Joanne Lee Molinaro
BornJoanne Lee
(1979-04-24) April 24, 1979
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation
Alma materUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)
GenrePlant-based/Vegan cookbooks
Notable worksThe Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen
Notable awardsJames Beard Foundation Award
Website
thekoreanvegan.com

Joanne Lee Molinaro (born April 24, 1979) is an American attorney, and Vegan/Plant-based author and blogger. Her cookbook, The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen, won the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award.

Early life, education, and career

Molinaro was born on April 24, 1979, in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were born in present-day North Korea, and escaped when they were young.[1] She was raised in Skokie, Illinois,[2] with her younger brother Jaesun.[3] She earned her B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,[4] and J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.[5]

Molinaro is currently a firm partner at Foley & Lardner LLP's office in Chicago,[6] where she is a member of multiple practice groups in the firm, including Bankruptcy & Business Reorganizations. As a specialized practitioner in bankruptcy, she defended the liquidating trustee against almost $1 billion in claims in the second-largest Ponzi scheme case in United States history.[7] She has also prosecuted frauds, avoidance actions, and breaches.[8][9]

Social media and cookbook

Molinaro started her food blog, The Korean Vegan, in 2016,[10] which consists of recipes that re-imagine traditional Korean meals through plant-based adaptations.[11][12][13][14] She began posting to TikTok in 2020 under the same name, and sharing recipes along with personal stories [15] that focus on how her family escaped North Korea and adjusted to life in the United States, how it feels to be a Korean woman living in the diaspora, her law journey, and her abusive first marriage.[16] She also includes discussions on racism, sexism, and xenophobia.[17][18] She has been featured in numerous publications, including CNN,[19] CBS,[20] The Atlantic,[21] and the Food Network.[22]

Her first cookbook, The Korean Vegan, won the James Beard Foundation Award: Vegetable Focused Cooking in 2022.[23] The New York Times listed it as one of the best cookbooks of 2021,[24] Runner's World named The Korean Vegan one of the "6 Best Vegan Cookbooks to Get More Plants in Your Diet" in 2022,[25] and Food & Wine named it one of the 18 best vegan cookbooks for "every type of meal" in 2023.[26]

Awards and honors

VegNews listed Molinaro as one of the "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food" in 2023,[27] and named The Korean Vegan one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024.[28]

YearAwards and HonorsEvent
2023Streamy Award13th Streamy Awards: Creator Honor[29]
2023Food & Wine Game Changers for 2023Food & Wine[30]
2022James Beard Foundation AwardJames Beard Foundation Award: Vegetable Focused Cooking[23]

Cookbook

  • The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen (Penguin Publishing Group, October 2021, ISBN 9780593084274)

Personal life

Molinaro resides in Chicago,[31] and has run several half and full marathons.[32]

Shortly after graduating law school, Molinaro married her first husband. While his name is unknown to the public, she has described the marriage as emotionally abusive. They have since divorced.[33] On July 21, 2018, she married Chicago-born concert pianist and music professor Anthony Molinaro in Rome.[34][35][31]

References

  1. ↑ "About". The Korean Vegan. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Interview: The Korean Vegan — Adrienne Matei". adriennematei.com. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan, Doesn't Mince Words". LAIKA. May 20, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Can Joanne Lee Molinaro, the Korean Vegan, ever stop overachieving?". Los Angeles Times. August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Podcast Episode 22: Joanne Molinaro, Partner | Foley & Lardner LLP". www.foley.com. November 17, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ "TikToking law firm partner hits back at fellow lawyer's claim she doesn't 'work very hard'". Legal Cheek. August 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ "AIRA - 36th Annual Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference Virtual Series". www.aira.org. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Joanne Molinaro | People | Foley & Lardner LLP". www.foley.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Joanne Molinaro". Crain's Chicago Business. November 23, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  10. ↑ Stories, Local (November 15, 2018). "Meet Joanne Molinaro of The Korean Vegan in South Loop - Voyage Chicago | Chicago City Guide". voyagechicago.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ Brown, Jeffrey (December 14, 2021). "'The Korean Vegan' cookbook is an immigrant story told through food". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  12. ↑ Brown, Jeffrey (August 1, 2021). "Can Joanne Lee Molinaro, the Korean Vegan, ever stop overachieving?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  13. ↑ Sung, Hannah (November 27, 2020). "The Korean Vegan Is the Inspiration I Need This Year". Best Health Magazine Canada. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ "How Eating Vegan Connects Me To My Grandmother". The Mash-Up Americans. July 20, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  15. ↑ "The Korean Vegan hopes her 60-second recipes will make you less racist". Salon. September 28, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ "On North Korea, Veganism and Finding One's Passion - An Interview with Joanne Lee from The Korean Vegan". kim-julie hansen. July 23, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  17. ↑ Matei, Adrienne (October 21, 2020). "'The Korean Vegan' Makes Cooking TikToks That Get Real, Quick". Bon Appétit. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  18. ↑ "The Korean Vegan: Vegan Cooking and Intimate Storytelling [Interview]". Naira. February 2, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Molinaro Quoted in CNN About Legal Standards for Fraud Allegations | Foley & Lardner LLP". www.foley.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  20. ↑ "The Korean Vegan dishes out life lessons and stories of her diaspora experience". www.cbsnews.com. April 12, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  21. ↑ Molinaro, Joanne; Moss, Bradley P. (November 11, 2020). "No Self-Respecting Lawyer Should Touch Trump's Election-Fraud Claims". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  22. ↑ "BOV Contributor: Joanne Molinaro". Best of Vegan. February 8, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021. Joanne adopted a plant-based diet in January 2016 and began The Korean Vegan as a passion project later that year. Since then, her recipes have been featured in Thrive Magazine and in 2017, she appeared on the hit Food Network show "Cooks vs. Cons" as the only female and vegan contestant.
  23. 1 2 "James Beard Foundation Award:Joanne Lee Mollinaro". James Beard Foundation Award. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Best Cookbooks of 2021". The New York Times. December 14, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ Hondorp, Gabrielle (November 7, 2022). "The 6 Best Vegan Cookbooks to Get More Plants in Your Diet". Runner's World. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  26. ↑ Makhijani, Pooja (November 2, 2023). "The 18 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Type of Meal". Food & Wine. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  27. ↑ Pointing, Charlotte (July 27, 2023). "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food". VegNews. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  28. ↑ Pointing, Charlotte (January 10, 2024). "The Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time". VegNews. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Streamy Awards: MrBeast Wins Creator of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter. August 28, 2023.
  30. ↑ "15 Game Changers Who Are Reshaping the Way We Eat and Drink in 2023". Food & Wine. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  31. 1 2 Eng, Monica. "How a high-powered lawyer became a TikTok superstar: Meet the Korean Vegan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022.
  32. ↑ "DWRunning - Joanne Molinaro". DWRunning. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  33. ↑ "That Time I Googled "How To Stop Crying."". The Korean Vegan. January 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Joanne Lee and Anthony Molinaro's Wedding Website". www.zola.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Anthony Molinaro Biography" (PDF). Anthony Molinaro Official Website. p. 2. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
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