Jake Cohen — ‘The King of Nosh’ — comes to Philly

Whether they follow him for lunch ideas, bread-baking tips, or thirst traps (or a combo of all those things), Jake Cohen has built a reputation for never taking himself too seriously.

The New York Times best-selling cookbook author and self-proclaimed “nice Jewish boy” from Queens has brought in more than 2.5 million combined followers on his Instagram and TikTok accounts for his approach to creating authentic food content. Now, with the release of Cohen’s sophomore cookbook, I Could Nosh, he’s taking his show on the road.

On Sept. 28, the author will do a book signing and fireside chat with Mike Solomonov — who in promotion of his latest book called Cohen “the king of nosh” — at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

“I’m so excited to be in conversation with Mike,” Cohen told The Inquirer. “It’s super special because when I was choosing moderators, I wanted people I was friends with. I wanted people who are excited about me, who have been to my home, or who have experienced my cooking.”

Cohen’s first book, Jew-ish, hit shelves in 2021. He describes it as “the young entertainer taking on the holidays.” In contrast, he says I Could Nosh is a tribute to his grandmother’s “everyday Jewish hospitality.”

“It’s not about blowup entertaining; it’s the everyday use of your kitchen,” he said. “Yes, you can use it for the holidays, but it’s really for the random Tuesday night recipes rooted in those nostalgic flavors across the Jewish diaspora.”

Cohen rose to fame on the Feedfeed — a digital food media company — as the editorial and test kitchen director. (In 2021, he was named in a discrimination lawsuit launched by ex-employees that eventually settled out of court.)

His biggest audience is on social media. It’s not abnormal to catch Cohen on the ‘gram, kneading challah in a Speedo or cooking Shabbat dinner for himself and his husband at their Fire Island beach home. He says that realness is the driving factor for his internet success. But admits that half the time, he’s still faking it till he makes it.

“My confidence is still riddled in impostor syndrome. But it’s understanding how the internet works,” he said. “It only works with radical candor and authenticity. If the version I’m selling online is different from my work, why would they buy my books?”

Cohen continued, “My books lead with humor. First I’m a clown, second a matchmaker, third, I’m a cook. I’m a little bit of everything. While I’m on Fire Island, I’m in a Speedo because I’m in the midst of working on my tan.”

Organizers at the Weitzman Museum say that authenticity is connecting with its audience, to the point that Cohen’s book event sold out weeks ahead of his tour stop. They’ve since added an online option for people who couldn’t snag an IRL ticket in time.

“Brilliant storytellers of all kinds, like Cohen and Solomonov, are integral to educating Jews and non-Jews alike about Jewish culinary traditions and the contemporary culinarians expanding those traditions,” said Dan Samuels, the museum’s event coordinator. “Not only are meals and food heritage central to Jewish life and culture, but they are a way to share and understand our past and carry and adapt traditions into the future — for all cultures.”

Over the years, the Weitzman Museum has started to stake its territory as a place for Jewish chefs to launch their cookbooks. Last year, the museum hosted culinary historian Michael Twitty; Joan Nathan, who’s known as “the matriarch of Jewish cooking;” and Sephardic food historian and chef Hélène Jawhara Piñer.

Cohen says his book is for everyone — people in the Jewish community across all levels of the spectrum as well as non-Jewish people.

He and his husband were both raised secular but brought Shabbat into their lives as a couple.

“Neither of us grew up with it. A huge part of it is that we love ritual. These traditions that lasted in our community for thousands of years. Instead of walking away, we found ways to make it sustainable,” he said. “And by doing it, we found this never-ending source of community. The best part is when you use food as this marker of culture … The goal is to find common ground in Judaism.”

When it comes to his internet fame, Cohen says his best-performing content is sporadic and the common theme is that the recipes are familiar, cozy, and personal. It doesn’t hurt when there’s a cameo from Jewish New York-based drag queen Miz Cracker.

“My garlic bread popped off. I made it because my sister-in-law craved it. It’s the same with my upside-down banana bread. Any of my upside-down cakes are inspired by spending summers in Connecticut near farmstand fruit. I’d bake a cake we could slice at throughout the weekend,” he said. “My recipes are rooted in how I like to eat and how the people I love like to eat.”

In I Could Nosh, new recipes include a fudgy brownie with Medjool dates inspired by a trip through the shuk in Israel and a summer kasha varnishkes with charred cherry tomatoes (recipe below).

As for the most Philly-adjacent recipe?

“It’s got to be my Moses in a Blanket, challah-wrapped hot dogs,” Cohen said. “They’re so good. The difference between me and other food personalities is they’re sometimes a little froufrou and precious. I think about ‘what will people lose their s— over?’ It’s that perfect high-low balance. Nostalgic, yet elevated.”

Cohen’s in-person appearance and conversation with Mike Solomonov at the Weitzman Museum on Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. is sold out. Live-stream tickets are available at theweitzman.org/events/i-could-nosh for $35 with the book or $10 without.