Who’s in the Kitchen?

Jennifer Perillo, Head Cook

Balance—that ever elusive carrot we moms think is a magic cure all. After working long hours in the restaurant business I decided it was time to focus on motherhood—after all they’re only kids once. Truth is everyday is a juggle but the one constant that holds it all together is food. Lucky for me that I love creating new recipes and updating classics since I’ve got two growing girls.

It all started with an article in Newsweek. Back in 1999, my husband, then boyfriend, handed me a clipping about becoming a personal chef. I was 23 and my dad had just passed away—he was only 49 years old. I figured it was time to get cracking on my dreams since there’s no guarantee of tomorrow.

Time to Eat was born in 1999. I prepared ready-to-heat homemade meals for busy professionals and did on-site catering for business lunches and cocktail parties. The New York Daily News, Time Out New York, CNNfn and a few local newspapers all agreed this Brooklyn-born girl had made good. After a three-year run, I ventured into the New York City restaurant scene to see how the big boys handled hospitality and service. I’ve worked with Tom Colicchio when he was the top chef at Gramercy Tavern, and most recently the Events Director for Alain Ducasse at his namesake restaurant in the Essex House until it closed in 2007.

Nowadays, you’ll find me juggling spatulas and sippy cups in my Brooklyn test kitchen, and at my other blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen.  My original recipes and articles have been featured in Working Mother magazine where I’m the consulting food editor, as well as Parenting, Parents.com, Relish, Kiwi Magazine, Saveur.com, Cuisinart.com, The Food Network. My debut cookbook, Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie’s Kitchen was published by Running Press, March 2013.

All inquiries regarding consulting, recipe development and food-writing related projects can be sent to me at injennieskitchen@gmail.com.