Meet Jacque & Jon

Welcome to our kitchen! We are a husband-and-wife team, the busy parents, and the passionate home cooks behind The Unsalted Chef.  Our home is a beautiful, noisey placed filled with family, laughter, and a deep love for great food.  Together we are on a mission to prove that mindful, low-sodium eating doesn't mean giving up the meals you love.  Everything we create on this site comes straight from our family table to yours. 

The Recipe for Better Health & Better Flavor 

The idea for The Unsalted Chef came from a unique blend of professional knowledge, personal passion, and a journey close to our hearts. Jon has lived with a genetic kidney disease his whole life and received a life-saving kidney transplant in 2025. Long before the transplant, we learned how to cook in ways that protect his health without sacrificing flavor.

As a pharmacist and an engineer raising two busy kids, we needed a way to cook meals that were safe for his kidney health, but still appealing to a toddler and a baby. For a long time, "low-sodium" has been synonymous with "bland"—but we refuse to compromise on taste.

So, we traded the salt shaker for the spice rack. We started researching flavor formulations, balancing vibrant fresh herbs, and designing custom, scratch-made spice blends that deliver a serious punch. We are here to show you that ditching the salt shaker doesn't mean ditching the flavor.

Two Cook Styles, One Kitchen 

Our recipes reflect how the two of us actually cook and eat every day, divided into the five categories we love most:

The Sunday Table: Led by Jacque, this is where we keep our most treasured traditions alive, like slow-cooked, scratch-made Italian classics inspired by Jacque's Great Grandmother.

Worth the Wait: For the days when you aren't rushing. This is where we share our favorite low-and-slow comfort foods—like rich crockpot meals, comforting braises, and dishes that take a little extra prep or simmer time but deliver massive flavor.

Baked by Jon: Jon is the resident baker of the house. Bringing his natural eye for precision to the kitchen, he handles the science of the perfect bake—turning out incredible, low-sodium artisan breads, rolls, and doughs.

Weeknight Wins: The fast, reliable, 30-minute meals that save the day when we're rushing between work, school, and family activities.

Scratch Made Staples: The secret weapon of our kitchen. This is where we share our custom, salt-free seasoning blends, fresh dips, and homemade sauces that bring any dish to life.