James Petersen grew up in No. California, and pursued a degree in chemistry at UC Berkeley, and has subsequently became a leading chef and cookbook author as well as a professional photographer.

His own story is as interesting as his food. By a series of serendipitous events, James found himself a partner in a small restaurant in Greenwich Village, called Le Petit Robert. It was at this small French restaurant that he was able to experiment and invent and shape his own style of cooking.