These Celebrities Are Turning to Jewish Comfort Food During the Pandemic

This article originally appeared on The Nosher.

We are living through unprecedented times. The rapid spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has turned into a worldwide pandemic, and is reshaping life as we know it.

What we do know? Jewish food. What we also know? The best way to deal with self isolation during a worldwide pandemic: If you can, stay calm and make some Jewish comfort food.

We’re not alone in this — Jewish celebrities seem to have also picked up on Jewish comfort food as the way to go. We’ve rounded up all the Jewish celebs making Jewish food, just for you.

1. West Wing star Josh Malina made latkes:

Here’s the recipe he used:

2. Dear Evan Hansen star, Jewish actor and musician Ben Platt, made challah on Monday with fellow Jewish actor Noah Galvin, wishing his followers “Shabbat Shalom on a Monday.” There are no rules anymore!

He sang, “This the cure for corona, a gorgeous challah that’s homemade.”

As he’s shared before, he has an everlasting love for challah:

3. Actress Natalie Portman once again took to her Instagram to share a recipe. This time? Beet and potato salad, a Russian Jewish comfort food. (Natalie herself was born in Israel.)

View this post on Instagram

If you’re in need of a recipe, try making this beet and potato salad. It’s one of the easier recipes and if you save the beet cooking liquid, you can use it as natural kid makeup afterwards. Fun fact: On my first movie, Léon, the makeup artist didn’t want to use real makeup on me since I was only 11… so she used beet juice as lipstick and blush! Recipe: 1. Boil 1 cup beets, 1 cup russet potatoes in two separate pans; remove when tender (usually after ~20 minutes). 2. Slice boiled potatoes and beets into cubes and then mix together in a bowl. 3. For dressing, mix together 1 tbsp of whole-grain mustard, 1-3 tbsps of sliced cornichons (gherkin pickles), finely chopped shallots, and a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix into a jar and add to beet and potato salad bowl.

A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman) on

Want Natalie’s recipe for vegan latkes? We got you.

4. Dan Levy, creator and star of Schitt’s Creek, made his dad’s egg salad. And yes, his dad is the famous Eugene Levy. The best part: Eugene Levy’s idea of perfect happiness? “Devouring an egg salad sandwich with the salt, pepper, and mayo in exactly the right proportion.”

Does this count as a Jewish comfort food? Maybe. Are we counting it? Hell, yes. (Until the 1980s, apparently, egg salad was called “Jewish eggs.”)

Dan took his Instagram followers through the entire process, documenting from boiling eggs to the final egg salad on toast. Dan begins: “Today, we are making my dad’s famous egg salad, which I believe is just boiled eggs and some mayonnaise,” Dan laughs, “so, that’s where we’re at.”

“Once the eggs are boiled and cooled, you grate them with like a standard cheese grater. This is what my dad told me to do, he was not, however, available, when I asked them how long to cook the eggs so they’re slightly undercooked. So, thanks, Dad.” Then, add a scoop of mayonnaise, and some salt and pepper, and “you’re sailing.” At the end, Dan says, “And here we are. Some may say it was not worth the effort. This is the saddest piece of toast with some egg on it that I’ve ever seen. Here’s hoping your day is better than this egg toast.”

5. Actress Jenny Slate didn’t exactly turn to Jewish comfort food, but shared on her Instagram: “love that even on sale during a pandemic gefilte fish is still just here and hoping for love.”

We love you, gefilte fish (and Jenny).

Header Image of Jenny Slate by Taylor Hill/Getty Images; Natalie Portman by Amy Sussman/FilmMagic; Ben Platt by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.

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