Meet Chef Jeanne Fratello of Jolly Tomato
Welcome to Carmelina Brands Featured Chef, highlighting top chefs and industry professionals from around the world. We’ll be sharing culinary tips, recipes and anecdotes from featured chefs throughout the year, so check back often!
Jeanne Ponessa Fratello is the founder and editor of Jolly Tomato. She started her popular site to provide a resource for healthy foods that are fun for kids to cook and eat. She is passionate about food production and learning about the source of as many foods as possible, which has included a partnership with ANICAV, the association representing the processing and preservation of Italian plant products (including tomatoes and legumes). Jeanne has explored many of the same areas in Italy where our Carmelina ‘e…San Marzano® Italian Tomatoes are grown and produced. On a tour with ANICAV, Jeanne was introduced to old world production processes, and the Italian passion for producing clean, quality ingredients.
Jeanne started her career as a reporter in Washington D.C. for Congressional Quarterly and Education Week. In 1997, she moved to California and began working as a speechwriter in higher education. All throughout this time, she has always loved to cook and write about food, and did a great deal of freelance food writing. Jeanne is currently writing for the Jolly Tomato as well as DigMB, an online news site about Manhattan Beach.
Jeanne lives in Southern California with her husband Dave Fratello, author of Manhattan Beach Confidential, and her two sons. She enjoys spending any “spare” time either cooking, swimming, hitting the beach, playing Words With Friends, or looking for new foods and farms to write about.
Check out Jeanne’s recipe for