Carissa Chesanek Title: News Writer Education: Central Connecticut State University, Regent University, The New School Location: Brooklyn, NY Expertise: Food, Home, Lifestyle, Spirits, Creative Writing, News Writing, Journalism Carissa is a New York City-based writer with expertise in food, drink, and lifestyle content. She has written for food and lifestyle brands with stories that range from making drinks in a slow cooker to tips on decorating your home for tropical weather.Highlights13+ years of experience writing about food and drinkFormer dining editor for Zagat who helped build the Miami editionWorked as a digital content producer for Food Network to help create a cooking class subscription app Experience Carissa Chesanek is an avid food lover and knows her way around a nice bar cart. She was the local Miami editor for Zagat for two years where she started that edition from the ground up.Carissa's food and drink writing has appeared in publications nationwide including Gayot, Dining Out, Tasting Table, Forbes Travel Guide, and more.She served as a digital producer for the Food Network, where she also wrote for the Food Network Dish blog, focusing on celebrity chef recipes and innovative at-home meals. Carissa has taken cooking and mixologist classes and had the opportunity to work one-on-one with many chefs while also helping judge several food and spirits contests. Education Carissa earned her undergraduate degree in arts and sciences at Central Connecticut State University. She later went on to receive her master's in journalism at Regent University before completing her master's in fine arts at The New School. About Real Simple Real Simple, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning, trusted online resource for smart, authentic solutions to simplify your life. We reach 11 million readers a month. Our content is written by experienced journalists and fact-checked for accuracy. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.