Jenny Hurst
Owner/personal chef, Bite of Sunshine, call 425-830-1690 or e-mail jhurst13@hotmail.com for rates and more information.

I came across Jenny Hurst’s cooking talents at a party thrown by No Depression copublisher and Hattie’s Hat owner Kyla Fairchild, an endlessly busy mother of two who loves to entertain but hates to cook. Hurst prepared a gorgeous spread that included fragrant roasted-pepper quiche, a citrusy olive tapenade, and tender feta phyllo pillows–recipes that showcased her ability to produce impressive meals for an astonishingly reasonable fee. Her fresh perspective and extremely affordable rates could make her a very busy woman in 2003.

What’s your history in the food industry?

“I’ve always loved cooking, so I started assisting at PCC cooking classes. One of the teachers I was assisting recommended the School of Natural Cookery in Colorado, which was where he got his start as a private chef. So a year later I enrolled, graduated, and moved back to Seattle in February. And that’s when I tried to start finding clients. It’s been a slow process, but I’m slowly gathering a clientele.”

So how did you find your first clients?

“I specialize in whole-foods cooking–not necessarily vegetarian, but healthy cooking. So I’ve been flyering at health clubs, natural-foods markets, and coffee shops.”

What sorts of things do you make for clients who want a week’s worth of meals prepared ahead of time?

“Different people have different requests based on their diets. Some people want more meat, and other people want vegetarian or wheat-free stuff, so it totally depends. Some people really want one-pot dishes with a protein and vegetable all in one….”

Such as?

“Roast chicken with artichoke hearts and garlic, beef stew with zucchini–or fish burritos, chicken-olive quiche, lemongrass and tofu… “

What are some of the more unusual requests you’ve accommodated? Anything that’s particularly trendy right now?

“Well, I make baby food for Kyla [laughs]–I don’t do that for everybody! Also, a lot of people are doing elimination diets or wheat-free diets. I have one client who won’t eat corn, soy, dairy, wheat, or meat, and there are a lot of vegetables she can’t eat either. And she’s pregnant.”

What on earth do you make for her?!

“Yeah, it is kind of difficult–I do bean stew with a lot of spinach, kale, and collard greens. She’ll eat fish, so I’ll make her salmon with lemon and rosemary.”

Interview by Hannah Levin