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From Skateboarding to the Stove: Jesse Jenkin's (ADIP) Journey Through Food and Craft

02.07.25

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3 min read

In the kitchen or behind the camera, some people have a way of making things look effortless. We spoke to Jesse Jenkins (aka ADIP), a creative who’s moved from skateboarding and fashion photography to cooking and writing, carrying that same quiet precision into every plate, photo, and frame.

From the sharp lines of St. John to the texture of charred vegetables, his work is a lesson in noticing the little things—and letting them lead. Over a short Q&A, we talked techniques, tools, and the wines that stay on his table.

Q: You’ve had such varied professions—skateboarding, fashion photography, and professional kitchens. How do you think these different careers have shaped your approach to food today?

JJ: I’m lucky enough to use aspects of all of them in what I do today. I see the world through the eyes of a skateboarder, it shaped everything from my taste in music to the clothes I wear. But most relevant to what I do today, it taught me how to make and edit videos. Fashion taught me how to distill an idea and communicate it visually, which is extremely useful in my cooking videos and photography. Even more than my own experience as a chef, my admiration for chefs inspires how I make videos: how they move, speak and taste food. I’ve always found it fascinating.

Q: You treat vegetables like a main event—charring, fermenting, or layering them with big flavours. What’s a technique or tool you wish home cooks would use more to transform humble veg into something unforgettable?

JJ: The greatest tool is one’s attention to the little details and knowing the limits of your ingredients: getting the desired balance of texture, flavour, and colour. Sometimes it’s a case of simply steaming, or burning over an open flame. Knowing what vegetables need is all about attention, they always give it back tenfold. Every recipe in my book Cooking with Vegetables subtly teaches a technique to get the best out of your veg, if you want to learn more.

Q: Are there any restaurants, anywhere in the world, whose interior design or atmosphere has subtly influenced your plating or culinary style?

JJ: St. John. I often think, how would St. John plate this? It’s very hard to have someone know it’s your plate of food just by looking at it, and they’ve achieved that better than anyone else, in my opinion.

Q: Who is your favourite person to share a meal with, and what’s a standout wine you’d reach for?

JJ: My mother-in-law Diane. She loves food just as much as I do, and always eats with her hands, something my late mother always did as well. We mostly drink champagne but also share a love for dry white wines, preferably bordering on ice cold: a white Burgundy, ideally Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet.

Q: We read that you grew up in LA but have been in London for a while. What foods do you crave the most when you're away from both cities?

JJ: I miss Mexican food every day, and it’s been the hardest part about living away from LA. Lebanese food when I’m away from London, it’s always my first stop when I get home.

Q: And finally, have you tried any wines recently that you'd recommend?

JJ: Assyrtiko - Assyrtiko’s sharp, clean, and mineral - like lemon and salt on stone. Super dry, high acid, made for seafood or anything grilled.

We asked Jesse Jenkins – chef, director and the man behind Another Day in Paradise – what he’d make for ETO. His answer? Anchovies on toast, but not as you know. This is crispy sourdough topped with anchovies, tomato base and a glossy sauce. It’s fast. It’s filthy (in the best way).

And it’s exactly what we want to eat with a glass of something good. Jesse’s recipes have racked up millions of views for a reason, they’re simple, generous and a little rock’n'roll.