Jake Cohen cooks up spice, wit, and wisdom in ‘Jew-ish’

Chef Jake Cohen’s recipes provide more than a delicious meal.

“My goal is to inspire a new generation of Jews to find pride in their culture, to expose people in this country and in this world who have never heard of our foods or our traditions to fall in love with them,” said the author of Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch , published by Mariner Books earlier this year.

While his cookbook highlights traditional Jewish foods like challah, chicken soup, and kugel, Cohen puts a unique twist on every dish, inspired by flavors he discovered after meeting his husband, a Mizrahi Jew. “As soon as I started trying these Persian and Iraqi dishes, it was just ‘game over’ because it was so fascinating,” explained this self-proclaimed “nice Jewish boy from NYC.”

Growing up in Queens, N.Y., where he still lives, Cohen experienced Jewish cooking around the High Holidays and began experimenting with his own recipes while in high school. “I started really falling in love with food. I watched the Food Network. I started throwing these little dinner parties for my friends. And the act of hospitality and how it works as a community builder was… immediately addicting. And I just knew that that concept of cooking for others had to be pursued,” said Cohen.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Cohen worked at Daniel and ABC Kitchen , two of Manhattan’s top restaurants, before stepping into the world of food media. He held editorial roles at a variety of print and digital food publications including Saveur, Tasting Table, Time Out New York , and feedfeed .

At the same time, Cohen began hosting Shabbat dinners, exploring the world of Jewish food, and discovering how history influenced recipes. For example, he points to Indian ingredients in Iraqi Jewish food as a result of limited work opportunities for Jews who ran the spice trade with India. Although Jewish recipes vary based on region, Cohen says in the end, they are all Jewish and his cookbook brings it all together demonstrating how to use ingredients like za’atar, sumac, amba, and cardamom. “I don’t think every night you have to create this crazy feast in which you’ve ordered a million different spices, but start with one and then go from there,” he suggests.

Cohen also values the connection between food and family history, encouraging others to learn about their ancestors and write down recipes as a form of self-exploration. Otherwise, he said, “it creates a roadblock, maybe not for you, but for any future generation that wants to have some kind of connection to the family, to the lineage, to the history.”

Woven through the history lessons and recipes, Jew-ish delivers quite a bit of witty commentary and practical advice. For instance, he advises, if you are exhausted at the end of the week, and want to order in or pick up a challah from the local bakery for Shabbat, it’s enough. Dayenu !

If this is the first time you’re hearing about Jake Cohen, rest assured, that this won’t be the last. He’s already amassed a social media following of more than two million, he’s developing another cookbook he expects to publish in 2023, and he’s dreaming of his own food show he hopes you’ll see streaming on HBO, Netflix, or Hulu someday.

Not Your Grandfather’s Lox & Bagel
Forget the usual brunch spread. Jake calls his Everything Bagel Galette (pictured) “the mash-up nobody asked for, but everybody needs.” Follow his recipe, and you’ll create a flaky pie-like crust spread with cream cheese, layered with smoked salmon and tomato slices, and sprinkled with Everything Seasoning (Jake makes his own and includes his recipe in Jew-ish ). Bake for an hour until it’s golden brown and the tomatoes caramelize. Top with sea salt, scallions, and dill, and you’ll never go back to the old standard.

Julie Mangurten Weinberg, a former television news producer and member of the JUF Women’s Board, lives in Northbrook with her husband, two teenage children, and three cats.