Unconventional by Nature

Hawthorne Valley Association
Chef

Jaime graduated from New York University in 2019, where she earned joint degrees in Media, Culture, and Food Studies. She spent nearly a decade working in Brooklyn and Manhattan at a wide assortment of food businesses including (but not limited to) restaurants, bakeries, butcher shops, and food justice nonprofits. She has also worked freelance as a writer for several culinary publications, such as Bon Appetite and Grub Street. In all aspects of her work and life she is passionate about local, sustainable, and accessible food systems, as well as the many ways that food builds and empowers communities, expresses identities, and fuels natural ecosystems. She believes firmly in the power of shared meals to bring people together, bridging cultural, economic, and political divisions. Once an extremely picky eater, Jaime now finds great joy in experimenting with new ingredients and cooking techniques. She has amassed an extensive collection of vintage cookbooks and magazines, hoping to someday read and learn from them all. She currently resides in Hudson and spends her free time baking breads and cakes, tending to her garden, and loving her sweet little cat, Peanut.