About

Lisa Profile

Meet Lisa…

…the brains and dishwashing muscle behind Garlic and Zest. I’m an accomplished home cook, recipe developer and self-taught food photographer. I’ve been cooking for friends and family in my home kitchen for over 40 years.

Cooking Experience

I launched my cooking and recipe website in 2013, and ten years later, it has grown to include more than 1000 food and drink recipes and more than 100 cooking videos.

Many of the recipes on this site are family favorites that we make often like this easy 4-ingredient Pesto Salmon, this flavorful Italian Sausage Soup which makes a big pot that we’ll enjoy for days or this hearty German Goulash, which is delicious over noodles or spaetzle.

And whenever there’s a rotisserie chicken in the house, I always use the carcass to make a rotisserie chicken stock.

As an award-winning food blogger, I have been featured in cookbooks, magazine articles and cooking and news outlets.

I aim to help you make mouthwatering meals, sumptuous sips and decadent desserts with tested recipes and step-by-step photos to help you master the dish.

I’ve included my Pro-Tips, Frequently Asked Questions, and simple Swaps and Substitutions in most recipe posts, so you can cook confidently and prepare delicious meals for your family.

My recipes have been featured in Oprah Daily, Men’s Journal, BuzzFeed, Shape.com, Huffington Post Canada, Better Homes and Gardens, Today, MSN.com, BlogHer, One Green Planet, ChowHound, Country Living, Cosmopolitan, MSN.com, SheKnows, and Honest Cooking among other publications. Please take a look at my Press Page for a comprehensive list.

Contributor to:

I’ve been a regular recipe and content contributor to SideChef and Southern Kitchen and a meal plan contributor to EatLove.

Interviews & Podcasts:

Articles:

  • Food and Wine
  • Eat This, Not That
  • Go Solo
  • UK Prime News

Awards:

Education:

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, which helped me land my first jobs at two newspapers, The Richmond Times Dispatch and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, part of Tribune Media. That degree also serves me well in the blogging world.

If you have a comment or question about a recipe, it’s best to leave it on that specific recipe page.  If you have a question unrelated to a recipe, you can comment here or e-mail lisa@garlicandzest.com.