Staff Writers
About Ariel Born and raised on her family’s 250-year-old farm in Western North Carolina, food – from its production, preservation, preparation, and consumption – has been central to Ariel. She is a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where she was the university’s first Food Studies major, as well as co-teacher for the unique food and culture honors seminar, Eats 101. Ariel has also lived and studied in France, where she conducted research for her honors thesis on historical differences and future prospects of organic agricultural policy between the United States and European Union. She works on her family’s farm in the southern Appalachian Mountains and will move to Dijon, France next year to teach English and continue to explore (agri)cultural and political differences across the Atlantic divide. When Ariel’s not thinking about food (a rare occurrence), she enjoys photography, river swimming, keeping cows, speaking French, and being on the farm with her four siblings.
About BakingBar Having been passionate bakers for most of our adult lives, they decided to set up BakingBar in October 2010. Having written hundreds of recipes already, they discovered that most recipes can be improved to make them healthier. Don’t worry, healthy doesn’t mean tasteless, in fact in many cases the difference in taste is not noticeable. They know that baking can be mystifying for many people, believing that this skill is reserved for those who have been taught it professionally, but if you have simple recipes to follow it is possible, it is enjoyable and hugely rewarding, this is where they can help.
One of BakingBar’s main goals is to encourage parents to bake with their children from an early age to develop what they consider to be a life skill. The measuring of ingredients and timing of baking can also help develop children’s thinking. For all of the latest updates you can follow @BakingBar on twitter or join them on www.facebook.com/baking.bar
About Ben Ben grew up surrounded by food. His family owned a restaurant in Mexico City for about 40 years and some of his most cherished memories from that period of his life are related to food. These aromas, flavors and colors of the food stayed with him even when he moved a couple of thousand miles away to the U.S. He started blogging in 2007 as he started to cooking authentic Mexican food in his American kitchen, and realized that Mexican food is very misunderstood in the U.S. Returning to Mexico in 2010, he has started to share more about the food, scenes, and cultural traditions of what has been cited by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage. Committed to the Slow Food movement in Mexico, check out this talented food writer and photographer on: What’s Cooking, Mexico?
About Carolyng Unknown as the “Undercover Latina”, because if she was known she really wouldn’t be undercover, Carolyng expresses her multicultural heritage through foremost and most importantly food. When she isn’t making Venezuelan arepas, Portuguese bolinhas de bacalhau or good old homemade oatmeal-banana-carrot dog treats for her pup Napoleon, she works on her book about being first generation American and the wonderful culinary experiences that ensue. Paralegal by day and food lover all day, she never misses a moment to indulge, like using her visa points to buy a bright orange KitchenAid Stand Mixer (next on the list is a Vitamix). Fresh pasta anyone? How about hot from the oven pão caseiro? To her recipes are more like guides, adobo is underappreciated and a splash of wine is never enough – yet you can rest assured that whatever comes out of her kitchen
will be delicious, fresh and all her own.
About Lena Although born in England and raised on the US West Coast, Lena’s roots and heritage hail from the Middle East as she is a “tabbouleh” mix of Jordan and Iran, among other countries. Lena recently started to document more closely the culinary traditions from her family background that goes back many generations.
About Lys Lys is a wizard in the kitchen and master multi-tasker. An expert manager dedicated to promoting education and awareness, she is as multilingual as she is multi-talented. While she is proven professional, her cooking talents only match her charm and sweetness. Particularly skilled in baking, her variations in cheesecakes are always in demand, not to mention her other specialties, from flourless chocolate for the gluten-allergic to chocolate lace cookies.
About Madelyn. Springing from a background in sexuality and gender, Madelyn uses an intersectional eco-feminist lens to interpret the world around her. As a passionate – newly vegan, amateur activist – photographer, she hopes to add an interesting perspective to Zomppa’s dialogue on food thought, policy and fun as its first intern. While she isn’t bouncing between classes on her college campus, she is found snuggling up to a good book with her cats or planning a new garden project. You can find Madelyn’s photos and contributions at Rachel in Veganland and The Carrboro Citizen.
About Melissa Melissa is a food educator focused on incorporating more fresh, delicious, local produce into people’ s diets and working with local non-profits, schools and health centers to create and demonstrate recipes that are fruit- and vegetable-based and simple to prepare. She hopes the merger of her Johnson and Wales culinary degree and master’ s in nutrition education (with some strategies from her elementary ed degree thrown in for her kids’ classes) produces dishes that keep people happy and healthy for years to come – and also satisfies her parents that she’ s been able to utilize at least 3 of her five post-graduate degrees. A lover of learning (um…duh?) she’ ll read (and remember) almost anything you throw down in front of her. Her two favorite topics? Food and men -which she writes about passionately and often. For more of her food and dating adventures, check out the hilarious Love Hurts, Bacon Heals.
About Neda. Born in a small city in the West Coast of Canada, Neda, whose family left Iran in the early 70′s, spent her childhood surrounded by food and in the kitchen with her grandparents. A family tradition of weekly Friday night dinners continues to this day where traditional Iranian food is prepared perfectly for the 30 immediate family members. As a result, cooking and eating together are an integral part of Neda’s life now as she strives to create new types of dishes that combine traditional Persian recipes with more Western ingredients for her husband and two year old daughter. Before becoming a full time mother, Neda spent her free time teaching first graders for several years.
About Purabi. Purabi is an Indian foodie living in Hong Kong and managing a food blog called Cosmopolitan Currymania. Her endeavour is to spread the taste of Asian cuisine (especially the Indian) to the whole world. She loves to discuss and share those recipes which are still unknown to the rest of the world and which are relatively uncommon in the “famous Indian restaurants.” Indian cuisine has a rich diversity and here on Zomppa, she will bring up interesting insights and tips on fine Indian cooking. Not only that, be prepared for some delectable fusion food and the best of Hong Kong delicacies in her articles!
After doing Masters in Inorganic Chemistry from Delhi University in 2001, she jumped into the field of copyediting for research journals of American Institute of Physics, including other esteemed publishers like Wiley. She was in New Delhi, India, till her marriage in 2004, and after that, she shifted to Mumbai with her husband. Soon she was copyediting research journals for reputed publishing houses. The big break in her career happened in 2006, when she was appointed as the Senior Content Writer and Editor for Economics Times B2B magazine called Times Journal of Food Processing. In a short time, she was promoted to the Project Manager level. But motherhood paved its way into her life and she gave up my career for my little ones. At home, she started researching on food and cooking, the latter being her favourite pastime. Now she has found a new foodie world for myself and she is extremely happy to be a part of this.
She started her food blog Cosmopolitan Currymania in April 2011 and she is satisfied and overwhelmed by the way it is growing on its own pace day by day. It is is listed among the top blogs in Hong Kong now according to Hong Kong Blogs Review! She is excited to promote the taste of Asia to a different level altogether!
About Sarah Never one for rules or boundaries, Sarah was raised in Florida, and educated in New Hampshire. She explored India, South East Asia, Europe, and the USA before running out of money. She did some time in New York earning a regular professional living, then signed on as the cook for a ship that sailed her across the Pacific. She is currently pursuing her dreams and studying wine in Adelaide, South Australia. In addition to sustainable viticulture, the global wine trade, local markets, culinary treats, and sharing good times, Sarah gets a kick out of journaling, hiking, rock climbing, theater, and the occasional game of tennis.
About Sol Food. Heading up the Sol Food Mobile Farm, read the bios of these four intrepid advocates: Eliza, Dylan, Ellen, and Reid here.
