Last year was all about big changes for me. I traded a big home for a small apartment and said so long to my job as food critic for The Washington Post, after a run of almost 26 years. No more dining out 10 meals a week; more time to cook, travel, and follow all my passions, which I plan to share with readers in Next Course with Tom Sietsema, my online newsletter here on beehiiv.

Before my tenure at The Post, where I won various honors including a 2016 James Beard Award, I wrote for Microsoft (yep, as a critic), the San Francisco Chronicle, and publications nationwide. My byline has appeared in Gourmet, GQ, Travel and Leisure, and elsewhere.

I’m a proud Minnesota native, a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and a resident of D.C., ensconced with my partner and a Whippet named Henry.

With Next Course, I want to be your guide to the good life — at home, in restaurants, and all over the world.

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