Kristen Hartke

Title: Food Writer and Recipe Developer

Location: New York, NY

Education: B.F.A. in Photography and Fine Arts, with a concentration in Art Criticism, Corcoran College of the Arts and Design

Expertise: Writing and editing, recipe development, food culture, photography, fine art, design

Experience

Kristen honed her culinary skills working professionally in several restaurant kitchens before going on to earn a B.F.A. in photography and fine arts from the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Her interest in culinary culture and expertise in visual arts led her to working as a food writer, food stylist and culinary producer with a wide range of publications and brands. Kristen has worked with some of the country's most accomplished chefs, including Jacques Pepin, Virginia Willis and Carla Hall, with whom she continues to collaborate as a culinary producer.

Kristen is often called "the recipe whisperer," and her expertise in plant-based cooking and recipe development is frequently in demand by chefs and cookbook authors. She was the lead recipe tester for Joe Yonan's James Beard-nominated cookbook Cool Beans and is now working on his forthcoming title, Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2024).

Kristen's work has allowed her to interview and cook with some of the country's most celebrated chefs and cookbook authors, including Grace Young, Leah Chase, Aarón Sánchez and Sean Brock. Kristen's writings have been nominated for awards several times by the James Beard Foundation, as well as by the International Association of Culinary Professionals and Edible Communities' EDDY Awards. She is also the co-author of a children's book, Carla and the Christmas Cornbread, published by Simon & Schuster in 2021.

Kristen is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs and Restauranteurs, the New York Women's Culinary Alliance and the National Writers Union.