Eat Something

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

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Description

Wise Sons is a nationally recognised deli and Jewish food brand with a unique Californian ethos. Inspired by the past but entirely contemporary, they make traditional Jewish foods California-style with great ingredients. Eat Something, their long-awaited first book, is part comedy, part nostalgic journey, part cookbook the zany Jewish book we havent seen before.

Taking a scrapbook approach, this book layers food photography, illustration by artist George McCalman, and Jewish cultural memorabilia sourced from Wise Sons customers and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. It includes 19 smart and funny short essays, 810 sidebars, and 50 recipes of favourite salads, soups, baked goods, and more from their beloved restaurants. Stemming from the thesis that Jews eat by occasion, the book is organised into 19 different events and celebrations chronicling a Jewish life in food, including: bris, Shabbat, Passover and other high holidays, First Meal home from college, J-Dating, weddings, and more an organisation that makes this a lighthearted read and fun gift, as well as a working cookbook.

Reviews

"The essence of Levin's colorful personal narratives can be boiled down to one memorable quote: "Every Jewish mother mourns the day her child leaves her dinner table." Rich traditions, plated with a touch of schmaltz, make this a fun and satisfying cookbook." -Publishers Weekly
This book is about "Jews and food," not necessarily Jewish food, you see. Each stage of life, from bris to shiva, is accompanied by recipes, sometimes written as though dictated by a Jewish mother, sometimes delineated by tidy line breaks in a more classic cookbook sense. There are family pictures and jokes-plenty of jokes that you are absolutely only allowed to make if you are Jewish, as the three authors are. It's an insider-y book for someone who's misplaced their family recipe for latkes, or maybe just someone who wants to laugh at the stories and commiserate with the bar mitzvah outfit choices, bagel in hand.-Epicurious
"Imaginative" and "hilarious" - New York Times' Wirecutter
"Something special...What I like so much about this book is its heart, both that it's in the right place, and that it exists to begin with. "-Taste
"This cookbook with a splash of irony offers the culinary secrets of a San Francisco deli, but in the style of 'Bar Mitzvah Disco'" - 25 Cookbooks that Need to be Part of Your Collection, Minnesota's Star Tribune
"Witty, at times touching. the cookbook version of 'Wet Hot American Summer.'" - Heated
2020 Books We Want to Cook From Now - Epicurious
"...will have the millennial set and their grandparents laughing while they nosh." - Best 2020 Cookbooks, Forbes
"A deeply personal dive into the psyche of Jewish American life." -Tablet Magazine
"Probably the funniest Jewish cookbook ever written... witty yet insightful" - Best 2020 Cookbooks, San Francisco Chronicle
"This book isn't too cheffy. It's comfort food. And it's fun." -Eater SF
"Wonderful... personal and funny" -San Francisco Chronicle

Author Bio

Evan Bloomis the co-owner of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen. He makes a mean Reuben. Evan founded Wise Sons with Leo Beckerman and his brother Ari in 2010. Today, Evan serves as the company president and oversees day-to-day operations, with a specific focus on culinary and brand direction. An accomplished chef and entrepreneur, Evan is widely regarded as one of the leaders in the modern Jewish food movement.

Rachel Levinis a freelance journalist who was the first San Francisco restaurant critic for Eater, and has written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, Lucky Peach, and Sunset, among other publications. Her work has twice been included in Best Food Writing anthologies, and she has contributed to NPRs Marketplace and Pop-Up magazine. She is the author of Look Big: And Other Tips For Surviving Animal Encounters Of All Kinds.

George McCalman, previously a leading art director in themagazine industry (ReadyMade, Mother Jones, Entertainment Weekly), opened the doors to MCCALMAN.CO in San Francisco in 2011. A Caribbean son raised in Brooklyn, he brings a unique eye to design, one that has won him numerous awards. He applies his skills as a fine artist, illustrator, and graphic designer to each project. In his 'spare' time he illustrates a monthly column for the San Francisco Chronicle.