Jenny is a leading hospitality industry expert who focuses on menu development for businesses and individuals interested in utilizing local and seasonal ingredients. She is a classically trained chef and an honors graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, holding degrees in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management. She has experience in the hospitality industry in both fine dining and casual restaurants located in Princeton, NJ, New York, Connecticut, Orlando, San Diego, Napa, Saratoga Springs, Durham, Cary and Raleigh since 1989.
It is one of Jenny’s missions to support natural and organic products along with local farms and businesses (and nice people!) as much as possible. She makes it a point to shop locally first when sourcing ingredients, and actively seeks out companies and products that support healthy and nutritional practices.
Over the past 5 years, Jenny has specialized in creating and preparing menus for families trying to work within severe dietary restrictions. Whether the food is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free, vegetarian, shellfish-free, low-sodium, sugar-free, vegan, fitting within the old Weight Watchers system, fitting within the new Weight Watchers system, Atkins diet, Ayurvedic cleansing focused, low on the glycemic index scale, or for a just plain picky eater, Jenny is able to make flavorful, beautiful food that nourishes people who are overwhelmed at the thought of their food obstacles.
Jenny is President of Artisan Culinary Concepts, Inc., a restaurant industry consulting firm, and the Chef Owner of Cary Dinner Fairy, a successful Personal Chef service that over the years has featured hundreds of original fresh and seasonal weekly menus. She has worked:
- with Master Sommelier Kevin Zraly at the Windows On The World Wine School in Manhattan, NYC
- as a Wine Educator at Millbrook Vineyards in NY’s Hudson Valley
- as a Wine Consultant for the Rizzo Conference Center in Chapel Hill
- as a Consultant for Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC.
- In many, many restaurants coast-to-coast, from Orlando, FL to Syracuse to the Hudson Valley to NYC to San Diego, CA to Raleigh, NC
She is currently using her powers as a Wine and Restaurant Consultant, Personal Chef and Private Cooking Instructor to businesses and families throughout the Triangle area.
Jenny developed an award-winning school garden program that enables elementary school students to make farm-to-table connections through hands-on experience, and works closely with Advocates for Health in Action to spread awareness of healthy eating choices.
Recently she has been seen in the magazine Cary Living, has been taped on NBC’s news program “My Carolina Today” discussing the benefits of local honey, and has been the featured chef on numerous occasions at the Holly Springs, Western Wake and Cary Farmer’s Markets.
Jenny is a supporter of numerous charitable organizations and general good people including: the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Horse and Buddy, Caring Community Foundation, the National MS Society, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Woman 2 Woman Green Network, Locks of Love, the NC 10% Campaign, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Chefs Who Care, Advocates for Health in Action and the Cary Pocket Community Garden.
She can be reached at (919) 368 – 8071, at chef@carydinnerfairy.com or out in the garden.
