Michael Zonkowski

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Location
Jersey City, NJ
School
Rutgers University
Expertise
Traditional Italian Cooking, Gameday Tailgate Recipes, Wine Pairing Tips
  • Mike worked in journalism, marketing, copywriting, and event operations before entering the service industry. He wanted to learn everything he could about cuisine, including how it's prepared and consumed.
  • On his website, Zonk Foods, he offers stories, experiences, and recipes detailing traveling and food in the U.S. and abroad, as well as his take on Polish family recipes that have been the guiding light through his culinary journey.
  • His lifelong mission to discover the next "life-changing bite" has brought him and his wife to some of the finest restaurants and street food vendors in North America, Europe, and most recently, the Middle East and South Africa. He is now here to share those tastes and experiences with our loyal readers.

Experience

After 10+ years working in professional sports marketing and event operations, Mike decided to follow his passion for food and wine on a culinary journey through the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and finally back home to the kitchens of NYC and North Jersey. His love and curiosity about food are driven by the communal bonding experience that takes place when people sit down to share a meal and conversation. Through his travels, he has found that food brings people together and is a gateway to experiencing a culture. Mike has discovered that by eating the food of a region and listening to the stories of the people who have prepared it, you are if only for a moment, part of their family. The life-changing bites Mike has tasted along his travels and the Polish recipes he ate as a child inspire the dishes he makes at home for his family and friends. His goal is to grow his culinary portfolio, and he hopes to inspire readers to go out and experience this incredible world through food, wine, and commonalities we share with people everywhere. As a mostly self-taught home cook, Mike wants to inspire everyone who loves to cook not to be afraid to challenge themselves and try new and more complex techniques. It's okay to fail, but it's not okay to not even try.

Education

Mike received his bachelor's degree in communication from Rutgers University, and a master's in marketing from Georgetown University.
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Stories By Michael Zonkowski