An accomplished chef, restaurateur, teacher, and food writer, Jennifer Aranas was the chef-owner of the nationally acclaimed Rambutan Restaurant, Chicago's first fine dining Filipino eatery. Jennifer started Rambutan with her husband in 1998, after leaving behind her career as a real estate accounting manager, to offer upscale Filipino dining to the Filipino community and to introduce the delicious flavors of her native cuisine to a new audience. After selling Rambutan in 2002, Jennifer spends her time as a food writer and a cooking instructor. Her trips to the Philippines allow her to rediscover Filipino culture through inherited family recipes as well as to explore the many regional flavors scattered throughout the Islands. She lives with her husband and daughter in Chicago.