Eat Something

January 20, 2020
Bloom, owner of San Francisco’s Wise Sons delicatessen, provides the recipes and food journalist Levin offers commentary, reportage, and memoir in this lighthearted and memorable schlep across the major life stages of the modern Jew. From pastrami breakfast tacos for a bris to the requisite rugelach when sitting shiva, the eats and the events are numerous and filling. Latkes for Hanukkah include a kimchi variation, while a less-than-kosher but satisfying Big Macher burger blends pastrami and ground beef and is topped with American cheese for a comfort meal before heading to summer camp. Come adulthood, there is Romanian skirt steak for a wedding party, and chocolate babka when pregnancy cravings hit. Sick days require the all-important chicken soup, here flavored with vegetables that are first roasted for richness. Visually, the book is a mishegoss of loud colors and font choices, with ironic family photos scattered throughout. 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.