Joy K. Jenkins

Working daily as a private chef in Los Angeles for more than 9 years, it is still easy to find inspiration in ingredients and happiness in creating amazing experiences. Born and raised in Southern California and passionate about my home state and the quality of ingredients it has in abundance, it is a dream to be able to create daily with anything our earth has to offer.

Being a graduate from California State University of Long Beach with a Bachelors Degree in Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, the dedication teaching people how to heal and feel well with healthful whole foods that benefit the body and the mind was a 6 year journey into the science of our bodies; offering counseling on diet, lifestyle goals and healthy wise ways of feeling your best was just some of the knowledge I continue to bring to my meals.

Continuing on to New York City at the French Culinary Institute in SoHo, honing skills and technique. From there traveling to Parma, Italy to study Italian cuisine at ALMA La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana. During my stagista at Michelin Star restaurant Locanda Ca' Matilde in the countryside of Emilia-Romagna, thriving in the kitchen and making fresh pasta and using farm-to-table ingredients. After a year in Italy, I returned to NYC to work at Michelin star restaurant Il Buco in Manhattan. Then at the International Culinary Center on the book The Fundamental Techniques of Italian Cuisine with Chef Cesare Casella. Finally, coming full circle back home to Southern California in 2012 to work as a personal chef.

Completing my 200 hour yoga alliance certificate in 2017 further imbued a deeper knowledge of the mind body connection. With nutritional expertise, mind body awareness, a vast knowledge of food; always researching, traveling and exploring and finding new ways to expand and grow as a human, I can say that being a chef, has been the greatest pleasure of my life.