Before you host your next dinner party, Jake Cohen wants to show you how to bring the wow factor to your guests. The viral chef and best-selling cookbook author serves his hand at the market as he creates unique dishes for Jake makes it easy. The new cooking show is part of A+E Networks’ partnership with Rachael Ray’s Free food studios.

During the half-hour episodes, Cohen cooks a main course and a dessert, bringing unique approaches to classic dishes rooted in his kitchen’s heritage. His approach is to keep it simple. Kick off New York’s culinary main courses with Iraqi salmon and date brownies. Also on the menu in future episodes include balsamic soy brisket, challah monkey bread, baked gnocchi and soupless chicken soup.

Here Cohen talks about how he brings the stories of food and family to life by preparing these meals and the real Rachael Ray he got to know.

What does it mean to have your first cooking series?

Jake Cohen: That’s all. This was my childhood dream. This is what I always imagined. Everyone was like, “How did you fall into the food?” That never was. I was always someone who dreamed of doing exactly what I was doing. I am very blessed to live my dream every day. For that to be the last piece of the puzzle, which is cooking on TV. To also have the origin story of wanting to do this rooted in watching Rachael Ray on TV and then supporting my chefs. To call me and say, “Hey, you should be cooking on TV. We’re going to put on a show for you.” There is no world where I would say no. I couldn’t help but put my heart and soul into it because it’s a blessing.

Was the idea to always focus on dinner?

When we came to the table, that was the only thing. That’s what I do here. It was me doing this or maybe not doing it. It’s so central to who I am and what I feel is my purpose in the food world, which is to really help people not only learn how to cook, but cook through this lens of hospitality. I want to turn the kitchen into a source of how people can build connections for the ones they love. That’s how I really learned how to build community as a teenager. I would throw these parties for my classmates. That’s how I made friends and learned to be social and learned how to become an adult.

You really get a sense of where you come from and who you are through the stories you tell while you cook.

When it comes to anyone in the public eye and food, you have two options. Are you going to add to the conversation? Or are you going to add noise? There are a million shows and recipes that do things. Anything generic or what the world is expected to like. For me, I know one of my superpowers is conveying such fundamental human elements to these stories. These anecdotes are why I cook these things. where i come from What good is the way they have become part of the culinary lexicon in my kitchen? It could be from traveling in different generations through traveling to many countries or it could be something that I really like.

That it was tied to a story or meaning around a friend, lover or family member that made sense in the moment. I want to show people this because they will see themselves in these stories, whether they are from the same background or not. This is the most beautiful thing about food. Through this connector, creating these human elements behind these anecdotes, people from other cultures will see themselves in me and more will see these recipes as a source of a feeling rather than just a type of cuisine. It’s a great honor. It’s also not that deep. We just cook. Fully embracing cooking for the ones you love and doing it in a sustainable way.

You pair a main course and a dessert in each episode. What went into what to cook?

For me, I think one of the things is making a delicious recipe, and giving someone a delicious recipe is just the foundation. This is the minimum I have to do in my work. Don’t make a recipe yourself and call it a day. If people come, I have to feed them. With this show, I wanted to create this structure of how you make these two recipes together in tandem and give you that little verbal cue that this is what you’re going to do. If you want to make a full meal, great. It’s about understanding the whole picture concept of how you feed people. I think what’s been sorely lacking is that we teach people how to cook, but we don’t give them the basic tools to host. Not in a mass landscape kind of way, but in a logistical way. A good relationship with cooking where it does not add stress but joy.

You are used to creating content online. What was it like filming a TV show?

More than that, it was a place of gratitude that I got to see what it was like. I have multiple cameras, I see how best to present the food, introduce myself, when to talk and focus on the action. I’m juggling all these moving parts. I know these recipes work because that’s why I put my heart and soul into making them. Now it’s more than just making them, it’s conveying to them how to get people to have no other thought in their head but me, I have to do that right away. It’s a fun challenge and a great little exercise to get you through this season. I can tell you that this is just the beginning of many fun projects to come.

What’s it like working with Rachael Ray and having her support?

She is the pinnacle. She the dream. She is the icon. She is a legend. She is the Mother. Her main thing was, “I came to you because I’m obsessed with who you are. You have to bring that to the show. You can’t try to be someone else when the cameras are on because it reads like that and it falls apart.” It is so crucial to have authenticity as the basis of the relationship you have with the viewer. That’s how I approached my books, my online persona. That’s how it’s always been. So if I didn’t do that on the show, I’d be doing myself a disservice. I am someone who does his homework. I don’t waste opportunities. I have many friends who are big Food Network stars. I called different icons saying, “It’s my first cooking show. What did you do when you made yours?”

I go through everything around it. Funny enough, one of the big things I got from a friend of mine was actually talking about building a relationship with your culinary team. The culinary producer on the show. I was so nervous about it. It was someone I hadn’t worked with. However, there was a reminder that Rachael chose it for me because Rachael only works with the best people. She was incredible. We had the most incredible relationships. It shows in every episode because the food looks delicious, I was able to go through these recipes and everything was perfect. So trusting the process, trusting the community people in Rachael Ray’s orbit never steered me wrong.

Jake Cohen/A+E Networks

Her show has been around for so long and has resonated so much with you and so many others. What was it like meeting her at this stage in her career?

She is someone who is truly passionate about what she does and approaches every day with so much love, connection and care. Being able to witness this up close and personal was such a privilege. I think he’s done more good in the food world than people know, but he’s not doing it for the recognition. He does it because he has such high moral character. It’s contagious to go out to eat with her and see the passion she has for food and the respect and joy she gets from celebrating other chefs. The biggest thing I can say is that my dream is to pay it forward one day as I have seen it done to me and many others.

Is there anything we’re not seeing in public and getting to know Rachael?

She is exactly what you see. That’s it. I think one thing we see, but maybe not enough, is how much of an animal lover she is. Really, the way she loves her dogs and cares for animals in such a deep way, I think people would fall more deeply in love with her. It’s like he spent the whole day with Cesar Millan. She has the same compassion for food as she does for animals and it’s incredible to see.

What kind of feedback did he give you about the show?

At the end of the day, that was why he chose me. She wanted my pouty face on TV to make the recipes I know and love and tell the story I told her and tell the world and do it for a new audience that will fall in love with me just like she did.

Speaking of parties, you posted some photos on Instagram from a Yom Kippur gathering, rocking a Fran Drescher shirt. It looked fun with some fun guests like Ali Wong.

I was in LA at a friend’s house. I was with Benny Blancowith whom I am very close. He threw a beautiful Yom Kippur for which I did a lot of cooking. Ali is very sweet and funny. We always have a crazy mix of friends and family and chosen family. I had everyone like my best friend from high school was randomly in LA, so I brought him. There were some musicians. He was an actor I loved in the city. It’s becoming this thing where if someone needs a place to celebrate, they have a place to have a bagel and schmear. Benny and I had fasted so it was a busy day.

Did you have the ultimate party and how was it?

I did a few. I cooked breakfast for the Second Lord and some friends in my apartment. We made homemade bagels and had a whole appetizer. It was incredible and impactful. I also took many vacations. We’ve done a joint family Thanksgiving, an Easter party, and even a Hanukkah party. I’m planning the wildest Hanukkah party ever. Every party is amazing. I treat a small intimate table for four the same as I will a hundred people in the apartment. They are all different experiences, but I love them all the same. I love to share my love of cooking. It can be anything, even when someone stops by on a Tuesday night and I make a pot of pasta and we chill and catch up and it’s magic.

What do you want to tell people about having fun with a dinner party for the upcoming holidays?

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun with it. We are all clowns. This will be the best. You will crush it. I say it a lot on the show. I believe in you. You got this. Everyone has to exaggerate more than they do.

Jake makes it easy premiere, October 28, 10/9c, FYI