About

Jessica VanRoo

Jessica VanRoo

Executive Chef, Culinary Consultant, and Health & Wellness Coach

Jessica VanRoo, known as Chef Jess, is a culinary virtuoso whose creations are not just food but medicine for the soul. With a rich tapestry of experience spanning two decades, she’s a maestro in the kitchen and a sage in the classroom. At the helm of UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute’s Mussallem Nutritional Education Center, Chef Jess crafts experiences that tantalize taste buds and nourish bodies, drawing inspiration from her Taiwanese and Southern roots to infuse her dishes with vibrant, healthful flavors.

Her leadership transforms the center into a beacon of knowledge, where chefs, dietitians, and physicians unveil the symbiotic relationship between food and well-being. Chef Jess’s journey in culinary medicine education began almost ten years ago when she pioneered a culinary medicine curriculum for medical students. Her innovative spirit gave rise to Conversation Kitchen and Cooking with the Professor, initiatives that stir dialogue and discovery through the universal language of food.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in the culinary haven of Taiwan, Chef Jess is a globe-trotter with a palate for international flavors and a heart for sharing her culinary wisdom. As the Executive Chef at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, she’s a beacon of culinary arts and nutrition, with a fervor for food that’s simply unmatched. But Chef Jess’s impact extends beyond the kitchen—today she’s also a health and wellness coach, guiding people through the power of change. Her dedication to culinary arts and well-being is unmatched, making her a true expert in the field.

Professional Activities/Accomplishments

  • Advisory Board member of Health Meets Foods (Ongoing) 
  • Developed the Board Exam for the Certified Culinary Medicine Professional(Ongoing) 
  • Assisting in the development of a Certified Culinary Medicine Professional Program (Ongoing) 
  • Member of Teaching Kitchen Collaborative (Ongoing) 
  • Developed “Heart and Soul” with Dr. Nana Entush a cookbook with a heart healthy approach to southern “Soul food.” 
  • MACC Farms contributor and collaborator 
  • Board Member; Treasurer Newport Beach Kidney For Life Foundation; Charter Chapter
  • High School Career Development Volunteer, Santa Ana Unified School District
  • Online content creator for Video Jug, Hollywood
  • Participation in Michelle Obama’s Eat Right Campaign 
  • Private Chef Julie Chen (CBS)

Education

  • BS Culinary Management from the Art Institute of Orange County, 2008 (Honors and Dean’s list recipient, Published in Quarterly Magazine)
  • Certificate in Chinese Cooking from Wei Chuan Taipei, Taiwan

Certifications and Skills

  • CCMP (Certified Culinary Medicine Professional)
  • Health and Wellness Coach 
  • DPP (Diabetes Prevention Program)
  • Safe Serve Certified Instructor
  • Bi-lingual in Chinese and English
  • Expertise in all aspects of food service, catering, and personal chef, onsite, offsite, culinary instruction, as well as customer development
  • Extensive knowledge in profit and loss, purchasing, cost analysis, and menu management
  • Menu development and customer retention specialist through program and product development 
  • Skills in planning, training, coordinating, and monitoring programs
  • Knowledge in providing basic to expert cooking skills and techniques to adults and children.  

Employment Highlights

Executive Chef – UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, 

Irvine CA, August 2022 – Present

  • Create culinary programs for the School of Medicine and Chancellor’s initiatives
    • Creating a monthly program for the Illuminations program to bring people together through food
    • Provided culinary medicine classes to pharmacy students as well as nursing students
  • Develop and create culinary medicine programs in the Mussallem Nutritional Education Center that include revenue-producing activities
    • Creating community classes that are tailored to specific disease states
  • Group Medical Visit Culinary Medicine classes
    • Cardiac rehab, Integrative Weight management, Integrative Cardiology, Integrative Cancer 
  • Train and manage staff on safety and sanitation as well as preparation of food
  • Oversee employees, collaborators, chefs, and registered dieticians to develop and grow the cooking/ culinary program
    • Developed an ongoing seasonal menu with Zov’s Restaurant group to reflect healthy food choices 
    • Working with UCI master gardeners to develop a teaching garden 
    • Utilizing campus undergraduate students in the Campus as a Living Lab to develop sustainable practices in the kitchen 
  • Create research opportunities with different departments and schools on campus
    • Piloting the NIH-funded Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Multi-site study 
  • Create partnerships with local community groups and schools that can benefit from a culinary medicine program 

Director of Culinary and Exploratory Programs – UC Irvine

Irvine CA, November 2009 – August 2022

  • Manage a $500,000 budget as well as budgeting programs for new ideas to motivate employees as well as community
  • Develop new revenue-producing activities using team up/ and outdoor programs by creating event packages in coordination with the events director
  • Created programs for the Chancellor/ Campus Climate Council/ and School of Medicine
    • Illuminations; cooking with the professor
    • Campus Climate Council; Conversation Kitchen 
    • Culinary Medicine; created and implemented curriculum for MS1 and MS2 students in the school of medicine 
  • Manage the Recreation Smoothie and Health Food Bar
  • Train and mange staff of 40 on safety and sanitation as well as preparation of food
  • Oversee a team of professional chefs and registered dieticians to develop and grow the cooking/ culinary program
    • instruct/train individuals in: food service safety, financial practices, class procedures, and basic techniques 
  • Work with other schools on campus to create exploratory programs for students curious about other fields of study 
  • Develop programs with related campus departments that include but are not limited to Housing, Health Education, Executive Health, UCIMC, Human Resources, Police, Environmental Health and Safety as well as related off-campus organizations including American Heart Association, Tulane University, Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, amongst others.
  • Provide leadership, direction and oversight to areas of responsibility in accordance with the mission and goals of the department vision and University.

Big City Chefs

Orange County CA, December 2013 – June 2019

  • Teach at 12 different apartment properties around Orange County
  • Develop menus for clients as well as recreate them in private and public settings
  • Create lesson plans for cooking classes 

Orange County School of the Arts

Orange County CA, July 2014 – January 2015

  • Teach a class of 35 freshmen on the fundamentals of cooking and serve safe, prepared them to pass the serve safe exam.  
  • Taught pro start to the freshmen class 
  • Started the new Hospitality & Tourism Management Program Certification with the junior and senior class.  
  • Helped juniors develop life goals, resumes, and paths for their future in the culinary world. 
  • Worked with parents and teachers to address concerns about the programs as well as the feasibility of growing the program.  

Tspoons

Orange County CA, October 2013 – December 2014

  • Develop and teach classes at San Juan Capistrano location
  • Taught classes on a monthly basis   

Owner of VanRoo Gourmet

Tustin, CA, January 2006 – December 2013

  • Services provided include; Personal chef, Catering, Private cooking classes in homes, demos and hands on
  • Cooking Instructor at:  University of California Irvine Wellness Center, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Roger’s Garden, various private schools in Orange County 
  • Consulting in different aspects of the culinary field including Michelle Obama’s Eat Right Campaign at University High Irvine. 
  • Customers include:
    • Irvine Apartment Company, Prudential, Country Wide, Mayor of Anaheim, President of Brookfield Homes, Wilson Creek Winery, Standard Drywall, Newport Partners, Goldman and Sachs, CBS Executives, CAbi, Bank of America, and many others, 
  • Consulting chef for Tspoons in San Juan Capistrano
  • Consultant and instructor for Big City Chefs 

Corporate Executive Chef – Rimrock Capital Management

San Juan Capistrano CA, March 2009 – 2013

  • Create weekly menus with creative healthy dishes.  Since joining the company only a handful of dishes have been repeated. 
  • Order, shop and budget ingredients with an emphasis on sustainability, and health

Children’s Cooking Consultant – The Gourmet Child

Fountain Valley, CA, 2007 – October 2012

  • Product development for Children’s cooking retail
  • Introduced recipes, and ideas that children can produce to teach them life skills 
  • In the process of creating DVD’s teaching children about cooking, nutrition, sanitation, and safety
  • Featured in the Orange County Register for charity work with Boy’s Town, http://www.boystownalumni.org/content.asp?contentid=1010

Chef Consultant – Bank of America Corporate Headquarters

Charlotte, NC,  November 2007 – August 2009

  • Developed an Asian themed menu for the CEO of Bank of America as well as the CEO of China Construction Bank with Chef Jet Tila
  • Trained onsite corporate chef’s how to develop flavors in Asian cuisine
  • Created and executed a series of meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests    

Assistant Culinary Director – Sur La Table

Newport Beach, CA,   April 2006 – November 2008

  • Assisting guest chefs/ Teaching classes
  • Event Planning for team building and private events
  • Educating customers about retail products sold in the store
  • Responsible for purchasing food products for classes

Celebrity Guest Chefs 

  • Jeff Henderson
  • Simon Majumdar
  • Linda Civitello
  • Gustavo Arellano
  • Dr. Steven Alvarez
  • Brookdale Senior Living Roadshow 
  • Lisa See
  • Christine Ha
  • Melissa King 
Contact Jessica