Let’s just say PB&J will never be the same.
In case you haven’t noticed, Katie loves spending time in the kitchen. And as a verified people-person, she’s been known to invite some special guests along. One of her favorite cooking companions is Jake Cohen — together, they’ve made dishes like challah, zucchini bread, and Thanksgiving sides.
So naturally, we’re over the moon about Jake’s brand new cookbook, I Could Nosh, a follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Jew-Ish. To celebrate, Jake is giving us a special preview of his stunningly delicious recipes (plus a decent dose of his genuinely hilarious writing). We think you’ll be inspired to put down tonight’s leftovers and whip up a hearty salad or incredibly snackable sandwich instead. Need a little extra assistance in the kitchen? Look no further than this video of Katie and Jake making these dishes themselves.
Fried Challah PB&J
Makes 1 sandwich
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
“Everyone has their late-night snack, and mine is always a PB&J microwaved for exactly 18 seconds to warm through. Setting that intention of gooey-sandwich satisfaction birthed the concept of treating a challah PB&J like this French toast/Monte Cristo hybrid. The whole thing is dipped in egg and pan-fried in butter, which soaks into the challah and adds richness while it caramelizes and warms through the filling. I serve it covered in maple syrup, making this creation just as good for noshing as it is for breakfast or dessert, of course to be eaten with a fork and knife à la Seinfeld and Snickers. I feel like there is nothing more polarizing than how you build a PB&J, which is not what I’m here to wax poetic about…it’s what I’m here to passionately plead my case over. We need justice for grape jelly. Maybe it’s my obsession with Manischewitz, but the floral notes of Concord grape will always take top tier when it comes to marrying with unctuous nut butter. Raspberry is also acceptable when in a pinch, but strawberry jam is not allowed in my house! As for the PB, I truly go both ways when it comes to smooth or chunky. There are moments when you want some bite in your life, while there are times you need pure comfort in the form of a sandwich you can gum down without any resistance. I’ll name-drop my allegiance to Fix&Fogg, who makes a crunchy Everything Butter with peanuts, almonds, flax, sesame, chia, and so much more, which I believe makes the ultimate sandwich. As long as we can all agree on crusts off, I think we’ll be fine.”
2 (½ -inch) slices challah
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons jam or jelly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
Maple syrup, for serving
- On a cutting board, lay out the 2 slices of challah. Spread the peanut butter on one slice and the jam or jelly on the other, then sandwich together.
- In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the beaten egg to a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and dip both sides of the sandwich to coat, letting the excess egg drip off. Place the dipped sandwich in the pan and cook, flipping once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with maple syrup, then serve.
From I COULD NOSH by Jake Cohen. Copyright © 2023 by Jake Cohen. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Health Salad
Serves 6 to 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
“No NYC bagel shop is complete without a giant bowl of health salad in the deli case. Coleslaw’s mayo-less sister, it’s just a simple cabbage slaw dressed with oil, vinegar, and lots of sugar, of course. When I was an adolescent swept up in diet culture, health salad was always my accompaniment of choice for a whole wheat flagel with low-fat schmear (and a diet peach Snapple on the side). While I’ve moved away from some of my more questionable eating habits, I’m still always going to finda way to eat an entire green cabbage.
“The glow-up of that recipe takes the crisp combo of cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers (I know I said I hate raw bell peppers, but I love them here for some reason) and tosses it with an electric-green parsley dressing, packed with garlic and maple syrup. (Major shout-out to Melissa Ben-Ishay, the founder of Baked by Melissa, whose Lizzo-approved green goddess chopped cabbage video paved the way for this recipe!) It’s a crunch-lover’s dream, and lasts for days in the fridge, ready whenever you need a little roughage.”
For the Dressing
2 cups (1 bunch) packed fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
¼ cup minced fresh chives
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
2 pounds (1 medium) green cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
1 English cucumber, Julienned
- Make the dressing: In a blender, combine the parsley, sunflower oil, chives, vinegar, pine nuts, maple syrup, garlic, and 2 heavy pinches each of salt and black pepper. Puree until smooth.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, and cucumber with the dressing to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper, then serve.
From I COULD NOSH by Jake Cohen. Copyright © 2023 by Jake Cohen. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
