J. Kenji López-Alt
Seattle-based cook, food writer, and video creator who explains the science behind everyday meals, from The Food Lab and The Wok to his home-kitchen cooking videos.
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Kenji’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Norton Young Readers
RadiotopiaOverview
- Based in
- Seattle, Washington
- Work
- Cookbook author, food writer, and cooking-video creator
- Breakout
- The Food Lab column at Serious Eats, followed by the 2015 cookbook
- Also heard on
- The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, cohosted with Deb Perelman
Mini bio
How it started.
A summer job changed Kenji’s direction. While in college, he went looking for restaurant work as a waiter and was offered a prep-cook shift instead. He loved the kitchen and kept cooking, eventually working at Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen.
The Food Lab.
He began freelancing for Serious Eats in 2009 and joined full-time in October 2010. The Food Lab column found readers who shared his curiosity about why recipes work. Its popularity led to his first cookbook, published in 2015.
From the page to your kitchen.
The Food Lab won a James Beard Award in 2016, and The Wok followed with a Single Subject win in 2023. His children’s book Every Night Is Pizza Night follows Pipo as she tests her certainty that pizza is the best food.
What fans follow now.
His videos bring viewers into the kitchen, often through a head-mounted camera. Alongside writing and cooking, he cohosts The Recipe with Deb Perelman and created Tasting Notes, a live meeting of food and classical music.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2022The Wok: Recipes and TechniquesAuthor
- 2020Every Night Is Pizza NightAuthor; illustrations by Gianna Ruggiero
- 2015The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through ScienceAuthor
Podcasts and live work
- 2026Tasting Notes at the Triple DoorCohost with James Ehnes
- 2024The Recipe with Kenji and DebCohost with Deb Perelman
Awards
Quotes
to help you cook more, stress less, and share better meals with the people you love.J. Kenji López-Alt, official About page
How Kenji describes the purpose of his work.
Trivia
- His cats are named Tamago and Gohan.
- Away from cooking, he enjoys playing music, gaming, and spending time outdoors.
- His editorial policy says he pays for restaurant meals and declines offers to waive the bill.
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Follow Kenji’s cooking, recipes, and conversations.
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