Find a Recipe
Jenn Segal
Location: Washington, DC area
Education: B.A. George Washington University, Professional Culinary Arts Degree L’Academie de Cuisine
Expertise: Culinary Professional, Recipe Development, Cookbook/Food Writing
Highlights:
- Founder of Once Upon a Chef, a popular food blog sharing tested and perfected, restaurant-quality recipes.
- Author of two best-selling cookbooks.
About Me
I’m a classically trained chef, cookbook author, and founder of Once Upon a Chef. I love creating delicious, approachable recipes for home cooks, and I believe cooking should be stress-free, even when you’re whipping up meals that feel restaurant-worthy.
Through Once Upon a Chef, I share recipes that I’ve meticulously tested to be both easy to follow and packed with flavor. Beyond the blog, I’ve also written two cookbooks that embody my philosophy of combining elegance with ease in the kitchen.
After college, I earned my culinary degree from L’Academie de Cuisine, a small but beloved French cooking school. I sharpened my skills as an apprentice at the renowned L’Auberge Chez Francois, where I later became a line cook.
While I absolutely loved the craft, I quickly realized that life in a professional kitchen wasn’t for me. Being 5’2″ and the only woman in a kitchen full of towering men, with flames roaring, knives flashing, and tempers flaring—it was definitely not for the faint of heart!
So, I transitioned to working in marketing, PR, and business development for several top-tier restaurants in Washington, D.C.—and there were a lot fewer tears involved! Still, the hours were long, so after becoming a mom, I shifted my focus from restaurant life to home cooking, where I now blend everything I learned in the restaurant business with a practical, family-friendly approach.
Beyond the Kitchen
When I’m not in the kitchen or writing cookbooks, I’m enjoying life at home with my family. I’m a native Washingtonian, and I still live in the DC area with husband, Michael, our two kids (when they’re home from college), and our two very lovable (and very hungry) chocolate labs, Ollie and Gus.
Connecting with readers is the best part of what I do—so if you ever have a question, just shoot me an email at jennifer@onceuponachef.com or drop a comment, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
Still Curious? Me In A Nutshell…
- I’m a textbook introvert: my family, a few close friends, a good book, and I’m happy.
- I met my husband, Michael, on a blind date. We’ve been married for 23 years.
- I have a 21-year-old son and an 19-year-old daughter.
- I became interested in cooking in college while studying abroad in France and living with a French family. (My mother hates to cook!)
- I spent one summer working as an Au Pair in Paris for a family with three little boys and a puppy. It’s the only job I was ever fired from.
- Culinary school was the most fun I ever had.
- During my first week working in a restaurant kitchen, I cried every night and wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into.
- In 2009, I decided I wanted to write a cookbook. A book agent told me I had zero chance of getting published as an unknown, so I started this blog instead. My first cookbook was published in 2018. My second cookbook was released in 2021.
- At 51 years old, I still talk to my mother daily and run everything by her. (I know she loves it when I call her at 11:00 at night!) Thanks, Mom.
- When my kids were babies, I started a cake business. I have great cake and cupcake recipes.
