Get to Know Us

Emma has over 15 years of experience creating food and cooking content for both web and print and another 5 years within the print publishing industry. She still remembers what it felt like to be a new cook fumbling around the kitchen. This is what has driven both her career and her passion for empowering home cooks with dependable recipes, practical cooking know-how, and a love for good food.

She joined the Simply Recipes team in 2016 and the Spruce Eats team in 2022, and is the former Recipe Editor for Kitchn. In her career, she has been an editor, a writer, a recipe developer, a photographer, and a video producer.

Arie is the Editorial Director for The Spruce Eats, Simply Recipes, and Allrecipes where she manages news and features. Before joining Dotdash Meredith in 2021, Arie spent eight years working at Kitchn where she launched and led their news and features program. In addition to editing, Arie has worked as a freelance writer, recipe developer, social media editor, and was once the maître d' at a three-star Michelin restaurant in New York.

She’s also a graduate of the culinary techniques program at the International Culinary Center. 

​Brooke is the Associate Social Director at The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes, where she manages brand growth across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Flipboard, as well as big picture strategy and influencer marketing. 

Prior to joining The Spruce Eats team in 2019, Brooke spent nearly two years as the Social Media Editor at Real Simple. She has worked as a writer, print and digital editor, social media manager, and production assistant at various other brands, including SHAPE, Fitness Magazine, BRIDES, Thrillist, and Parents.

Brooke received her Bachelor of Communications from William Paterson University, where she specialized in print journalism and public relations.

Mariana's introduction to digital publishing was through writing, primarily in the form of culture criticism and essays. Naturally, she's most drawn to all the places where the world of food intersects with larger social and political trends. She spends a lot of time thinking about the ways our cultures and identities inform the way we cook, eat, and share food. You can find her writing all over the internet.

Alison is the Associate Product Director for Dotdash Meredith Food + Drink and joined the company in 2018.

Prior to joining Dotdash Meredith, Alison worked as product manager at MyRecipes.com and CookingLight.com.

She first began her career in product management at Time Inc. in the lifestyle media group working on Health.com.

She studied at Lehigh University, graduating with a B.A. in journalism and global studies.

Before joining The Spruce Eats in 2013, Eric spent 10 years working in lifestyle media at Condé Nast, where he led operations and finance for various brands including Epicurious, Gourmet, and Brides.com.

Prior to Conde Nast, he worked in the business department at the New York Press, as well as in commercial and TV production.

Eric is an avid home cook and lover of all things food-related. Although not professionally trained as a chef, he has taken dozens of recreational cooking classes.

Tamara Melton, MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian and educator with over 15 years of experience in nutrition communications and program development. Tamara owns TSM Nutrition Consultants, where she works with organizations to create evidence-based nutrition and health education content for consumers. She is a former Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics media spokesperson, and has been featured in dozens of print and digital media spots, including NPR, CNN, and more. Tamara has written articles on food and nutrition-related topics for Self and Health magazines. Tamara also speaks frequently on nutrition-related topics.

Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and experienced nutrition communicator who has educated people about nutrition for nearly 15 years. Her counseling experience prepared her to translate the science of nutrition into practical advice in her career as a writer, consultant, and public speaker. She is the author of several books about nutrition and health, and has been writing for magazines and online sites for nearly two decades.

Diana has a passion for Southern and regional cooking and food history. She has been writing for The Spruce Eats since 2017, but has been developing new recipes and writing about food since 1996. She’s the author of two cookbooks, "Guide to Southern Cooking" and "The Everything Southern Cookbook."

Danilo was a professional chef for over 15 years. He has written about food and cooking over a decade. He has been writing for The Spruce Eats since its launch in 2017.

After graduating from culinary school at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Danilo honed his skills cooking in upscale restaurants and a high-end catering company before launching his personal chef business—which specialized in gourmet dinner parties—in 2004.

Vidya Rao is a freelance writer and culinary enthusiast with over a decade of experience.

She was previously the editorial lead for Uber Eats, where she developed a series about immigrant chefs that received over 40 million video views. Prior to that, she was the senior food editor at The TODAY Show, where she interviewed chefs, developed the food vertical, and produced videos, leading her to attend culinary school. After culinary school, she spent a year working in New York City restaurants.

Colleen Graham is a cookbook author with over 10 years of experience in the food writing and recipe development world. She is a cocktail expert and professional bartender. She has been writing for The Spruce Eats since it launched in 2017, and has been with About.com since 2006.

In her 12 years of professional cookbook writing and recipe development experience, she has published over 900 recipes and two books about cocktails.