In this profile series, Revry is highlighting authentic contributors to the LGBTQ media and entertainment community. We ask questions to find out who they are and where they are going in the future. The questions remain the same but the answers tell their unique story. It’s time to explore and celebrate true representation beyond the limits of Hollywood. 

Jonathan Bardzik is a storyteller, a cook and author. Jonathan appeared in front of more than 750 audiences including the TedX stage and appears regularly on ABC, CBS and FOX morning news. He’s written three books of recipes and stories and says how “preparing food and sharing our stories spark connection and communication, bringing us closer together.” Catch Jonathan’s new series, ‘Jonathan’s Kitchen’, starting Mary 21st on Revry.

What are you best known for?

I believe that life can and should be lived with joy every day. I find that joy by preparing a simple meal, setting a table and sharing it with the people I love. The people who know me best tell me it is not my food but my love for joy and connection — for celebrating the dailiness of our lives and bringing magic to simple moments — that stays with them. There’s also that time I set the Christmas dinner table on fire.

What is the first thing you acted in? 

I played the rabbit in a fourth-grade production of Aesop’s fables, but other than preparing rabbit every once in a while, I’m not sure it had a significant impact on my cooking career. It may, however, have influenced this show in other ways. I am a storyteller and I teach and connect to people through stories. I have found no better place to connect to each other than in the kitchen. The shared work draws out easy conversation and our personal stories, bringing us closer together.

What are you working on that no one knows about yet?

I published my first collection of stories and recipes, titled SIMPLE SUMMER, in 2013. I am releasing a second edition this summer with new stories and recipes to create joy in the kitchen during one of my favorite seasons of the year.