Laura Kanya

Title: Recipe Tester and Developer

Location: Williston, Vermont

Education: B.S. in Dietetics, Nutrition, University of Vermont; AOS in Baking and Pastry, Culinary Institute of America

Expertise: Pastries, chef instructor, testing recipes, recipe management 

- Two decades of baking and pastry experience
- Experienced executive chef

Experience

Laura Kanya is a recipe tester and developer in the Vermont test kitchen of Dotdash Meredith for EatingWell and other company brands. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades in a variety of roles including pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, catering, retail operations and food production companies. 

Laura discovered her love of baking growing up alongside two grandmothers and a mom who loved baking and cooking. They unknowingly established the importance of food and cooking in Laura's life. Growing up outside Philadelphia, she had access to great restaurants, and her dad took her to many.

After graduating from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in dietetics, she pursued her love of baking by earning an associate degree in baking and pastry arts from the Culinary Institute of America. She has worked at the Macrina Bakery in Seattle, Sundance Resort in Utah, and Vermont Mystic Pie Company, The Inn at Essex, New England Culinary School and Sugarsnap Catering, all in Vermont.

Prior to joining the EatingWell team, Laura traveled the United States, England, Poland, Australia, New Zealand and Anguilla to check out different cultures and food. Laura lives in Vermont with her husband, son, daughter and schnauzer.

Laura enjoys staying active and challenged with spin classes, game nights with her kids, coaching her daughter's soccer team, biking around town, walking with friends, canning food from her (very simple and beginner) garden and checking out the latest local restaurants' offerings.

About EatingWell

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Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
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This pumpkin zucchini bread is the perfect marriage of classic pumpkin bread and zucchini bread. Zucchini helps keep the bread tender and moist, while canned pumpkin gives it an orange hue that carries the flavor of pumpkin pie spice for a touch of fall.
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Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese
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This easy pumpkin risotto with goat cheese uses sweet and earthy canned pumpkin as a flavor base and creamy goat cheese to add creaminess and tang. Toasted pumpkin seeds add texture and nutty notes. Parsley adds mild fresh flavor, but any chopped fresh herb would work just as well.
Rotini with Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
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This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce, spiked with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, is a great fall alternative to traditional tomato-based sauce. Here, we serve it with pasta, but it can also be used on pizza or as a dipping sauce alongside fresh-baked breadsticks.
Pumpkin Ravioli
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This pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sauce is a great way to elevate canned pumpkin. Wonton wrappers make the perfect envelope for the lightly flavored filling. Nutty brown butter and crispy sage add richness to this classic fall pasta dish.
"Old-Fashioned" Cherry & Blueberry Galette
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This rustic galette has flavors that are reminiscent of an Old-Fashioned cocktail. To really amp up the connection, you can top it with a dollop of bourbon-spiked sweetened whipped cream. Note: We did try this with thawed frozen cherries but even after draining them at multiple points in the recipe, they still exuded a lot of liquid—it's best made with fresh.
Skillet Lasagna
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This skillet lasagna takes the hard work of layering the noodles, filling and cheese out of the picture and turns lasagna into a super-easy weeknight meal.
Lemon-Balsamic Dressing
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This lemon-balsamic dressing has the perfect balance of acidity from lemon juice and balsamic vinegar and sweetness from honey. Use it to dress a simple salad with anything from mild to spicy greens.
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Baked Feta Dip with Hot Honey
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This baked feta dip with hot honey, served right from the skillet, is perfect for your next party. It's got salty, sweet and spicy flavors all wrapped into one dip, with plenty of fresh flavor from tomatoes and basil.
Peach-Ricotta Pound Cake
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This peach-ricotta pound cake is fruity and delicious. The ricotta cheese helps keep it moist, and the peaches add fresh summer flavor. Using vanilla extract lets the spices shine through, while almond extract provides a stronger flavor that pairs well with the peaches.
Lemon-Balsamic Dressing
New!
This lemon-balsamic dressing has the perfect balance of acidity from lemon juice and balsamic vinegar and sweetness from honey. Use it to dress a simple salad with anything from mild to spicy greens.
Baked Feta Dip with Hot Honey
New!
This baked feta dip with hot honey, served right from the skillet, is perfect for your next party. It's got salty, sweet and spicy flavors all wrapped into one dip, with plenty of fresh flavor from tomatoes and basil.
Peach-Ricotta Pound Cake
New!
This peach-ricotta pound cake is fruity and delicious. The ricotta cheese helps keep it moist, and the peaches add fresh summer flavor. Using vanilla extract lets the spices shine through, while almond extract provides a stronger flavor that pairs well with the peaches.
Steamed Acorn Squash
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Steamed acorn squash dressed simply with butter, salt and pepper can accompany just about anything. Steaming squash is easy, and it keeps the squash tender and preserves its natural sweetness.
Lemon-Raspberry Dump Cake
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This super-easy and fun lemon-raspberry dump cake tastes like a cobbler, but with cake instead of a biscuit topping. Raspberries and lemon work well together, but any berry would work well here.
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Chocolate-Coconut Breakfast Banana Split
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Eating dessert for breakfast has never been easier, thanks to this twist on a classic banana split. We swap in strained yogurt (e.g., Greek-style or skyr) for ice cream, but you'll still get the same ice-cream-scoop look because the yogurt's thicker consistency helps it hold its shape well. Plus, strained yogurt has more protein for staying power. Pineapple and coconut give this banana split tropical vibes.
Kiwi-Granola Breakfast Banana Split
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We take a classic dessert and put a breakfast-friendly spin on it by swapping in yogurt for ice cream. The thicker consistency of the strained yogurt (e.g., Greek-style or skyr) helps it hold its shape and mimic scoops of ice cream. Plus, it has more protein for staying power than regular yogurt. Lots of seeds and nuts are a nice textural counterpoint to the soft banana.
Chocolate-Raspberry Breakfast Banana Split
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This fun, breakfast-friendly twist on a banana split swaps in yogurt for ice cream. Using strained yogurt (e.g., Greek-style or skyr) provides more protein for staying power. Plus, its thicker consistency holds its shape better to resemble a scoop of ice cream. Raspberries and peanuts give this PB&J vibes.
Classic Breakfast Banana Split
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Pretend you are having dessert for breakfast—complete with whipped cream and a chocolate "sauce."  We chose strained yogurt (e.g., Greek-style or skyr) over regular for two reasons—it has more protein for staying power and its thicker consistency holds its shape for ice-cream-scoop vibes. Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are a classic combo here.
Blueberry Almond-Milk Pancakes
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These blueberry almond-milk pancakes offer a tasty start to your day. Whole-wheat flour adds fiber and a nutty taste that complements the flavor of almond milk. Juicy blueberries add sweetness in every bite.
Grilled Tequila-Lime Chicken Salad
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Cilantro, citrus and tequila combine for a zesty sauce that does double duty here—half is used to marinate the chicken and the other half is used for the salad dressing. If you'd prefer not to use tequila, substitute 1 tablespoon each orange and lime juice.
Sweet Potato Waffles
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These sweet potato waffles are gluten-free thanks to gluten-free oats as a base. They are crispy on the outside and sweet and creamy on the inside, with just a hint of orange and spice.
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Skillet Berry Cobbler
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This skillet berry cobbler is filled with sweet-tart berries with a hint of orange flavor. The biscuits are crunchy on the top and tender in the center.
Hoisin-Glazed Pork-&-Nectarine Kebabs
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Here we pair pork tenderloin and nectarines with a sweet and spicy hoisin-based sauce for flavor-packed kebabs. You can use any ripe but firm stone fruit, including apricots, plums or peaches.
Pimiento-Cheese-Stuffed Bison Burgers
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These Juicy Lucy-style burgers are stuffed with pimiento cheese for an ooey-gooey cheesy center. To add to the Southern vibes, we top them with crispy pan-fried green tomatoes.
Watermelon-Basil Agua Fresca
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Sweetened fruit-infused water popular throughout Mexico and South America, this refreshing drink blends watermelon and water with lime juice and basil for even more flavor. The fruit for agua fresca is pureed and can be strained, but we skip the latter step for a thicker drink. Try it spiked by stirring 1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka into each serving.
Strawberry-Hibiscus Agua Fresca
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This refreshing drink combines strawberries and water with lime juice for a balance of sweet and tart notes. Hibiscus powder adds vibrant color to this sweetened fruit-infused water popular throughout Mexico and South America. We skip straining the pureed fruit for a thicker drink, but you can opt to strain it if you prefer. To make an alcoholic agua fresca, try stirring 1 1/2 ounces of vodka or tequila into each serving.
Pineapple-Cilantro Agua Fresca
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When you want to sip on something fruity and refreshing, make this agua fresca. Popular throughout Mexico and South America, this fruit-infused water blends pineapple and water with lime juice and cilantro for even more flavor. The fruit is pureed and can be strained, but we skip the latter step for a thicker beverage. You can spike it if you want; stir 1 1/2 ounces of rum into each serving.
Cantaloupe-Tarragon Agua Fresca
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With just five ingredients and five minutes, you can create a refreshing agua fresca, a drink popular throughout Mexico and South America. We blend cantaloupe and water with lime juice and tarragon for a flavorful beverage. We skip straining the fruit for a thicker drink, but you can strain it if you prefer. Try the agua fresca spiked by topping off each serving with a little sparkling wine.
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