Location
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
School
Kent State University
Expertise
Ancestral food traditions, Garden-to-table cooking, Kid-friendly recipes
- Sam first developed an affinity for cooking and family food wisdom at five years old while shadowing her grandmother, who taught her to always keep a stocked pantry.
- In 2020, she purchased a share from her local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share program and received surprise fruit and vegetable deliveries for 13 weeks. She challenged herself to use all the ingredients, developing new recipes—some of which she still uses today.
- She homeschooled her son for a year of pre-kindergarten, incorporating age-appropriate garden chores, cooking (measuring), and foundational nutrition into his curriculum.
Experience
Sam began her career as a student journalist writing for the Daily Kent Stater in 2008. During her time working as a reporter for Sun News and cleveland.com, she covered restaurant openings and their cultural impact in the suburbs as well as how community gardens provide opportunities for generational food education. Most recently she's written for The Bucks County Beacon, covering women's issues with a focus on reproductive rights. She also self-published a children's book, "The Light Inside Your Heart," in 2021. She currently splits her time between freelance writing and mothering. She takes pride in being hands-on with her family's food—from planting spinach and broccoli in her backyard garden to trading crops and recipes with neighbors to preparing and serving meals with her son learning alongside her. She hopes to showcase this passion and inspire readers through her writing for Mashed.
Education
Sam earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University.
Mashed’s industry-leading coverage is created by qualified and experienced writers, and is reviewed and fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure everything is accurate and timely. Outside experts are also consulted to help deliver factual, up-to-date information.
Our mission is to inform and engage our readers, telling them things they need to know, things they want to know, and things they didn't know they wanted to know about food. We strive to always provide a well-rounded reading experience, whether that’s the news of the day or a new original recipe you can try making at home. In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, current, and accurate content, our editorial team constantly reviews and updates articles as necessary. Additional information on our editorial process available here.
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