JESS TOM

NOVELIST, CHEF, TV PERSONALITY

“Follow your curiosity. It’s never steered me wrong.”

Jess Tom is all about the story — whether penning a novel, immersing herself in different cuisines and traditions, or tinkering in her home kitchen. As a food novelist and television personality, she brings her storytelling skills to her cooking, and her extensive food knowledge to her writing.

She is the author of the critically acclaimed Food Whore: A Novel of Dining & Deceit (William Morrow/ HarperCollins), called “the Devil Wears Prada for foodies” by the NY Post, and praised for its mouthwatering, true-to-life, and compulsively readable writing. Food Whore has been published in seven different languages.

In 2018, Jess took her talents off the page and in front of the camera. She won season 14 of Food Network Star with her “incredible knack for describing food” while also showcasing her approachable international cooking. Since winning, she has appeared on Good Morning America, TODAY, the Tamron Hall Show, and served as a judge on multiple Food Network programs. She frequently collaborates with culinary, wellness, and parenting brands that align with her modern, active, and creative way of living.

Jess’s love of cooking is rooted in her multi-cultural family that spans Madagascar to China to France. Prior to becoming a novelist and television personality, Jess worked in food marketing, collaborating with restaurants, food trucks, and nightclubs.

Jess’s cooking and writing has been featured in the New York Times, USA TODAY, Eater, and Buzzfeed. She graduated Yale University with a degree in English literature and a concentration in fiction writing, studying under celebrated author, Amy Bloom. She was born in NYC and currently lives in Princeton, NJ with her husband, toddler son, and two terriers. Her go-to party trick is analyzing your handwriting.

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