Joanne Lee Molinaro (born April 24, 1979) is an American attorney, author, and blogger that writes aboutvegan andplant-based food. Her cookbook,The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen, won the 2022James Beard Foundation Award.
Molinaro is currently a firm partner atFoley & Lardner LLP's office in Chicago,[7] 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-largestPonzi scheme case in United States history.[8] She has also prosecuted frauds, avoidance actions, and breaches.[9][10]
Molinaro started her food blog,The Korean Vegan, in 2016,[11] which consists of recipes that re-imagine traditional Korean meals throughplant-based adaptations.[12][13][14][15] She began posting toTikTok in 2020 under the same name, and sharing recipes along with personal stories[16] that focus on how her family escapedNorth Korea and adjusted to life in theUnited States, how it feels to be a Korean woman living in thediaspora, her law journey, and her abusive first marriage.[17] She also includes discussions onracism,sexism, andxenophobia.[18][19] She has been featured in numerous publications, includingCNN,[20]CBS,[21]The Atlantic,[22] and theFood Network.[23]
VegNews listed Molinaro as one of the "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food" in 2023,[28] and namedThe Korean Vegan one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024.[29]
Molinaro resides in Chicago,[32] and has run several half and full marathons.[33]
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.[34] On July 21, 2018, she married Chicago-born concert pianist and music professor Anthony Molinaro inRome.[35][36][32]
^"BOV Contributor: Joanne Molinaro".Best of Vegan. February 8, 2021. RetrievedMay 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.
