Veronica Eicken is a lecturing instructor of Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The seasoned chef and content creator joined the CIA at Greystone in 2025, fulfilling her lifelong dream to teach at CIA and inspire the next generations of chefs.
Her journey in the kitchen began at age 14, when she enrolled in culinary school. She completed the culinary program at Santa Rosa Junior College then the Le Cordon Bleu program at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where she earned her Associate in Occupational Studies, specializing in French fusion cuisine, culinary arts, and kitchen management.
Eicken has two decades of experience as a personal and private chef and special events caterer, bringing a regional sensibility and inventive spirit to every dish she creates. Her previous roles span restaurants, hotels, and casinos, including serving as executive chef at Inn at Occidental; sous chef at Bay Leaf in Napa, CA; and party chef at Elaine Bell Catering Co. in Sonoma, CA. She also served for 17 years as a private chef for high-profile clients and led research and development for Lasseter Family Heirloom Farms, a cottage food operation she helped establish in Sonoma County.
When she’s not teaching, she films online cooking content for her 175,000+ collective followers on TikTok and Instagram. She also produces a cooking newsletter on Substack that explores seasonal ingredients, kitchen creativity, and culinary storytelling.
Chef V, as she is known, has also made three appearances on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games and took home first place in the Tournament of Champions. She has been a regular guest speaker and on judging panels at CIA at Greystone and featured on numerous podcasts.
A native of Sonoma County, CA, she lives in Santa Rosa with her husband Nick and daughters Keira and Kelsey.