Jodi Moreno is the James Beard nominated author, food stylist and chef due to debut her second cookbook, Simple Pleasures, this spring. Jodi grew up in a family where food was highly regarded. Both her grandmother and mother were talented home cooks while her grandfather owned a bread bakery in Williamsburg.
Although Jodi started working in graphic design and project management after graduating college, she decided to heed the call of the kitchen and pursue a culinary career. After enrolling in The Natural Gourmet Institute, Jodi began sharpening her skills through various private cheffing opportunities. Concurrently, she started a blog called What’s Cooking Good Looking featuring her own writing, recipes and photography. The site went on to become a multiyear Saveur Blog Awards finalist.
Jodi released her first cookbook, More with Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple, in 2018. As her reputation for whole food cooking grew, Jodi began developing recipes and systems behind-the-scenes for various restaurant and brand clients. While her connections to the food world deepened, she began considering delving into fine-dining as a way to expand her culinary repertoire.
In 2022, seeking that change of pace, Jodi uprooted her life in New York to accept a position on Francis Mallmann’s traveling team. On the eve of her move to join Mallmann in Argentina, the pandemic shut the world down. Already in the countryside of Mexico for a culinary event, Jodi made her way to Mexico City. When it became clear in a matter of days that neither her new role nor moving back to New York City were viable, she made the unexpected decision to settle down in CDMX. The forced reset and move ultimately became a life-changing opportunity for Jodi to reconnect with cooking, rediscovering what sparked inspiration and gratification for her in the kitchen. Simple Pleasures began to take form, an exploration of how comfort could be the ultimate form of nourishment.
