Kalea Martin
School
Mount Holyoke College, New York University
Expertise
TikTok Food Trends, Baking Science, Filipino & Italian Cuisine
- Growing up on a steady diet of afritada, pandesal, and mangoes with bagoong, Kalea has always had a passion for food and has shared her expertise in over 1,000 articles published across a variety of nationally distributed outlets.
- Her work has been featured on Betty Crocker and Shamrock Farms products, and in 2022 it earned her a nomination for Bake From Scratch Magazine's The Greatest Baker.
- Since 2020, Kalea has been developing recipes for the blog Fiction in the Kitchen, which became a cooking web series on Tastemade in 2023.
Experience
Kalea Martín began her writing career at LUXOS Magazine in Milan, Italy, where she covered international food and travel. When she moved back to the U.S., Kalea worked part time at HarperCollins Publishers' marketing department and a Manhattan bakery. Later she found a more permanent home at POPSUGAR, writing everything from Starbucks drink reviews to fitness tips. Though all of Kalea's published content falls under the lifestyle category, the majority of it highlights the latest food and cooking trends appearing primarily on Tasting Table, Mashed, and Today Meal. You can also find more of her writing in Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, and People.
Education
Kalea holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in romance languages/literature and studio art. As part of her undergraduate education, she studied Italian culture and cuisine while working and living in Milan and Venice. She also has a certificate in modern journalism from New York University.
Today Meal’s content comes from an authoritative editorial staff that is dedicated to current and comprehensive coverage. With an aim to provide only informative and engaging content, our writers, editors, and experts take care to craft clear and concise copy on all things food-related, from news in the food service industry to in-depth explainers about what’s found in readers’ refrigerators, original recipes from experienced chefs, and more.
Our team also regularly reviews and updates articles as necessary to ensure they are accurate. For more information on our editorial process, view our full policies page.
Stories By Kalea Martin
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When there's plenty of cold meat to eat, the tastiest and most surefire way to complement it is with some traditional British Cumberland sauce.
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Many people choose to use fresh fruits and vegetables over the processed stuff, but there's a reason canned pineapple is preferred for upside-down cake.
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There are products that disappear without a trace or any explanation, like the beloved Nesquik cereal that was mysteriously taken off U.S. shelves.
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If you're looking for a product that's similar to Starbucks' cold foam, then Aldi's version might just be the exact thing you need for your coffee.
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The Chinese Shandong chicken dish has perfectly crispy skin while the inside remains juicy and tender. Here's how to replicate it with your chicken thighs.
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While the chain has been around for decades (as have many of its dishes), you might not know that Olive Garden's menu used to boast an extensive pizza list.
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If you've been looking for an ingredient to take your homemade pho to higher levels of deliciousness, you should seriously consider tossing in some worms.
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When you're looking to grill up the absolute juiciest burger blend imaginable, you're going to want to reach into your fridge and grab some mushrooms.
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You might be wondering whether or not Olive Garden's tiramisu contains alcohol. It turns out that the answer is more complicated than you'd think.
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Store-bought cake mix is convenient, but not as yummy as cake baked from scratch. Follow this tip to add vodka and easily improve cakes made from a boxed mix.
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Perfectly caramelized pork is a thing of beauty, and it's super tasty too. Try our tips for using sweetened condensed milk as the secret ingredient in pork.
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Though consumers loved this frozen dessert and sales were high, they weren't high enough to offset the cost of production, distribution, and marketing.
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You might be surprised to learn just how much thought and consideration goes into decorating a Cracker Barrel. Guaranteed, it's more than you think.
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The "authentic Detroit-style pizza" is made by Motor City Pizza Co. And it's not just a square-shaped pizza falsely labeled as Detroit-style.
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Cooking with alcohol is a fun and easy way to get creative in the kitchen. Luckily, TikTok's dirty martini pasta transforms the cocktail into a meal.
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Joining other American favorites like french fries and French toast, it turns out that French dip sandwiches aren't actually French. But where are they from?
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If you're looking for a unique condiment to take precious cuts of beef to the next level, consider pairing your favorite steak with choron sauce.
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Is dull frosting getting you down? There's one tool in particular that you'll need for the most vibrant buttercream, and it doesn't require loads of food dye.
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Every cook has a favorite sauce recipe for pasta night. If you've never tried adding instant coffee, you'll want to sprinkle some in as a flavor enhancer.
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Reuben Mattus, founder of Häagen-Dazs, took a well-calculated risk when launching their third introductory flavor.
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If you're making breakfast and all you have is eggs, milk, and bread, the first recipe that comes to mind might be French toast. But you can also make changua.
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Plenty of people have ideas about what goes on at the Italian chain restaurant, but here's what most people don't realize about Olive Garden's salad.
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If you're looking for the absolute best substitute for butter to use in your baked goods, there's one homemade replacement that can't be beat.
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Sure you're familiar with the salad and breadsticks, but there's one peculiar Olive Garden menu item that you more than likely forgot about.
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Looking to add a salty flourish to your pie crust recipe? Consider using a very unexpected cracker that might just be in your pantry right now.
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More fat means juicier patties, but you can keep lean burgers from getting dry and crumbly by cooking them right and adding a special ingredient.
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If you're looking to get the most perfectly tender pancakes, then you better follow Ina Garten's simple tip using ingredients you likely have on hand.