Chef Jonathan Zearfoss is a professor of Culinary Science at CIA’s School of Culinary Science, Health, and Nutrition at CIA New York. A driving force behind the evolution of culinary science education and the college’s senior faculty member, he chaired the curriculum development team that created the CIA’s groundbreaking bachelor’s degree program, launched in 2013. The program blends scientific inquiry with advanced culinary practice to prepare graduates for careers in research and development, large‑scale foodservice, and high-end dining.
During his tenure at CIA, Zearfoss developed and taught a wide range of courses, including Advanced Cooking and Pastry, Culinary Skill Development, Product Knowledge and Purchasing, Introduction to Gastronomy, Interpersonal Communications, and Advanced Culinary Principles, the precursor to the college’s Culinary Science program. He has served as a chef-instructor in the American Bounty Restaurant and St. Andrew’s Café, two of the CIA’s student‑staffed teaching restaurants. As associate dean for curriculum and instruction, he oversaw the college’s restaurant courses and led the development of its advanced cooking curriculum. He was also the content leader for the second edition of the CIA’s classic text The Techniques of Healthy Cooking. A founding chair of the Faculty Council, he currently serves as its vice chair and sits on the Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee.Before joining CIA’s faculty in 1989, Zearfoss worked with the late Chef Marcel Desaulniers ’65 (a member of the CIA Hall of Fame) at The Trellis in Williamsburg, VA, where Zearfoss was assistant chef and taught an American Culinary Federation (ACF) apprenticeship program. He holds a Master of Arts (in Liberal Studies) degree from SUNY (Empire State College) focusing on Habitat Ecology, Ecology Education, Citizen Science, and Nature Photography. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the College of William & Mary, where he also played baseball. His professional credentials include Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Culinary Educator (CCE), Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), and Certified Culinary Professional (CCP).
Zearfoss, the author of The Great Chefs of Virginia, was named to the Virginia Chef’s Association’s 1987 Chef of the Year. From 1987 to 1988, he tested recipes, edited, and did food-styling with the late Chef Marcel Desaulniers for Desaulniers’ first book, the seminal Trellis Cookbook. Zearfoss also authored with Dr. Debra Zellner the peer-reviewed paper It tastes as good as it looks! The effect of food presentation on liking for the flavor of food. He has conducted seminars nationwide on healthy cooking, flavor development, global cuisines, menu composition, culinary education, and food-and-beverage pairing.
His professional service includes several terms on the board of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). In 2013, he was named to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels by Governor Steve Beshear. He is a member of the Order of the White Jacket, the Ecological Society of America, the Aldo Leopold Society of the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, and a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association, the Flagon and Trencher Society, and the Society of the Cincinnati (Delaware).
An avid forager who maintains a robust website on this topic, Zearfoss is also a musician.