About the Allrecipes Test Kitchen

Welcome to the home of the home cook! You may think of Allrecipes as the one-stop spot to find all your favorite recipes, but have you ever wondered how all the kitchen magic happens? Allrecipes readers (that’s you!) submit all the recipes on our site, but it doesn’t stop there.

When Allrecipes’ readers add a recipe to the site, they may choose to save it as private, only share it on their profile page, or submit it for Kitchen Approved consideration. Recipes submitted to be Kitchen Approved are evaluated by our team of recipe editors, who ensure the originality and reliability of each recipe, and edit for Allrecipes style. Only the best recipes achieve Kitchen Approved status and get published and promoted.

Meet the team who helps ensure that our popular, delicious recipes work just as you’d expect them to. We test them in kitchens equipped with only tools, appliances, and equipment that you would find in a kitchen just like your own to ensure that when you make them, they taste just as fantastic as they do during testing.

We love testing (and tasting!) your recipes, so keep them coming. Then don’t forget to come back and rate and review any of the thousands of recipes you’ll find on Allrecipes. The best ingredient in our community is you.

Meet the Team

Anna Theoktisto

Anna Theoktisto

Recipe Tester and Developer

Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who has been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. She has 10 years of experience developing recipes. You can learn more about Anna on her website, www.annatheoktisto.com, or on most social platforms @annatheo. When not in the kitchen, she can be found fostering puppies and hiking with her husband, son, and two dogs.

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Amanda Stanfield

Amanda Stanfield

Food Studio Coordinator, Recipe Tester and Developer

Amanda Stanfield is the Food Studio Coordinator and Recipe Tester/ Developer at the Dotdash Meredith. She completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and strategic communications at Hampton University. After graduation, Amanda worked in the nonprofit sector as a marketing associate for a global nonprofit organization for 3 years. In 2018, she pivoted into the food industry and began training in fine-dining restaurants around Atlanta. Later she gained her culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and went on to work in a variety of kitchens from boutique restaurants to conference hotels. Her work has been featured on Eatingwell.com, Southern Living, People.com, Food & Wine, and Allrecipes.com. As a true foodie, Amanda seeks out nutritious and unique flavors to inspire others to eat happily and healthily. When she's not cooking up delicious recipes, you can find her lap swimming in the pool or watching a good sci-fi movie. She's a member of MAPP a non-profit supporting women-led food organizations. You can follow her adventures @amandaeight. Her go-to kitchen must have? A sharp chef's knife.

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Amanda Holstein

Amanda Holstein

Test Kitchen Assistant

Amanda Holstein fell in love with baking at the age of 6, and continued growing her passion through culinary school and working in bakeries for over 10 years. Amanda Holstein has worked at multiple well-known restaurants and bakeries in the Orlando, Florida area. She recently joined the Dotdash Meredith team as a Test Kitchen Assistant. Amanda graduated from Valencia college with an A.S. in baking and pastry management as well as a B.S. in restaurant and food service management.

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Catherine Jessee

Catherine Jessee

Test Kitchen Assistant

Catherine Jessee is a Test Kitchen Assistant in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She has tested recipes for brands including All Recipes, Eating Well, Food & Wine, Real Simple, People, and Southern Living. Prior to joining the Food Studios, she accumulated 3 years of experience cooking in restaurants.

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Jasmine Smith

Jasmine Smith

Recipe Tester and Developer

Jasmine Smith is a Recipe Developer & Tester with 10+ years experience working in the culinary industry. She is a recipient of James Beard Foundation: Women in Culinary Leadership Program. You can find her work in Southern Living, Food & Wine, Health Magazine, and other publications. You can follow her cooking adventures on Instagram @jazzy_the_princess.

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Julia Levy

Julia Levy

Recipe Tester and Developer

Julia Levy is an experienced cook with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. She is skilled in catering, food & beverage, event planning, and menu development. She tests and develops recipes in the DotDash Meredith Test Kitchen for Southern Living.

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Liz Mervosh

Liz Mervosh

Recipe Tester and Developer

Elizabeth Mervosh has been a product tester and recipe developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama since 2017. She attended culinary school at The Culinary Institute of America and got her start working in restaurants.

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Marianne Williams

Marianne Williams

Recipe Tester and Developer

Marianne has been writing and testing recipes in the test kitchens for Dotdash Meredith since 2016. She studied at the International Culinary Center, in New York, and the International School of Italian Cuisine, in Italy, under highly esteemed chefs and graduated in 2015.

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Melissa Gray

Melissa Gray

Recipe Developer and Food Stylist

Melissa Gray is a recipe developer and food stylist for Dotdash Meredith. She began working in food publishing in 2015 and joined the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens in 2019. She has developed over 1,500 original recipes and styled in over 300 photoshoots during that time.

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Nicole Hopper

Nicole Hopper

Recipe Tester and Developer

Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer located in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Tricia Manzanero

Tricia Manzanero

Recipe Tester and Developer

Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman is a recipe tester/developer for Dotdash Meredith, specializing in baking and pastry but with an all-encompassing love for all things food-related.

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Sarah Brekke

Sarah Brekke

Recipe Tester and Developer

Sarah Brekke is a culinary professional with over 10 years of experience food media. With a background in both culinary and food sciences, she uses her skills to develop, test, and modify recipes to make them as tasty and practical as possible.

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Juliana Hale

Juliana Hale

Recipe Tester and Developer
Juliana Hale is a culinary specialist with over 20 years of experience in recipe testing and development. She works closely with Allrecipes, Better Homes & Gardens, Forks Over Knives, Midwest Living, and Traditional Home both in the test kitchens and with her stories.
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Emily Nienhaus

Emily Nienhaus

Culinary Specialist

Emily is a recipe developer at Dotdash Meredith with a focus on food trends, and inventing new ways to bring interesting flavors to your dinner table. When not in the kitchen Emily enjoys hiking, camping and spending time with friends, although these hobbies always lead back to food being the focus.

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Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD

Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD

RECIPE TESTER And DEVELOPER

Kathryn Hendrix is a Registered Dietitian and Culinary School Graduate. She specializes in Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Nutrition. She has over 10 years culinary experience and has been cooking vegan her whole life.

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Linda Brewer

Culinary Specialist/Dietitian

Linda Brewer is an advocate for others to pursue their culinary interests through new cooking methods and experiencing culturally diverse foods. Her joy of hiking gives her a special interest in camp-friendly recipes for both her personal and professional cooking.

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About Allrecipes

Home cooks are our heroes; it's as simple as that. Allrecipes, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is the world’s largest community-driven food site, providing trusted resources to more than 60 million home cooks each month. Every day, cooks from around the world publish doably delicious recipes, while our team of editorial and kitchen professionals cover the world's top food news and trends. Learn more about us and our editorial process.