Who is behind Makans of a Chef?
My name is Jennifer, but everyone calls me Jenny. I might have the “Makans” of a chef, but I’m a writer at heart. The name Makan is a nod to my maternal grandparents and my mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Yugoslavia in the late 1960’s. I’m here due to a mid-pandemic career crisis when I burned out as a local TV news producer and left the business to pursue my love of food and wine.
I’d long been the person who loves to cook for everyone and find the best wine for the meal. Several short-lived line cook gigs, studying to be a sommelier, and two years working in a wine bar later—I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and pursue more.
What can I expect if I subscribe?
Essays, recipes, excited rants about cool wine, interviews, travel writing, and hopefully a laugh or two. I write about whatever is inspiring me about food and wine lately. I live in Denver, so some of what I write is specific to this area. I also focus on the Balkan peninsula and Eastern Europe, because of my connection to my Serbian and Slovak heritage. One of my goals on Substack is to write down and preserve my Nana’s recipes.
I do social media sometimes, too!
You can also follow me on Instagram to get extra tidbits from my writing, the occasional cooking video, and the musings of an un-fussy somm-ish wine geek.
