Our team
Zak Pelaccio
Zakary Pelaccio is the award-winning executive chef/partner at the critically acclaimed Fatty Crab, a small Southeast Asian ‘joint’ focusing on Malay cuisine, and Fatty ‘Cue, where American BBQ blends with Asian flavors to create a funky new hybrid cuisine. In spring/summer 2011 he will be embarking on new projects, including a couple of new kiosks down in The Battery and a new restaurant opening in the West Village. In addition to his culinary studies, at the French Culinary Institute, where he finished top in his class, Zakary received a BA from the University of Vermont with coursework completed in Florence, Italy, the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.
Zakary Pelaccio is the award-winning executive chef/partner at the critically acclaimed Fatty Crab, a small Southeast Asian ‘joint’ focusing on Malay cuisine, and Fatty ‘Cue, where American BBQ blends with Asian flavors to create a funky new hybrid cuisine. In spring/summer 2011 he will be embarking on new projects, including a couple of new kiosks down in The Battery and a new restaurant opening in the West Village. In addition to his culinary studies, at the French Culinary Institute, where he finished top in his class, Zakary received a BA from the University of Vermont with coursework completed in Florence, Italy, the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.
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Claudia Bellini
Claudia Bellini has spent the last fifteen years in consultancy and traditional and digital media. She worked with McKinsey, VNU and Endemol Entertainment. Claudia is half Dutch/half Italian and lived in the Netherlands, Canada, Japan and France. When she had to get dinner on the table for her two children in all these different countries she became interested in how kids eat and learn about food. She loves bringing people together at her table and is passionate about getting kids to enjoy food and find pleasure in cooking and eating. Claudia received an MA from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands and did coursework at Concordia University, Montreal. She currently lives in Greenwich Village, New York City.
Claudia Bellini has spent the last fifteen years in consultancy and traditional and digital media. She worked with McKinsey, VNU and Endemol Entertainment. Claudia is half Dutch/half Italian and lived in the Netherlands, Canada, Japan and France. When she had to get dinner on the table for her two children in all these different countries she became interested in how kids eat and learn about food. She loves bringing people together at her table and is passionate about getting kids to enjoy food and find pleasure in cooking and eating. Claudia received an MA from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands and did coursework at Concordia University, Montreal. She currently lives in Greenwich Village, New York City.
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Marion Rosenfeld
Marion Rosenfeld has spent her entire career in media, much of it food related. Highlights include four years as an editor at SPY magazine, a producer during the early years of the Food Network, launch managing editor at freshdirect.com, and launch food producer at howcast.com. Marion was the writer/producer for all eight seasons of Epicurious television on the Discovery Network. She continues to be a writer/producer for The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on PBS. Marion has written many articles -- online and off -- and is a co-author of The Food Snob’s Dictionary and Get A Real Food Life. A lifelong Greenwich Village resident, Marion, herself, is a graduate of P.S. 3. For fun, Marion enjoys spending most of the family’s disposable income at the Union Square Greenmarket and making deliciousness happen as often as possible.
Marion Rosenfeld has spent her entire career in media, much of it food related. Highlights include four years as an editor at SPY magazine, a producer during the early years of the Food Network, launch managing editor at freshdirect.com, and launch food producer at howcast.com. Marion was the writer/producer for all eight seasons of Epicurious television on the Discovery Network. She continues to be a writer/producer for The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on PBS. Marion has written many articles -- online and off -- and is a co-author of The Food Snob’s Dictionary and Get A Real Food Life. A lifelong Greenwich Village resident, Marion, herself, is a graduate of P.S. 3. For fun, Marion enjoys spending most of the family’s disposable income at the Union Square Greenmarket and making deliciousness happen as often as possible.
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Phil Gutensohn
Phil Gutensohn is the Executive Director of The Future Cooks Initiative and an alumnus of The French Culinary Institute. He has worked for Senator Kent Conrad on Capitol Hill; in fine dining restaurants, including Craft and the Grocery; and in the kitchen at the Calhoun School. He is also the Assistant Director of Career Services and Alumni Affairs at The International Culinary Center and recently received his Master of Arts in Food Studies from New York University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young sons. He wants kids to eat better—his and yours.
Phil Gutensohn is the Executive Director of The Future Cooks Initiative and an alumnus of The French Culinary Institute. He has worked for Senator Kent Conrad on Capitol Hill; in fine dining restaurants, including Craft and the Grocery; and in the kitchen at the Calhoun School. He is also the Assistant Director of Career Services and Alumni Affairs at The International Culinary Center and recently received his Master of Arts in Food Studies from New York University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young sons. He wants kids to eat better—his and yours.
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Julie Negrin, M.S.
Julie Negrin is a certified nutritionist, cooking instructor, and author of Easy Meals to Cook with Kids. She has been teaching adults and children how to cook for fourteen years. Julie spent five years as the Director of Culinary Arts at the JCC in Manhattan where she developed recipes and curricula specifically for children. She teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), Natural Gourmet Institute, Home Cooking New York, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, New York City public schools, and consults for not-for-profit organizations. She has appeared on Sesame Street and the Today Show with Al Roker.
Julie Negrin is a certified nutritionist, cooking instructor, and author of Easy Meals to Cook with Kids. She has been teaching adults and children how to cook for fourteen years. Julie spent five years as the Director of Culinary Arts at the JCC in Manhattan where she developed recipes and curricula specifically for children. She teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), Natural Gourmet Institute, Home Cooking New York, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, New York City public schools, and consults for not-for-profit organizations. She has appeared on Sesame Street and the Today Show with Al Roker.
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Ann Yonetani, PhD.
Ann Yonetani worked as a biomedical scientist in research labs at Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, UCSF, and Cold Spring Harbor. As a lover of food, she has also cooked in soup kitchens, restaurants, and of course, at home. Combining these two passions, Ann teaches at the New School in the Food Studies department and is thrilled to be a part of bringing food/science education to elementary school students. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and PhD from Columbia University.
Ann Yonetani worked as a biomedical scientist in research labs at Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, UCSF, and Cold Spring Harbor. As a lover of food, she has also cooked in soup kitchens, restaurants, and of course, at home. Combining these two passions, Ann teaches at the New School in the Food Studies department and is thrilled to be a part of bringing food/science education to elementary school students. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and PhD from Columbia University.
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Merrit Watts
Merritt Watts is a Senior Editor at Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and a food and nutrition writer whose byline has also appeared in Women's Health, SELF, Prevention and Bloomberg Businessweek magazines. She became interested in cooking after developing a mild addiction to cookie dough at a young age, and became interested in nutrition after moving to California where she learned that cookie dough is not a food group (but avocado is). Merritt has a journalism degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and currently lives in Chelsea, New York City.
Merritt Watts is a Senior Editor at Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and a food and nutrition writer whose byline has also appeared in Women's Health, SELF, Prevention and Bloomberg Businessweek magazines. She became interested in cooking after developing a mild addiction to cookie dough at a young age, and became interested in nutrition after moving to California where she learned that cookie dough is not a food group (but avocado is). Merritt has a journalism degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and currently lives in Chelsea, New York City.
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Adelaide Mueller
Adelaide graduated from the French Culinary Institute (FCI) in 2009 with a Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts and is a member of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance (NYWCA). She freelances as a private chef for several downtown families; cookbook recipe tester and developer; and children’s culinary instructor. In addition to teaching with The Cooking Room, she teaches with The Sylvia Center, a non-profit that provides a garden-to-table program for at-risk youth focused on cooking nutritious and healthy food. She also teaches the Young Chefs class series with the P.S. 3 ’til 6 afterschool program. Before joining the culinary world full time, Adelaide worked as a major gifts fundraiser for several years at Jazz at Lincoln Center and most recently The Spence School. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.S. in Human Development in 2005.
Adelaide graduated from the French Culinary Institute (FCI) in 2009 with a Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts and is a member of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance (NYWCA). She freelances as a private chef for several downtown families; cookbook recipe tester and developer; and children’s culinary instructor. In addition to teaching with The Cooking Room, she teaches with The Sylvia Center, a non-profit that provides a garden-to-table program for at-risk youth focused on cooking nutritious and healthy food. She also teaches the Young Chefs class series with the P.S. 3 ’til 6 afterschool program. Before joining the culinary world full time, Adelaide worked as a major gifts fundraiser for several years at Jazz at Lincoln Center and most recently The Spence School. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.S. in Human Development in 2005.