ABOUT JENN
Born and raised in the Washington DC area, Jenn Crovato grew up surrounded by food traditions. Her grandfather worked as baker in the mornings and cook at night, and her mother ran a catering company out of the house named "La Buona Cucina". Jenn began profiting from her love for food at the age of 7 by selling recipes for 25 cents a piece. At the age of 13 she was selling her pepperoni rolls in the teachers lounge, and delivering homemade pizza throughout the neighborhood by skateboard on Saturday nights. Her high school career was spent cooking in local restaurants, which lead her to the natural decision of attending culinary school.
Upon graduating from the Culinary institute of America in 1996, Jenn went to work for Chef Roberto Donna’s acclaimed Galileo restaurant after having interned at his Trattoria I Matti. Her love for Italian cuisine inspired her to move to Italy for one year where she cooked in 8 different restaurants in various regions. Jennifer came to her own style of cooking learning from the prestigious La Splendido Hotel in Portofino, San Domenico in Imola under Chef Valentino Mercatilli, and from the hidden, rustic family owned restaurants in the south. Drawn to the southern rural regions of Italy, she focused on the simpler, traditional preparation of local, seasonal ingredients.
Jenn returned for an additional year at Galileo. She then spent the next six years as an on-site chef for one of Washington’s exclusive caterers while raising her two young children. The following six years of her career were spent working as a private chef for the late Washington philanthropist, Joe Robert. Jenn then went on to cater independently for select clients, and consult for Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison VA. In April 2013, she created Healing with Fresh Foods LLC, and published her first cookbook Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Pepper.
With combined catering, restaurant and abroad experiences, Jenn continues to refine her skills in a variety of cooking mediums. Jenn places emphasis on using high-quality, local ingredients, sourcing from the finest local artisans to create unique and memorable experiences.
