Perch Kitchen

Anjali Santhanam is a Bay Area native and chef whose interest in food began at an early age. As a child, her father would perch her on the kitchen counter, hand her a butter knife, and have her prepare bags of vegetables for weeknight dinners. Those early experiences in the kitchen became the foundation for her career in cooking.

After studying Biomedical Engineering in New York and working in the medical device industry, Anjali left the field to pursue cooking professionally.

She studied at the Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu in Florence, Italy, and now serves as the Executive Chef at the Djerassi Residents Arts Program in Woodside, California.

Raised vegetarian, Anjali has a particular appreciation for seasonal produce and for creating dishes that make vegetables the focus of the plate.