Jack Cohen is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, veteran of some of New York City’s top restaurants, an accomplished food writer and self-described “nice Jewish boy.” Now, he’s adding cookbook author to that list with the launch of his new publication, Jew-Ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch.

With Jew-Ish, Cohen hopes to dispel the notion that Jewish cuisine is confined to chicken soup with matzo balls, challah and babka by putting a modern spin on classic dishes – and incorporating new ones into the Jewish culinary repertoire as well. Drawing upon both his Ashkenazi heritage and his husband’s Persian-Iraqi one, Cohen blends different cultures to create such elegant dishes as an everything bagel-inspired galette, saffron latkes and matzo tiramisu. However, more than simply a collection of recipes, Jew-Ish also contains tips for celebrating Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, blended with personal insights and a celebration of both he and his husband’s cultures. A love story at its heart, Cohen hopes the book will serve as a jumping off point for connecting with friends and family.

Cohen’s rising star in the culinary scene comes in the wake of Jewish culinary success stories, such as American-Israeli chef and James Beard Award winner Alon Shaya, chef and Millennial Kosher author Chanie Apfelbaum and Philadelphia-based acclaimed chef and James Beard Award winner Michael Solomonov, all of whom are credited with reinventing Jewish cooking for modern tables.

Jew-Ish is available beginning March 9^th and can be purchased through such local institutions as Left Bank Books, the Novel Neighbor and Subterranean Books. To learn more about the book and Cohen, visit www.wakeandjake.com.