JAKE COHEN, AUTHOR OF THE COOKBOOK JEW-ISH, IS ON A MISSION TO make Jewish food mainstream. “We’re not still in the shtetl. We have beautiful cuisine, and it’s continued to evolve.” One of the ways Jake is proving his point is with his wildly popular social media presence on Instagram and TikTok (2 million-plus followers) where his bread is beloved. “Challah is a force of connection and community and nourishment. Start to finish, the process of making it and serving it to people pretty much hits every moral and ethical lesson you should get in life.” Ultimately his goal is to inspire others to cook more. “Great food? That’s a baseline, everything has to taste good. If it doesn’t taste good, then we failed. If we can inspire someone to feel more confident, feel a little bit more passionate, a little more joy in the act of cooking, that’s the true goal.” While another book is in the works, he hopes to take his ever-growing social media following to TV. “I’ve been very blessed to be a recurring character on a lot of these daytime talk shows in the food world, which has been great, but naturally, I want it all to myself.” [laughs]
KRISTEN STILWELL