in Iowa. When I asked my cousin Henry what you do to pass the time with such elderly people, he said, You could help your aunt make a Jello mold.
I dubbed 2025 my year of “easy bread” after I killed my 6th or 7th sourdough starter. I swapped my frightening jar of starter in the back of my fridge with an entire jar of rapid rise yeast and haven’t looked back. Last week, I conspired with my neighbor to drop off her legendary postpartum soup with my “signature” loaf of easy seeded bread to our other neighbor’s house after she welcomed home her first baby. I was so chuffed with my new dependable easy bread life. But I blew the timing of it all (needs 4 hrs total of proofing, I had only had 2 hrs total til dinner time) and started absolutely panicking. After15 minutes of leaning against the kitchen counter frantically searching my phone for a solution while my kids ran feral at my feet (not a great vibe, to be sure), I landed on quick and easy baguettes. I pulled fresh baked baguettes together with the “help” of said feral children and not even the right kind of flour (bread flour, whole wheat, all purpose randomly combined to reach the four quota!)- and they were honestly so good. Would a French person recognize them as a baguette? Probably not. Were they soft and chewy on the inside but crusty and salty on the outside? Is that all that really matters? yes yes yes. https://lechefswife.com/baking-baguettes-for-beginners/ The website has a nauseating amount of text to get through before the recipe. Just skip. But watch the video on his neat bread cutting technique which in my opinion saved the presentation. And watch a king arthur video on youtube for folding baguettes. Truly, if I can do it anyone can!! I shall now be asking “can i bring baguettes?” instead of “what can i bring?” But I do aspire to one day own a book like this and bring show stopping party treats, maybe when we start getting invited to grownup things again.
I love squishy, jiggly, mochi and gelatin rich desserts so this looks fantastic to me. When you think about it, it’s not so different from traditional Asian dessert drinks like Che Thai https://www.cooking-therapy.com/che-thai/
First I see the youth bringing back pantyhose and now I see Jell-O dessert!?!? What is going on!?!?
Everything comes back again! :)
Who is bringing back pantyhose? They must be stopped. Monsters.
Truly what goes around comes around !
I get that this approach can work in certain situations, and I totally see the appeal. But honestly, I find it really frustrating when people say “just bring yourself” — and then that isn’t respected. Like, what? It feels like the guest’s preferences are taking precedence over the host’s wishes. If I invite you to my home for a dinner party, I’ve got you! I wouldn’t extend the invitation if I wasn’t prepared to care for you. It’s honestly kind of exhausting when a gathering starts off with someone disregarding what the host has asked and deciding their own ideas are more important.
Yes to this! And it always becomes awkward for guests that actually didn´t bring anything (as requested)… So just, do what the host says.
Hosts often say “don’t bring anything” and I interpret that as “don’t trouble yourself” or “don’t feel obligated.” But, especially if I’m unable to reciprocate a meal invitation, I want to contribute somehow and honor the time and effort made by the host. Is there some way of doing this without offending people who feel as you do? Perhaps a next morning treat, or flowers? (And, no I don’t think my ideas are more important to yours!)
Came here to say this! If I tell you you don’t need to bring anything…don’t bring anything! Same for kids birthday parties. If I say no gifts, please please please for the love of god no gifts.
I was shocked the first time I threw a party, telling everyone to “just bring yourself”, only to have at least four additional desserts. Although it is the norm in our area of the country (rural upper Midwest) I try to give folks grace and interpret it as tone-deaf rather than insulting. ( … I say, taking deep breaths as I scramble to find room for odd cakes.) I try to head folks off at the pass by saying “just bring yourself, WE HAVE SO MUCH FOOD” :)
As a host, I like to say “no need to bring anything unless there’s something specific you want” – most people don’t end up bringing anything but it’s OK with me if anyone does. I figure it’s all in the spirit of generosity anyway. Plus, if anyone shows up with an unneeded dessert or whatnot, no harm in sending any extra back with them at the end :)
@Caroline Donofrio, your contribution is yourself. If someone asked you to bring an appetiser you would so don’t ignore their request when its simply just the opposite. Also for the love of god please don’t bring flowers if you don’t also bring a vase. The last thing someone wants to be doing while in the middle of cooking/hosting is to start running around looking for an appropriately sized vase :)
You’ll all love to know: My book has a chapter of edible gifts to leave for your hosts when they say “just bring yourself” and you don’t want to walk in the door empty handed.
@ casey, Seriously, when we say “just bring yourself,” we actually mean it. It’s not secret party code for “you better show up with a charcuterie board or we’ll judge you forever.” I swear, it really seems like the ethos of Americans to hear “just bring yourself” and immediately start baking something out of guilt and suspicion. Trust the words, people!
I said this above, but I interpret “just bring yourself” as an opportunity to give my host a little something heartfelt and non-fancy. Fresh herbs from my pots, a nice card thanking them for having us over, even a few flowers from the garden in an empty (clean!) beer bottle! I very much hear the spirit of these comments though, and I would echo a million times to always respect when a birthday invite says “no presents” !!
@Casey when I tell people to just bring themselves/they don’t need to bring anything, I truly mean it. The last thing I would want is an edible gift – as someone with food intolerances and allergies, and who doesn’t drink, that stuff often just gets thrown out.
Apologies that I’m only reading and responding now, a year later, but…. Respectfully, without wanting to overgeneralise, might those in the camp of, ‘When I say, bring yourself, I literally mean, don’t bring anything’ be … white Westerners (e.g., white Americans)? In many other cultures – specifically Asian – the interpretation of, ‘No need to bring anything’ is almost always, ‘Do bring something for the host who went through the trouble to prepare food and invite you’. This isn’t necessarily what the host thinks; more the universally understood general etiquette. Generally something small to contribute to the party or else something just for the host.
@Sarah Levy (Also looking at this a year later), I don’t think it’s white Americans who don’t welcome a host / hostess gift, there are large regions, cultures where Americans, white Americans included, are raised with the idea it’s rude to show up empty handed when you are invited over to someone’s house. Most people just say thank you and accept a gift from a friend and enjoy their evening.
I appreciate the level of detail from the “2 boxes for 7 packets” down to how to minimize bowl washing (light to dark). I like how your brain works Casey, thoughtful and considerate!
I had come here to write the exact same thing, yes to this!
Thank you both so much! I like to work smarter not harder :)
I just made something similar for Easter! But I used a Pati Jinich recipe which called for making your own jello from fruit juice – new skill unlocked for me! I was dubious about milk flavored jello, but it was amazing! Kind of like I always wished egg custard tasted. Funny note: when I brought it triumphantly to the table my husband said “Oh! A jello mold!” Had not even occurred to me that that’s what I was making. I guess I’m officially a Midwesterner now.
Jello desserts ran their course for me during the height of jello shots and jello gummies trend served at every bridal celebrations so I’m over the luster but the jello mosaic is a stunner. The other glorious ideas in this cookbook I will def try!
Screams 70s and I am here for it!
This is stunning and I bet it tastes yummy too, while staying light and refreshing for a warm evening after a large meal. But… I’m one of those annoying recipe commenters trying to avoid animal products (the gelatin.) Do you think agar agar could work in this recipe, Casey?
Yes, absolutely! I’m not an expert on agar, but I think the general rule is use about half the amount as traditional gelatin and boil it to activate. If you end up playing around with it, I’d love to hear what you discover.
The photograph of the jello, the rainbow dress, the loving way this person’s arms are cradling the jello…incredible food presentation!!!
It’s my favorite photo in the book! (But the rest aren’t too shabby either.)
This is the first time a CoJ recipe doesn’t hit for me. Jello is a hard pass for this girl…but it is a fun looking dessert!
Agreed. Looks pretty, but noooooo thank you to jello. Reminds me of hospitals.
Same. When I was a kid, my uncle told me jello was made from pig’s feet and I haven’t touched the stuff since then. I was maybe 10, so we’re talking 30+ years.
I’m not a jello person either. Didn’t care for it as a kid. Don’t care for it now. My grandma used to make some strawberry dessert with pretzels and jello. The family loved it. I did not. The dessert is very pretty though!!
It’s so pretty, and if it was vegetarian I would eat it. But it’s the one dessert I can think of that isn’t vegetarian!
agreeeee! This is icking me out big time!
You’ll all be happy to know there are 74 more recipes in the book! Except one of them is Jell-O shots so skip that page :)
This was my Aunt Dorothy’s signature contribution to Easter and we called it Cut Glass Salad!
love that name! even though it sounds scary to eat haha.
Growing up we called it stained glass salad!
People who call things like this a “salad” are fully my people!
If you are at a loss as to what to bring, consider something for the hosts to enjoy the morning after: gorgeous breakfast breads, special granola, etc. with a thoughtful note.
love this. my friend grace brought homemade granola to Thanksgiving (for us to enjoy the next morning) and I thought it was so thoughtful and elegant.
I do that! I bring a drink and a brioche for their breakfast! I think it’s nice. Love from Paris
I don’t have a lot of jello experience and I’m completely bewildered. It’s stunning, don’t get me wrong, but what does this taste like??? Like milk with flavored jello? Or do you taste the vanilla?
I had extensive Jello experience growing up in Michigan in the 80s, and all I can tell you is that this recipe is a HARD PASS. I am never eating this stuff ever again in my life.
The white part will just taste sweet, creamy, and slightly vanilla-y with a jello texture (the sweetened condensed milk component is very sweet!), and the colored Jello will be whatever flavors you choose… so yeah if you don’t like the Jello fruit flavors, you probably won’t like this.
It’s like sweet and creamy jello, which might sound weird, but think of flan – it’s sort of like that. I like it!
I get where Jen is coming from, but I think kids will LOVE this no matter what it actually tastes like. Jello is somewhat of a novelty to my kiddos, and as long as it doesn’t have nuts or carrots or other bits of weird stuff in it, my kids are always excited when Jello is presented. If you make it for an event where kids are going to be present I really don’t think your efforts will be wasted, and then you can try it to to see if you like it and whether you think other more discerning adults would like it. I seem to remember from my experience with Jello in the 80s is that the white part doesn’t have much flavor, and that the flavors of the colored bits will dominate. White for look, colored bits for taste. But the 80s were a long time ago and I could be completely wrong!
Like everyone said, it’s a really subtle flavor. I like to think of the milk gelatin as the architecture for the sweet fruity bits of Jell-O inside.
An icon of the social scene.
he’s such a charming person, through and through. also, a generous laugh-er, which is one of my favorite traits in people.
“Generous laugh-er”. Love that.
Beautiful! My mother used to make something similar growing up- it was rainbow jello layers in a 9×13 glass dish with the condensed milk layers between each color. Love this take!
My bf does that for his family parties! He even gets requests “Uncle B are you bringing jello??” He makes mosaic jello too but it’s called broken glass jello here. Sadly, I don’t like jello that much. Occasionally he makes matcha, Earl Gray, or coffee jello with a condensed milk layer on the top–love those. :-)
Wow, the matcha, Earl Gray, and coffee Jell-O has my wheels turning! That’s so smart.
What a showstopper!