Our Chef Angels

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Peach pie!

Christina Ng

Chef and Programs Lead, Berry Good Food Foundation

Q. How did you hear about us?
A. I found out about Chef Angels through my friend, Lena. Lena and I have known each other for over a decade through food of course! When she invited me to be a part of the Chef Angels program, it was an easy yes for me.

Q. Why Chef Angels?
A. I am passionate about cooking and even more passionate about educating young minds about the possibilities of food. It was a great fit for me and has given me the opportunity to work with communities in need that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to reach.

Q. Favorite class?
A. Scratch made pizza!

Q. Why pizza?
A. Pizza is such a unifying food, and class attendees at multiple Chef Angels sites had a great time making their own pies. I think the familiarity of the food as well as a resounding positive vibe surrounding its flavor profile really helped each of the kids get way into the pizza making process.

Q. Favorite ingredient?
A. I love fresh figs. Figs are a Southern California favorite and have a limited season, so when they are around, there’s even more motivation to use them and snack on them as much as possible.

Q. How do you use fresh figs?
A. I love them on salads, on pizza, and even in jam form on top of toast.

Tomato and Peach Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Fresh Herbs, and Whipped Fennel & Lavender Goat Cheese

Jennifer Felmley

Personal Chef and Culinary Content Creator, Chef Jenn Cooks

Q. Path to chefdom?
A. My journey into the culinary world began with a deep passion for food and cooking, nurtured by my grandparents. Spending long summers in my grandmother’s kitchen, who loved to cook.

Q. First job?
A. My first official job in the culinary field was at a bakery, where I learned the fundamentals amidst long hours and the heat of the kitchen, instilling in me a strong work ethic.

Q. Next steps?
A. I pursued formal culinary education and then gained hands-on experience. It was during this time that I discovered my calling as a chef—realizing the joy and satisfaction that comes from creating dishes that bring people together and make them happy. Eventually establishing my own business as a personal chef.

Q. What now?
A. I recently began marketing my services for culinary content creation (constantly evolving as a chef). Cooking for me is not just about the food; it’s about finding joy and happiness in every meal shared with others.

Q. Advice for younger self?
A. If I were starting in the culinary industry self-employed, I’d advise my younger self to prioritize financial literacy and business acumen alongside culinary skills.

Q. Favorite ingredient?
A. Fresh herbs and edible flowers; from fresh thyme flowers and rosemary, to lemon verbena and lavender.

Q. How to use them?
A. From sauces to salads, and even in desserts. The vibrant, aromatic quality adds a fresh and invigorating flavor that can elevate any dish. They not only enhance the taste but can also bring a burst of color and freshness to my culinary creations.

Grilled shrimp with sweet corn medley

Scott Ingenito

Executive Chef & Owner, Sweet Devil Culinary

Q. Fantasy class location? Why?
A. Specialty Produce or a local farm for access to amazingly fresh local ingredients. I think people get either overwhelmed with the amount of great ingredients we have here in San Diego, or they get pigeonholed into using a few of the same things they are used to using. It would be amazing to highlight some of these incredible places and products to show people how easy it can be to make fresh food with just local ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease.

Q.Path to chefdom?
A. I started over at the age of 30, after working as a federal officer for the department of homeland security and working as a musician. I took some adult education courses, being inspired by the early days of Food Network and the celebrity chefs.

Q. First job in culinary?
A. When I moved to San Diego after taking the culinary courses, I left the government and started working at a place called Great News! Cooking School in Pacific Beach. This was an amazing experience, meeting local chefs and vendors, and getting into the local Chef scene in a very fancy way.

Q. What came next?
A. From there, I worked in a lot of restaurants, launched food trucks, launched restaurants with the biggest food and restaurant groups here in San Diego. Worked for some of the biggest catering companies as well, after gaining all that knowledge and experience I launched my own company in 2018.

Q. Top life lesson?
A. The one valuable thing I will tell people is always work for amazing people, and learn and take those skills with you. Be a sponge. I still work closely with a lot of those companies to help them out when needed.

Q. Advice for your younger self?
A. If I was starting at a young age like I did with music, I would tell people to forgo culinary school, and try to travel and learn from some of the best chefs in the country or the world. If you can’t put money together, at least learn from some of the best chefs in your city.

Green herb cavatelli, San Marzano tomato sauce, calabrian chile, burrata, Parmigiano Reggiano

Jillian Fae

Executive Chef & Owner, Jillian Fae Chef Services

Q. How did you hear about us?
A. Chef Lena and I met as we are both private/freelance chefs and were using the same staffing company. When she started Chef Angels and reached out to me to see if I would like to be a part of it, my answer was a quick yes.

Q. Why join?
A. Having ties with foster youth in my own family and brothers and sisters going through the system, I know that bringing light into the youth’s situations through food and cooking is something that I can contribute to.

Q. Favorite recipe?
A. Fresh pasta is a specialty of mine, the possibilities of shapes, sizes, sauces, accompaniments make it a great one to share because they are endless!

Q. Youth reaction?
A. I find it to be a very fun item to work with for all ages. I believe many of the youth prefer to be hands on and a pasta class is a great way to offer this.

Q. Ideal field trip location?
A. Any of the small local farms would be great. It’s important to know how food is made and it starts at the farm.

Q. Favorite Ingredients?
A. This is a tough question because I immediately want to categorize:

Salt: Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Sweet: real maple syrup

Acid: lemon

Savory: eggs (the most versatile ingredient!)

Spicy: Calabrian Chile

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