About

Hi there! I’m Allie, a values-driven food writer and cookbook editor.

My career as a recipe developer and food writer has taken root based on an intrinsic passion for what feeds us as a society—and a love for the kitchen. If you ask me why I decided to dedicate my career to food, two things come to mind: 1) watching cakes rise as a child helping my dad bake sweet treats 2) a class I took in college where we baked one bagel recipe using six different methodologies, then tasted them all and talked about what factors were key to achieving the perfect chewy bagel with a delightfully toasty exterior. (True story, I literally changed my major from Nutrition Sciences to Food Science after that class).

After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2015 with a dual-bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Dairy Science, I started off my career as a recipe developer for iconic cookie portfolios at Nabisco. I knew I was in the right place when my first job title included the words “Oreo Innovation Team” and my meeting invites were about marshmallow cookies and Nutter Butters. I later worked as as a product developer in the test kitchens of Whole Foods Market, where I formulated countless varieties of hummus, dairy products, and baking mixes made with natural ingredients. This was deeply fulfilling, as holistic health and wellbeing are some of my greatest values personally and professionally.

In 2020 (an unremarkable year for many of us, I know), I pivoted from working for food companies and decided to pursue my passion for writing and storytelling, weaving in my years of culinary expertise as a professional baker and recipe developer. Now, with 6+ years of professional content writing experience for magazines, food companies, and creative agencies, I bring a unique and multi-faceted perspective to food writing, recipe and cookbook editing, and journalistic features which often explore the intersection of culture, food, and connection.