Becky Selengut ’88’s profession has all the markings one comes to expect of someone premed. She wields a blade with expert precision, wears a white coat, operates in a sterile environment and helps people feel good. But Becky isn’t a surgeon.

As an author, instructor, podcaster and chef based in Seattle, Becky found a career path that fulfills her passions and utilizes her vast skill set. And the world is taking notice! Her latest book, Misunderstood Vegetables, was named one of the year’s top cookbooks by Wired and praised by New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant. This year, Forbes published a lifestyle piece highlighting Becky and her collection of recipes and profiles on those unique vegetables that receive a bad rap through no fault of their own.

“Just because something is ugly, twisted or not pretty, doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to gain from it,” Becky explains. “Sure, I’m talking about rutabaga—but am I really? I’ve been misunderstood in my life; a lot of people thought I was different or unusual. Whether human or vegetable, the unfamiliar ones, the ones that sting you at first encounter usually hold the best secrets.”

Becky thought she wanted to be a doctor but changed course while taking premed classes to embark on a field in the culinary arts. After graduating at the top of her class from the Seattle Culinary Academy, she spent many years honing her skills at some of the Seattle area’s most well-known restaurants. Since then, Becky’s career has moved beyond the traditional restaurant into everything but the restaurant, taking on such diverse jobs as cheffing on a yacht tour of the Inside Passage to teaching cooking to immigrants and refugees and finding them work in the food industry. In 2004, she started her private chef and culinary education business, and she founded the educational website, Seasonal Cornucopia, two years later. 

Becky co-authored Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook in 2008, followed by her solo debut Good Fish, a sustainable seafood guide published in 2011. Good Fish was a finalist for an IACP Cookbook Award, named one of Seattle Magazine’s best cookbooks of the year and recognized as a notable read by NPR. Her third book, Shroom: Mind-bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms, was named one of NPR’s top 10 cookbooks of the year. She also co-authored the humor-filled travel memoir Not One Shrine: Two Food Writers Devour Tokyo. Becky’s fifth book, How to Taste: The Curious Cook’s Handbook to Seasoning and Balance, From Umami to Acid and Beyond with Recipes, reflects her passion for demystifying flavor and technique. Across all her work, she blends culinary expertise with sharp wit and a deep commitment to sustainability. In addition to her books, Becky contributes freelance articles and develops recipes for both local and national publications, and she regularly gives talks and keynotes on cooking, foraging, sustainability and flavor theory.

“There are so many things I thought I wanted to do that I still do in aspects of my life today, from cooking to teaching to volunteering with local food banks,” Becky shares. “My favorite part of what I do is constantly changing. People who are creatives tend to get bored easily and don’t like to get pigeonholed. I really enjoy focusing on justice, sustainability, foraging, environmental and lower-impact eating.”

In every part of her work, Becky blends creativity with purpose—reminding us that the most overlooked things, whether vegetables or people, often have the richest stories to tell.