Do PB&J pancakes, Coke braised brisket tacos or bourbon brown butter chocolate chunk cookies make your mouth water? Now you can learn to make these recipes (and more!) at home, thanks Eitan Eats the World: new comfort classics to cook nowthe 20-year-old chef’s debut cookbook Eitan Bernath which fell in early May.
You’ve probably seen him cook up a storm on television, or for his millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and more. As a food lover who grew up developing recipes in the kitchen, some of which are featured in his new cookbook, Eitan came into the limelight at an early age. After participating in Food Network’s first children’s episode Minced meat at age 11 he later appeared on Guy Fieri .’s show Shopping games for boys† Today, Eitan serves as a culinary personality, entertainer and recipe developer, as well as wearing many additional hats: he is the CEO of Eitan Productions and the chief culinary collaborator for The Drew Barrymore Show on CBS.
Watch Eitan cook the perfect seasonal lunch or dinner recipe, mint pesto radiatori with potatoes and peas, in the video above. Then read on to find out how he felt when his cookbook hit the shelves.
About the recipe he cooked for Oprah Daily:
It’s my mint pesto radiatori with potatoes and peas. It’s super simple pesto – it’s actually a very traditional kind of pesto, it’s just not that popular here in the US, but it has potatoes and peas in it. It adds a nice extra oomph towards it. There’s Yukon gold in there, there’s some frozen peas, and then this is just a super classic pesto, except I used mint instead of basil. Pesto is not always made with basil. The mint really makes it super-duper, fresh and new.
About his cookbook, which came out in May:
I am truly honored to have the opportunity to write and publish a cookbook. I used to say to my parents, “One day I’m going to write a cookbook.” Now, I didn’t know if that would be when I was 30, when I was 40, and I’m really thankful that it happened now when I was 20. I describe the food in Eitan eats the world as comfort food from all over the world.
My parents are both educators and they used food as a means of learning more about the world around us. Of Eitan eats the world, my goal is to show people too, [that] these are the comfort foods that people around the world eat. Of course I’m not the expert on recipes that come from all over the world, and I try to be super mindful of never appropriating and being extremely clear. I share what I’ve learned because I’m excited, but I make sure I give credit where it’s due.
About the types of recipes in his cookbook:
Many of the recipes are, I wouldn’t say, “American”, but very classically eaten here in the US, but with my fun twists. Then there are also a bunch from all over the world. I have many recipes there: [food] from the Middle East, Asian cuisine, Indian cuisine and Mexican cuisine. You can expect to actually find some of your favorite comfort foods [that] you probably like to order from restaurants that you never make at home. For example, General Tso’s chicken from scratch.
I describe comfort food as recipes that give you comfort and that you enjoy cooking. Recipes you will remember. [For] many of these recipes in the book I share stories. There is something for everyone, and my goal is really that wherever you are with your cooking, you can find recipes that you are already making and then [can] keep building your confidence.
My goal is really that wherever you are with your cooking skills, you can find recipes that you are already making.
On his favorite career moments:
The recent career highlight was certainly the White House invitation. In December I was invited twice, once to a makers event. They invited some makers to come and see the Christmas decorations. And while I was there, someone from Jill Biden’s team invited me to the Hanukkah celebration the following night. I was just really honored, as a proud Jew, to celebrate the holiday that I grew up in and that my community has been celebrating for thousands of years.
For me it was a very proud moment to be proud, loud and jewish in the most powerful building in the world, celebrating with the president and vice president, the two most powerful people in the world. That was just a very meaningful moment, ending the year loud, proud and Jewish – even with these anti-Semitic attacks we were not discouraged [from] being loud and proud about our traditions and stuff. I think that made the most sense for me, knowing that the body of work I’ve done has gotten me where I was, standing there and celebrating.
On what he’s looking forward to in his new decade and big personal changes:
Most of my career was when I was in school. Technically, I’m still enrolled in Columbia and trying to make that work part-time. I feel like I’ve always been in such a rush like, I have to graduate by the time I graduate so this could be my full time job. It has happened. I am now in this place where I am really happy where I am. I strive for more and always work on bigger and better projects.
My life has changed so much in the past two years that I can’t even imagine how it will change in 10 years. I know that everything I think will happen will be completely different. A year and a half ago I lived at my parents’ house in Jersey, working alone and filming in their kitchen. I now live in Manhattan, run a large business from my apartment, and publish a cookbook.
My grandfather passed away from Covid in March 2020. It was a very challenging time. It was kind of my lowest low. I fell into a very deep depression. But right after that, my whole career exploded. 2020 was both the worst and the best year of my life. I signed a cookbook deal a few months after he died. It was very strange timing. He had always been my biggest supporter. It’s bittersweet that all this happened because I wish he could see it. Even though he’s not there, the thing that made him so proud is blooming and doing so well, which is why I dedicated the book to him.
This interview has been edited and abbreviated for clarity.
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