Jake Abel has brilliantly portrayed many roles in his career, making a name for himself with his astonishing performances in “The Host” (Ian O’Shea), “Supernatural” (Adam Milligan and the archangel, Michael), and the “Percy Jackson” franchise (Luke Castellan). Talented singer can also be added to his already impressive resume—as a lot of us have seen from his appearances at “Supernatural” conventions.
Like so many others in the entertainment industry, Jake was thrown into quarantining at home during this global pandemic we are all navigating through. The situation we are in is far from ideal, but it has given life to some creative and entertaining endeavors from some of our favorite people. Mr. Abel’s Instagram live show “Jake & Bake” is one of these fantastic creations and has shown us yet another of his many talents: Cooking! Jake has given Nerd Alert News an exclusive “ingredient list” for this fun and wacky show that has raised $2,376.73 for CARE, Feeding America, Rays of Sunshine, and Habitat for Humanity!
Be sure to tune into the next episode of “Jake & Bake” on Jake’s Instagram, Thursday (5-14-20) 3:00 pm EST/12:00 pm PST, where he will be showing us how to make a ‘Deconstructed Eclair’ and chatting with his guest Kamen Edwards (author of “The One and Only Dylan St. Claire”).
TiShea Wilson: We know that the pizza disaster is what mostly cemented the idea for “Jake & Bake”, but what sparked the idea to bake that pizza on Instagram Live?
Jake Abel: You would think that breaking your pizza stone, burning cheese, and setting off your smoke alarm in front of a live online audience would deter someone from ever risking such a thing again. Yet, here we are. To be honest I have no idea why I decided to do it live. I had never gone live on Instagram before, but I had made plenty of successful pizzas. Maybe it was just a bit of quarantine madness. However, even though the episode, now lovingly known as “Rest In Pieces, Pizza Stone”, was without a doubt an abject failure, it ended up making a lot of people laugh (including myself), and was undeniably more interesting and fun than if I had just shown-off a couple of homemade pizzas at the end.
TW: You have introduced your viewers to some fun and tasty dishes that have turned out spectacularly well. How do you decide which recipes to conquer?
JA: I’ve had this sort of kitchen motto in my head for years, “Everyday Gourmet.” It’s based on my belief that there are simple things that can be done to any homemade dish that can elevate it to the next level of taste and aesthetic. Not out of pretension, but because we really do “eat with our eyes” first, and also feeding yourself and others should not only be nourishing but an enjoyable experience. Keeping the emphasis on the ‘everyday’ part of Everyday Gourmet means showing people that they really can do it themselves, too.
After the Mother’s Day Special episode, I read comments where people said they actually felt like they could pull-off making sweet potato gnocchi themselves—and I bet they could! I think people are afraid of two things in the kitchen: that they’re not skilled enough to make something new and that they’ll mess up. They’re usually only right about one of those things because failure is the name of the game. I literally mess up ALL the time. I did it live for everyone to see. But like most things in life, until you mess up how can you be expected to learn? In fact one of my strictest rules I make myself follow when attempting a new recipe is to fail as hard and make as big of a mess as possible. (Especially the mess part.) In doing so, I all but eliminate fear of failure and set myself up for massive room for improvement the next go around. (Not to mention that the simple act of giving myself permission to fail usually means I actually don’t.)
It’s also a bonus if I can infuse some personalization or an unexpected twist on a known recipe. The French macarons I made for Alexandra Daddario, for example, are not only my favorite desserts to make, but the “Texas Sheet Cake” flavor also pays homage to my mother-in-law. My own mother’s favorite pasta is gnocchi, but my wife also really enjoys making sweet potatoes at home, so why not mash the two together and see what happens?
TW: Those that have tuned in from the beginning have quite literally watched you learn as you go with a live show and it’s been so much fun to go through it with you. What is something you’ve learned that you wish you would have known from the start?
JA: I almost wish I had thought to do this show sooner. It really has been a joy to plan and put it together every week, especially in this time of quarantine. It’s given me a reason to reach out to friends, to collaborate with them, and to make time to chat and share stories.
I also wish I could have told myself how scary it is to go live. My hands still shake a little for the first few minutes. It took me a couple of weeks to realize that all the dancing I was doing was really just my body’s way of trying to expel the nerves. It seems to work.
TW: I love how you set up a way for your viewers to donate to a charitable cause when you have a guest. Is there a charity close to your heart that you are hoping to incorporate into an episode?
JA: When I discovered that the live episodes could be made into fundraisers, it honestly changed the whole thing for me. Being a “serious actor” after all—and also someone who’s always been very slow to embrace social media—the idea of going in front of a camera while not being able to hide behind a character went against every instinct. But after we raised over $700 for CARE while making macarons the first time, it suddenly became less about me and more about the good a show like this might be able to do. Even if only marginally or for a few people, and for that I will always risk personal embarrassment and smoke alarms going off.
I’ve been working with an amazing organization called Actors For Autism. They’re dedicated to providing entertainment industry resources, such as acting, directing, and animation classes, to people on the autistic spectrum. The work these young people turn out is just incredible. I’ve personally been fortunate enough to be welcomed into the acting workshops (led by the tireless and giant-hearted Liz Fenning and Jake Smith) where I’ve seen a level of fearlessness and talent that would make most actors in this town cower in the corner. However, at this time I don’t believe they are set-up to receive donations through Instagram.
TW: Can you give us some insight as to what you have planned for future episodes of “Jake & Bake” and what can we expect with the new “Jake & Shake” you introduced this past Friday (5-8-20)?
JA: “Jake & Bake” is a real “moment-to-moment” production; I don’t tend to plan too far out ahead. I have a list of recipes that I think could be done, but if a new unexpected one pops in, I’ll come up with a plan a couple of days in advance and that’s where the real work begins. Making an ingredient list, typing out an easy to follow recipe, pre-making anything that needs time to rest or bake.
I have had a lot of requests for one particular individual to be on the show. I haven’t reached out to him yet, but I think the time will hopefully come soon and if I can get him…I think it’ll be huge.
The same goes for “Jake & Shake.” I know I want to make my favorite martini next, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess.
TW: “Jake & Bake” has become quite the hit with your fans. Do you think you will try to continue it on some level once quarantine is over and you start working again?
JA: I really don’t know what the future holds for “Jake & Bake.” I’m sure as work picks back up eventually I won’t have the time it takes to do as many episodes, but I certainly don’t have any plans of letting it die altogether. That’s the beauty of cellphone technology today; I could very well do an episode from inside my residence wherever I may be filming around the world. Who knows what fun new things that could even inspire…?
TW: When this pandemic situation comes to an end and life starts to get back to some version of normalcy, are there any projects or roles you can tell us about that you are excited to get back to?
JA: I did a really scary horror film called “Malignant”, directed by James Wan (Saw, Aquaman), that was meant to be released soon but got pushed because of the pandemic. I’m really excited for when people will finally get to see that.
We were also just beginning to film the final episodes of “Supernatural” right before everything shut down. I know a lot of shows are ending their seasons on whatever they had filmed, but I hope for the sake of this very long-running, very special show that the studio will hang in and let us finish it out properly when we’re finally able to.
If you would like to donate to “Actors For Autism” or one of the other organizations featured on “Jake & Bake,” you can do so by clicking on the following links:
Written by TiShea Wilson
