Chef, cookbook author and dinner-party aficionado Jake Cohen believes cooking should be easy, fun and shared with others. That message comes out loud and clear in his new show, “Jake Makes It Easy.”
“[With cooking] there are tasks that take time or require patience or even experience in terms of practice,” Cohen told the Journal. “Going to the gym is difficult, but the hardest part is showing up, and I think it’s the same thing when it comes to cooking.”
He added, “The hardest part is deciding you’re going to cook, and then from there, the rest is pretty easy.”
In each half hour episode of “Jake Makes it Easy,” Cohen provides a step-by-step process for creating a main course and dessert that go together. He also gives tips on the order of preparation, rounding out the meal with a salad or a side and how to turn it into a dinner party.
For instance, Cohen explains what can be made the day before or on the morning of, so when your guests arrive, that part of the meal is already handled; everything else assembled and ready to just pop into the oven.
“Giving people those kinds of tools in terms of the logistics of cooking [is] such an important step that is often left out,” he said. “For me a great recipe is not just one that tastes good, it’s one that tastes good and is able to be made without [stressing out].”
Cohen’s “easy” recipes reflect his heritage, while incorporating unique flavors into classics. Dishes include balsamic and soy brisket, Iraqi salmon, baked gnocchi, soup-less chicken soup and date brownies. His recipe for date brownies is below.
“Jake Makes It Easy,” premiering on the FYI channel on October 28, is a part of A+E Networks partnership with Rachael Ray’s Free Food Studios.
Cohen first met Ray, when he did a pre-record for “The Rachael Ray Show” for “Jew-ish.”
“She raved about the book so much and it started this relationship of her as this huge supporter of mine, which was insane because I’d been watching her since I was a kid and had been such a huge fan of everything she did,” said Cohen, who is also the author of “I Could Nosh.” “It’s the biggest blessing to have someone as iconic and generous as Rachael in my life.”
When asked what inspired his cooking, Cohen said it was the concept of cooking for others.
“I couldn’t get over how incredibly present people were when you got to share a meal together,” he said. “It’s the type of energy – it’s the type of interactions – that I truly look for.”
Cohen’s earliest food memories have to do with Passover and the Jewish High Holidays. He had two working parents, and that was the only time everything stopped. There was pure abundance and nonstop cooking; then everyone in the family would gather for a meal.
“It was these moments of true emphasis on hospitality and absolute connection to being with those you love around a meal … that was really powerful,” he said. “It really solidified a lot of the viewpoints that I have around what I define as comfort food [and] the things that I love to make for those that I love.”
Cohen believes cooking for others is the greatest blessing: taking raw ingredients and turning them into sustenance is the greatest act of service
“It’s why I love baking bread or desserts or cakes, because these are things that feel like alchemy,” he said. “You’re taking something – and you’re truly just making it from the wildest things that should not turn into the final product – and all of a sudden people are eating something that you made with love.”
“Jake Makes It Easy” really exemplifies Cohen’s relationship with cooking and the importance of cooking with love.
“I can’t wait for people to watch it, I can’t wait for people to cook from the show,” he said. “This is the start of me living out my dream.”
Follow @JakeCohen on Instagram and TikTok and find Jake Makes It Easy on the FYI channel, the FYI app and FYI.tv. #JakeMakesItEasy
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:
Makes 16 brownies
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus cooling time
Cook time: 45 minutes
8 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), coarsely chopped
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
16 Medjool dates, pitted
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides.
- Set a medium metal or heatproof glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Add the chopped chocolate and butter and heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and combined, then remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs until very smooth, for at least 2 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and kosher salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in the flour until just incorporated, followed by the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Stud the batter with the pitted dates, spacing them out in 4 rows of 4 dates each, so when you slice the finished brownies, each will have its own date. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, if using, on top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is matte and the edges begin to crack, then let cool completely in the pan. (For cleaner slicing and firmer texture, once cool, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.) Use the overhanging parchment to transfer to a cutting board, then slice into 16 brownies and serve.
Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: [email protected].
