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(JNS) A tour that the 30-year-old chef Jake Cohen gave JNS of his fridge during a video interview offers a glimpse of the fixtures that the self-declared king of dinner parties keeps in stock.
“Lots of wine but I don’t drink, so it’s pretty much just in case,” Cohen said.
He pointed out three kinds of milk, a jar of nut and seed spread, Everything butter and eggs, which he considers “the one ingredient everyone should have in their fridge.”
Several containers held leftovers, apparent traces of offerings at the many gatherings he hosts and posts about online. “I’m very good about eating the same thing for a few days, so I keep leftovers,” he told JNS.
The Jewish cookbook author has made a name for himself both on social media, where he has some 2.5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, and in the real world for throwing the sorts of gastronomic get-togethers that appear to be resurging after the pandemic.
He hopes that his new show, “Jake Makes it Easy,” which debuted late October on the FYI network—as part of of an A&E partnership with Rachael Ray’s Free Food Studios—will help him inspire others “to start inviting people that they love over for a dinner party,” Cohen told JNS.
Cohen wears a conspicuous Star of David necklace around his neck throughout his posts on social media, and it is visible clearly in the trailer for his new show. He told JNS that he has worn his Jewish identity around his neck long before Oct. 7.
“I’ve always worn the Star of David necklace,” he said. “I’m still myself after Oct. 7. The only thing that I can do to be successful is to offer myself authentically through the table, and that’s the way that people relate to me.”
“The full conversation is showing them who I am and creating space for them to see themselves in me and the connections that I have with those that I love,” he added.
Although Cohen’s culinary canon goes beyond traditional Jewish food, a large part of the dishes and recipes that he shares with his audience is inspired by his Ashkenazi heritage.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, Cohen acknowledges that where he comes from has always had a huge impact on what he can offer the food world.
“My Jewish identity is my main reference point for my lens around food and family and culture,” he said. “When you group up with a specific cuisine and culture being the vantage point for comfort and love, it becomes so ingrained in your being.”
Both of his cookbooks—Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch and I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day—feature takes on classic Israeli and Jewish foods, from a “perfect challah” to sabich bagel sandwiches, and shakshuka alla vodka to Middle Eastern salads.
In addition to the flavors that define the cuisine of his heritage, Cohen noted that he was inspired to become a professional chef by the notion of eating with family and friends—a common aspect of Jewish life, especially on Shabbat.
“When I was a teenager, I became obsessed with how cooking for others is this magical ritual to build connection,” he said. “The second I started, I knew it was the career I needed to pursue. I only want to share recipes that are anecdotes and have connections to myself.”
Asked what audience members will learn when watching “Jake Makes it Easy” other than specific recipes, Cohen immediately referred to salt-related etiquette.
“Some big things I convey on the show involve salt,” he told JNS. “When it comes to salt, make sure that you season as you go and make sure there is always a balance of sweet and sour.”
He also has a thing for flour.
“I’m very much a stickler for using a kitchen scale to weigh flour,” he told JNS. “You don’t have to weigh everything, but you do have to weigh flour.”
He won’t be seen using some ingredients. “I’m very anti-truffle oil,” he said. “I love a fresh shaved truffle, but the way people douse food with truffle oil is way too intense.”
