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Welcome! I’m the author of the new mystery novel The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife, the food director at Real Simple, and the creator of the Cookbookery Collective Substack.
Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff
Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff
The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife
Paris, 1949. It’s been five years since the war ended. The City of Light is only just beginning to rediscover its joie de vivre. Americans are arriving in droves including the fiercely independent former reporter Kat Kelly and her husband—a hotshot foreign correspondent. Forced out of journalism by the old boys’ club, the tenacious Kat has moved on to pursue her love for French cuisine. But this new chapter turns deadly when she finds the bloody body of an American classmate, Toby.
After giving her statement to the police and breaking the news to Toby’s girlfriend, Kat quickly suspects that Toby’s life—and death—were more complicated than she imagined. The more Kat learns, the more certain she is that the police are only scratching the surface of the case. When another body turns up Kat and her husband, Charlie, find themselves embroiled in the investigation. With the killer on the loose and time running out, Kat races to solve the case and save her marriage—and her life.
AUTHOR · FOOD EDITOR
About Jenna
Photo: Lauren Volo
I’m a food editor, and cookbook evangelist.
There’s an audio recording of me at age four saying that when I grew up, I wanted to be a writer or a baker. After a few detours, it’s astonishing how close I’ve come to that childhood vision, though these days I’d call myself more of a cook than a baker.
I’m the food director at Real Simple, where I lead print food coverage, create digital content, work with advertising partners, and represent the brand in the media. Since joining the magazine in 2019, I’ve also appeared on TODAY, Good Morning America, and numerous podcasts.
Before Real Simple, I was the food editor at Health and Parents. I’m a culinary school graduate, a lifelong cookbook obsessive, and the author of five cookbooks, including Bare Minimum Dinners and the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. In 2025, I launched Cookbookery Collective, a Substack for fellow cookbook lovers.
I live in Brooklyn, New York, with my family and our adorable dog, Pepper. If I’m not cooking, writing, or reading, I’m probably watching baseball, planning my next travels, or exploring the city.
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The Cookbookery Collective
A free Substack for cookbook lovers — recipes, interviews, and cookbook culture in your inbox every week.
On the Shelf
Books
NOVEL · OCTOBER 2026
The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife
Set in post-WWII Paris, the wife of an American foreign correspondent discovers the body of her murdered classmate at culinary school and becomes tangled in a web that stretches from the halls of diplomacy to the city’s glamorous and dangerous underworld.
COOKBOOK
Baby-Led Feeding
The popular and trusted guide to starting your baby on solid food, newly revised with the most up-to-date information for today’s new parents.
COOKBOOK
Bare Minimum Dinners
100% fuss-free! In Bare Minimum Dinners, you’ll find easy recipes and shortcuts to spend less time in the kitchen – with fewer ingredients, less cleanup, Instant Pot and slow cooker options, meals made in 30 minutes or less, and other smart strategies.
FREE NEWSLETTER
Cookbookery Collective
Photo: Lauren Volo
Founded in spring 2025, Cookbookery Collective is a free newsletter that serves as a gathering place for the cookbook community – authors, eaters, cooks, editors, publicists, publishers, agents, and aspiring authors alike. Newsletters come out on Thursday and typically include a Q&A. I also compile (massive!) quarterly previews of all the books scheduled to launch in the U.S. in the next three months. Plus, I share recipes from new titles, cookbook news, and updates on events I’m participating in – both in connection with cookbooks and The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife.
Come join us!
SAY HELLO