Courtney Roker Laga is an American chef and recipe developer best known as the eldest daughter of Today show meteorologist Al Roker.
She trained at the French Culinary Institute, cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants, and co-wrote a cookbook with her father in 2024.
Who is Courtney Roker?
Courtney Roker, who uses the professional name Courtney Roker Laga, is a chef, recipe developer, and author. She works as a recipe developer for the meal kit company HelloFresh.
She has cooked in two Michelin-starred restaurants.
Her path ran through Café Boulud, a television food styling job, and Google’s New York headquarters.
Later, she spent about four years developing recipes for the appliance brand Chefman.
In 2024, she co-wrote Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By with her father.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Wesley Laga, and their daughter, Sky.
Early Life of Courtney Roker
Courtney Roker was born on 14 May 1987 in America. From a young age, she was interested in cooking, which later helped him to achieve enormous success.
Her zodiac sign is Taurus, a sign often linked with patience and a love of good food. She now works as a recipe developer at HelloFresh.
Courtney Roker Parents
Courtney’s father, Al Roker, is the longtime meteorologist on NBC’s Today show. Her mother, Alice Bell, produced the WNBC newscast Live at Five.
Alice Bell died at age 77, and Courtney announced the news on February 10, 2025.
Courtney wrote on Instagram that she was with her mother at the end. She also called Bell the most loving grandmother to her daughter, Sky.
Her younger siblings are Leila, born in November 1998, and Nicholas, born on July 18, 2002. Their mother is Deborah Roberts, an ABC News correspondent who married Al Roker in 1995.
Leila served as Courtney’s maid of honor in 2021.
Food shaped her childhood early. Family lore holds that at age six, Courtney picked edible flowers from the garden to decorate dinner plates.
Courtney Roker Age / Birthday
Courtney Roker is 39 years old as of 2026, born on May 14, 1987. She is Al Roker’s eldest daughter and the only child from his marriage to Alice Bell.
Al Roker and Bell adopted her in 1987, shortly after her birth.
The couple married in 1984 and divorced in 1994. In 1995, Al Roker married journalist Deborah Roberts, and Courtney gained two younger siblings, Leila and Nicholas.
In a 2003 Guideposts essay, Al Roker wrote that he saw no difference between adopted and natural children.
She is the eldest of Al Roker’s three children.
Courtney Roker Ethnicity and Nationality
Courtney Roker is American. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and young daughter. The cookbook she wrote with her father draws on the family’s heritage and recipes passed down through relatives.
Roker is of a white ethnic background.
Courtney Roker Education
Courtney started college but left in her sophomore year. She told her parents she wanted to attend culinary school instead.
Al Roker said the choice surprised the family at first.
She then trained at the French Culinary Institute, now part of the Institute of Culinary Education. Her LinkedIn profile lists the Institute of Culinary Education as her school.
Al Roker later said he wished he had thought of culinary school himself.
Courtney Roker Career
Restaurant Kitchens and Google
After culinary school, Courtney worked at Bar Boulud and Café Boulud, two restaurants tied to chef Daniel Boulud. Later, she cooked at Lincoln Ristorante at Lincoln Center.
She has worked in two Michelin-starred restaurants, including Café Boulud.
Next, she spent about two years as a food stylist for daytime television cooking segments. From there, she moved to Google’s New York headquarters in Chelsea Market.
Recipe Development
At the appliance maker Chefman, Courtney held the roles of culinary content manager and lead recipe developer for about four years.
She also worked as a test kitchen manager and recipe developer for Chefman and CHEF iQ. She tested recipes for The New York Times.
Along with this, she took on side work for Delish. That path led her to HelloFresh, where she now develops recipes.
Her HelloFresh profile lists comfort food, French bistro, and seasonal cooking as her specialties.
Cookbook and Recent Work
In 2024, Courtney and Al Roker released Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion. Al Roker said the book was her idea, and she wrote it while pregnant with Sky.
Her Shrimp Tikka Masala appears in the book.
To promote it, the father-daughter pair toured food shows, including a masterclass at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.
Al Roker said she delivered both a baby and a cookbook within nine months.
On May 5, 2026, she wrote for the HelloFresh Dinner Club newsletter about leaving restaurant kitchens. She said she wanted to be home for dinner and to tuck her daughter in at night.
Courtney Roker Husband
Courtney Roker married Wesley Laga on June 4, 2021, at The Ashford Estate in New Jersey. The couple had gotten engaged in April 2020.
Al Roker walked her down the aisle.
Before proposing, Wesley texted Al Roker and asked to meet. He asked for his blessing at The Simone, a restaurant in the family’s neighborhood.
Several of Al Roker’s Today colleagues attended the wedding, including Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, Craig Melvin, and Sheinelle Jones.
Roker introduces herself on Instagram as a wife, mother, author, and content creator.
Courtney Roker Daughter Sky
Courtney and Wesley welcomed their daughter, Sky, in July 2023. She made Al Roker a grandfather for the first time.
Al Roker learned about the pregnancy from his son-in-law’s brother.
Alice Bell also became a grandmother when Sky arrived. Al Roker marked Sky’s first birthday with an Instagram post in July 2024.
Courtney wrote the cookbook with Al Roker during her pregnancy with Sky.
Today, Sky lives with her parents in New Jersey.
Courtney Roker Net Worth
Courtney Roker has an estimated net worth of around $500k as of 2026.
Her income comes from her work as a recipe developer at HelloFresh and from her cookbook with her father.
She spent about four years as a recipe developer at Chefman.
Earlier jobs included cooking at Google’s New York headquarters and in Michelin-starred restaurants. She also worked as a television food stylist for about two years.
Al Roker and Courtney co-wrote Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By in 2024.
Courtney Roker Social Media
Courtney Roker is active on Instagram and LinkedIn. Her Instagram handle is @ouichefroker.
She shares recipes, family photos, and tributes to her loved ones there.
Her Instagram bio lists her work in recipe development at HelloFresh. She also posts about her husband, her daughter, and her cookbook.
Her LinkedIn profile lists HelloFresh as her employer.
Conclusion
Courtney Roker Laga built her own culinary career through French training, Michelin-starred kitchens, and recipe development for HelloFresh and Chefman.
Her cookbook with Al Roker turned a family table into a shared project between father and daughter.