Evan Bloom - Eat Something: A Wise Sons Book for Jews Who Like Food and Food Lovers Who Like Jews

Text copyright 2020 by Beck and Bloom, LLC.
Photographs copyright 2020 by Maren Caruso.
Illustrations by George McCalman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-7903-2 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN 978-1-4521-7874-5 (hardcover)
Prop styling by Jillian Knox.
Food styling by Robyn Valarik and Kristene Loayza.
Design by McCalmanCo: George McCalman and Aliena Cameron.
The photographer wishes to thank Jennifer Thomas, Josh Lewis, Carolyn Schneider, and Daniel Hurlburt.

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An odd but traditional pairing

True, Hanukkah isnt as fun as Santas big day. But thats OKits not supposed to be.

Youve got to go. You want to go. What youll eat when you do.

Its called Jewish Penicillin for a reason.

Must it also mean professional dancers and mountains of food?

Twas the night before summer camp...

An ancient Jewish tradition

Meditation on the Jewish-Chinese bond

Reconvening in the family kitchen feels good.

But what are you really trying to say, Grandma?

The only way to end the workweek

The joy of making your own breakfast

Half the fun without all the pressure of December 31

A wine-soaked celebration of freedom

But breaking the fast is the fun part.

Everyone loves a Jewish wedding, except maybe the people planning it.

What to cook? Youre not going to serve them chopped liver! Or are you?

No Better Excuse to Eat...

... a lot, frequently, and plenty of pickles

For so many reasons

Ruminations on retirement

IM AT WISE SONS DELI, in San Franciscos Mission District, slurping a bowl of matzo ball soup while the owners give me a convincing spiel about a book that doesnt exist yetbut should.

It would be about Jews and food, Evan Bloom began, speaking on behalf of his partners: his brother, Ari, and his buddy Leo. OK, not just another book about Jewish food, there are plenty of thosebut about Jews and food. Get it? Do you have thoughts about Jews and food? Do I, a Jewish food writer raised in a suburban home where platters of tongue and boxes of Entenmanns crumb cake poured like rain, have thoughts about Jews and food? Oh yes, I assured them, I had thoughts. Many thoughts.

Good, Evan said. Thats what we wanted to hear, because we want to probe the depths of this subject. Go where no Jew has gone before. We dont want it to be a standard cookbook, per se, he explained. Something more along the lines of the Bar Mitzvah Disco (2005)? I suggested. Yes! Evan replied. But for bagels and brisket and babka and the people who eat them, we decided. With photos and illustrations and shared memories and schmaltz. And food, lots of food. Will you write it with us? Bring home a dozen bagels and think about it. What kind of shmear do you want? (You mean cream cheese? I, a native East Coaster, replied.) Ari, get her the shmear with horseradish. (I do love horseradish.) Where did you go to camp? (Basically the same one as you, but in New Hampshire.) How was the food there? (I liked the Dixie cups of Manischewitz on Shabbatdoes that count?) Did you know Adam Goldberg? (Of course I knew Adam Goldberg.)