Jessica Harlan Title: Food Writer and Recipe Developer Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Institute of Culinary Education Location: Atlanta, Georgia Expertise: kitchen products, cooking basics, recipes Jessica Harlan is a cookbook author, food writer, recipe developer, and culinary educator. With over 30 years of experience in the food world, she welcomes the opportunity to help make food and cooking fun, approachable, and accessible.Highlights:Nearly 30 years of experience as a food writer and culinary expertAuthor of nine cookbooks, including Ramen to the Rescue, Homemade Condiments, and Mason Jar LunchesContributor to Yahoo!, Allrecipes.com, Clean Eating, Tasting Table, and moreRecipe developer and tester for major food brands and products Experience Jessica has been writing about food, cooking, and kitchen equipment for more than 25 years. Her first job, as an editor for a gourmet food trade magazine, took her from judging a hot sauce competition in Albuquerque, NM to touring olive oil factories in Italy, with plenty of delicious stops in between. From there, she scored an insider’s view of the cooking equipment industry as an editor and reporter for a housewares industry magazine. After earning a culinary arts diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education, Jessica began developing recipes for publications and for leading food brands, later parlaying her recipe-development expertise into writing a number of cookbooks, including Ramen to the Rescue, The Little Book of Takoyaki, and Homemade Condiments.She has also become an expert product reviewer, testing and evaluating a wide range of kitchen products, including blenders, chef’s knives, grill pans, coffee makers, and more, for About.com, Consumers Digest, Tasting Table, Clean Eating, and Allrecipes. Jessica loves being able to advise friends and readers alike on the best options for products to outfit their kitchens. Her current favorite products are her Blendtec blender and her Misen carbon steel skillet." Education Jessica earned a Bachelors of Arts in English Rhetoric at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a concentration in magazine writing. She earned a culinary diploma at Institute of Culinary Education. About Southern Living Southern Living, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, celebrates the food, homes, places, and culture of the South. We reach 7.2 million readers a month. Our content is written by experienced journalists and fact checked for accuracy. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.