Her interest in food was first piqued by wondering why her mom read cookbooks just for the fun of it, and only grew from there. She’s worked as a reporter and editor for the Des Moines Register, Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, where she currently reports on food in a vibrant community that includes a deep-rooted local foods movement and a creatively evolving artisanal cheese and dairy market. And, sometimes, she reads cookbooks just for the fun of it.