Get to Know Us

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.

Heather Ramsdell is an editor obsessed with improving everyday acts of cooking and eating. Before joining The Spruce Eats in 2019, she directed culinary content for Food Network’s digital kitchen, worked as a creative director at Whole Foods Market, and launched the FreshDirect website. Additionally, she has written articles and books about design and food.

Throughout her years in the food industry, she has also been a cook, recipe developer, photographer, and video producer.

Heather earned a B.A. from the Cooper Union, an M.A. in writing from City College, and studied cooking at La Varenne in France.

Arie is the Associate Editorial Director for The Spruce Eats, Simply Recipes, Serious Eats, and Liquor where she manages news content production. Before joining Dotdash 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. 

Victoria is the Editorial Project Manager for the Spruce Eats. She is also an experienced recipe developer, tester and food photographer. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, during which time, she was a recipe tester with chef Sara Moulton. Victoria has also worked as a prep cook at Huertas, a Spanish tapas restaurant in New York City's East Village.  

Victoria was a Writer, Contributing Editor and Recipe Tester with the Spruce Eats since 2017 before becoming the team's project manager.

Kysha is beyond excited to be an Editor on the talented team of The Spruce Eats. She works with recipe developers, food writers and content creators in developing impactful recipes and helpful cooking guides.

Kysha Harris is a 20-year food entrepreneur with a passion for the business of food. She brings a wealth of ideas about menu planning, cooking, recipe development, editing, producing and business. After a decade in entertainment and advertising, working with top creative and business executives at Def Jam, Universal Music and Pictures and Deutsch Advertising, Kysha began her now two-decade, entrepreneurial food career with SCHOP! (shop+chop), a personalized in-home food business.

Kysha also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Go Quakers!

Kristin is an Editor at the Spruce Eats, working with a team of photographers and recipe developers to create delicious, image-driven recipes and cooking guides.

Prior to joining the Spruce Eats, Kristin was a food stylist in New York City on photo and video shoots in both the editorial and commercial sectors for companies such as Bon Appétit, Food Network, and Ben & Jerry's. She also worked as a freelance recipe developer and tester for a variety of editorial publications.

Kristin graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Economics; as well as a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law and a Masters in Mathematics Education from St. John's University.

Lauryn is Associate Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, creating recipes and cooking guides for all palates and expertise.

She's worked her way around the industry between professional kitchens, brands, and media companies, combining her experiences and interactions to lead her where she is today. Lauryn attended culinary school at Institute of Culinary Education, expanding her knowledge of the industry. Over the years, Lauryn worked her way around the line in professional kitchens for both pastry and savory before joining forces with cookbook author and TV host Gail Simmons, working as an executive and culinary assistant. In this role, Lauryn honed her knowledge of recipe development, food styling, social marketing, brand partnerships, and menu development.

Before joining The Spruce Eats, Lauryn worked at a major meal kit as an assistant editor and food stylist.

Todd is the Creative Content Director for social media at Dotdash, working across The Spruce Eats, TripSavvy, Liquor.com and TreeHugger.

Todd has seen every side of the media and food world—behind the lens, on the page, and beyond. He has been everything from executive food editor at Saveur and creative director at Tasting Table to producer at the Food Network and shooter-writer-editor for everything from travel stories to cookbooks. He’s also an Instagram star (with over 100,000 followers!)

Todd received an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America.

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 Food + Drink and joined the company in 2018.

Prior to joining Dotdash, 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.

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.