A self-taught chef, Jodi Abel diligently honed her cooking skills through dedicated practice and expanded her culinary knowledge through private cooking classes around the world.

Lajollacooks4u is the culmination of Chef Jodi’s passion for gourmet food and teaching. The idea for Lajollacooks4u was conceived after Jodi experienced her first cooking class in the home of another self-taught chef in Umbira Italy.

Since Lajollacooks4u opened its doors in 2008, Chef Jodi has been imparting her knowledge (and love) of cooking gourmet food to couples, Fortune 500 companies and groups from all over the globe in her La Jolla mountaintop home.

“Teaching, food and people have been the greatest passions in my life and Lajollacooks4u is the culmination of all three,” said Chef Jodi. “Food has a magical way of bringing people together— family, friends and even complete strangers. Creating these types of memorable experiences for my guests is what Lajollacooks4u is all about,” she added.

Specializing in California cuisine, Chef Jodi expertly customizes each group’s menu to fit their personal preferences, while also suggesting new dishes to expand their taste for gourmet cuisine. Chef Jodi holds firm the tenant for utilizing what is fresh and in season and strictly uses locally grown produce. The majority of the herbs, vegetables and other ingredients used in Lajollacooks4u’s classes are harvested from Chef’s Jodi’s own organic garden.

Lajollacooks4u is rated on TripAdvisor as a top-rated attraction in La Jolla, California, and lists over 216 excellent reviews praising Chef Jodi and the gourmet cooking and dining experience. Chef Jodi has also received recognition from multiple food editors and tourism companies for being the ideal foodie destination.

Chef Jodi keeps abreast of the global food scene by learning from other chefs around the world. So far, she has explored the gourmet cuisine of Spain, France, South Africa, Italy, Amsterdam and Mexico and is always looking forward to her next cooking destination. Having developed more than four hundred recipes, Chef Jodi published her first cookbook, Lajollacooks4u: California Cuisine in November 2015. The cookbook also acts as a diary of her cooking adventures, chronicling the many heartwarming stories, recipes and kitchen tips found on Lajollacooks4u’s blog.