JEANNE JONES: FIRST OVERS / LEFTOVERS / LIFE LESSONS

This week, I sit down with Jeanne Jones — a lifelong culinary pro turned food blogger behind A Jeannie in the Kitchen. We talk about everything from cutting onions in goggles to working 18-hour days in catering, why she left the restaurant industry, and how she found new purpose in writing.

Jeanne’s journey is filled with honesty, grit, and a deep love for food — whether she’s whipping up “first overs” or crafting a whole new recipe from leftovers. We also chat about staying real in a world full of filters, learning to pivot, and why creativity (not perfection) wins every time.

Links & Resources

• Jeanne’s Blog: https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com
• Cookbook Mentioned: Mediterranean: The Ultimate Cookbook
• Culinary School Shoutout: Southern California School of Culinary Arts
• The Raisins Commercials (Yes, Those Ones): California Raisin Board

00:00 – Intro & Jeanne’s blog origin story 

04:00 – Falling into food at 15 

08:30 – Culinary school hustle & hands-on learning 

12:00 – Working with Chevron’s multicultural catering 

17:30 – The chaos (and beauty) of catering 

22:00 – Stepping away from the industry 

24:00 – How blog topics are born 

27:00 – Ditching video for what feels authentic 

30:00 – Writing as therapy & artistic expression 

33:00 – Authenticity in a filtered world 

36:00 – Cooking from the fridge: Jeanne’s approach 

38:00 – First overs & leftovers explained 

40:00 – Cookbook dreams and marketing roadblocks 

43:00 – Jeanne’s dream meal with her dad 

45:00 – Wrap-up & how to follow Jeanne

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