J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji López-Alt is a Seattle-based cook, food writer and video creator who explains the science of home cooking through recipes, books and a camera strapped to his head.
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Latest
Kenji’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Based in
- Seattle, Washington
- Work
- Cook, food writer, cookbook author and video creator
- Education
- MIT, architecture
- Breakout
- The Food Lab column at Serious Eats, followed by the 2015 cookbook
Mini bio
How it started.
A summer restaurant job during college turned into a career. Kenji cooked part-time while studying at MIT, then worked in restaurants full-time after graduating. He loved the practical work, but wanted more room to investigate why cooking techniques worked. Recipe testing at Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen gave him that space.
The Food Lab.
At Serious Eats, he turned kitchen questions into experiments for The Food Lab column. The 2015 cookbook brought that approach to a larger audience, explaining the science behind everyday meals. It won the James Beard Award for General Cooking in 2016. The Wok followed in 2022 and won the Single Subject award in 2023.
Cooking alongside you.
His videos often put viewers right at the stove through a head-mounted camera. Alongside his books and New York Times column, he co-created The Recipe with Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman. His live project Tasting Notes brings local chefs and classical musicians together around food and 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
Audio
- 2024The Recipe with Kenji and DebCo-creator and co-host with Deb Perelman
Awards
Quotes
It's really the techniques behind them that help you become a more adaptable cook.J. Kenji López-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
On why learning the techniques behind recipes matters to him.
Trivia
- He graduated from MIT with a degree in architecture.
- He photographed every meal in The Wok in the same wok he had bought in college, according to his 2022 Here & Now interview.
- His cats are named Tamago and Gohan.
- Outside the kitchen, he enjoys playing music, gaming and spending time outdoors.
Find Kenji
Follow Kenji for recipes, kitchen experiments and places to eat.
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