Jake Gyllenhaal - Edible Schoolyard, much food talk, Words of War, a bit of basketball

Jake Gyllenhaal is, I think you'll agree, very edible. It's therefore extremely appropriate that he should be honoured by Edible Schoolyard at its inaugural Spring benefit on 15 April at Essex Market in NYC. This event, hosted by a charity with which Jake has long been actively involved, was supposed to happen last October but was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.

In the New York Observer: “Seriously, it’s one of the areas of my life where I hold everything with love and no judgment,” said the actor. “Anything that is fresh from a garden is my favorite food.” Mr. Gyllenhaal’s mother, screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, corroborated his story. Apparently he didn’t even object to broccoli as a kid: “He was very adventurous, and always, from the time he was really little, a spectacular cook,” she said proudly.'

The Wall Street Journal:  'Mr. Gyllenhaal grew up with gardens in his homes in Los Angeles and Martha's Vineyard. We wondered, who had a greener thumb, he or Maggie? "Me," he said, after a short pause. As brothers cannot always be trusted to assess superiority over their sisters, we asked Naomi Foner, Mr. Gyllenhaal's mother. "It's Jake," she said. "He helped me plant our vegetable garden and worked really hard at it."

'Ms. Foner is also a fan of the organization. "Most kids in New York don't see gardens," she said. "And people only know what they know. When you expand their horizons, you're giving them an enormous gift." She then sought out a photo from her iPhone depicting her granddaughter, Gloria, mauling a garden-grown tomato. "I mean, is there anything better than a warm tomato that you grew yourself right off the vine, maybe with a little bit of salt and olive oil?"'

Jake also had this to say during his speech: '“It’s about more than just what you eat—it’s about being connected to the earth,” he explained. “Like, what would New York City be without Central Park? I mean, there’s not much edible food in there…but still. That idea exists within the city, and it should exist in every public school.”

At the event, Jake also mentioned his teenage job as a busboy on Martha's Vineland. His boss was asked all about it in New York Grub Street. 'Well, he was very young. I think he had just turned 16 at the time. On Martha’s Vineyard in July and August, it’s crazy-busy. Every night is like a busy Saturday night, so you need everybody to show up to work, right? He had his mother call into the restaurant to say that he was sick for the day. My buddy and I who ran the place were like, "Oh my God. I can’t believe that Jake’s mother just called to say that he’s home sick and can’t come to work."'

'So the next morning, we went to the drugstore and bought a baby bottle and a little pacifier, and when he came back to work, we gave him so much shit. We just didn’t let up. Every day for the rest of the summer, we kept on giving him water in a baby bottle. He was just telling me how that kind of resonated with him in terms of work ethic, so I thought it was kind of cute.'

Sounds a right hoot... I can see why Jake took up lifeguarding.

Words of War

On 8 May, Jake will take part in another charitable event - Words of War hosted by the Headstrong Project at IAC HQ in NYC: 

'This cocktail fundraiser is designed to further support the mission of the Headstrong Project, to help veterans recover from the hidden wounds of war in order to lead full and meaningful lives. Specifically, “Words of War” will support comprehensive mental healthcare for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The evening will include a war poetry reading by Jake Gyllenhaal.' 

There are more details here

In NYC

There are wonderful new old pictures on IHJ of Jake in NYC back in 2011. Last week, though, Jake was also in the city. Jake and 'Jay-Z kicked back at the rapper's 40/40 Club in New York City Monday night, watching the NCAA championship basketball game in the Owner's Lounge. The two, joined by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, exchanged a big hug when they met up, then spent the evening snacking on the club's signature wings and sipping D'Usse cognac.'

Many thanks to IHJ for such fab pics! It's so good to see Jake out and about again, past and present.