Hello, Welcome to Culinary Hill!
I’m Meggan Hill, a classically-trained chef and professional writer. What does that mean? I like to cook food, eat it, and talk about it anyone who will listen.
I grew up eating spaghetti sauce with sugar in it, salads that resemble desserts, and cheese on everything. But I’m not a food snob! I still love all those things. These days, I like to put my culinary school education (and proximity to the most productive agricultural valley in the world) to work for home cooks everywhere. We all want to do more with less when it comes to our money and our time while feeding our loved ones the best possible food.
My main goal around here is to give you recipes that are easy to understand and work every single time.
Meggan Hill
Title: Executive Chef, Editor-in-Chief, and CEO since 2011
Location: Los Angeles, California
Education: Culinary Arts, B.A. in Communication Arts, A.A. in Accounting
Expertise: Midwestern recipes, recipe development, writing
Experience
- I was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin and lived there for over 30 years (I still visit for summers, holidays, and fish fries).
- I started Culinary Hill in 2011. I am a classically-trained chef and in 2018, I completed the Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California.
- I have written and published over 1,300 recipes. Since 2011, these recipes have been cooked and shared by over 200 million readers around the world.
- Family: I have three kids, Calvin (13 years), Charlotte (10 years), and Julian (5 years). The rest of my extended family is in the Midwest. My husband is from Aguascalientes, Mexico. I also have two cats, Cappuccina (a bengal) and Violet (a toyger). Violet thinks her name is Gorda.
- Former careers: I previously worked in software, branded products, healthcare finance, and international rights administration. Yawn!
- Daily drink: PG Tips black tea with milk.
- Favorite band: AJR and I’m obsessed.
- Favorite book: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.
- Favorite card game: Cribbage.
- Favorite recipe: It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite recipe, but here are the things that are always in my freezer: homemade chicken broth, chocolate chip pancakes, turkey meatballs, meat sauce, cooked white rice, and Mexican rice.
It’s All About the Recipe
Nothing is worse than spending a bunch of money on ingredients, and time on a recipe, only to wind up with a complete disaster in your kitchen. And the kids are still hungry. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
I attended a 2-year Culinary Arts program in Southern California, and that education was invaluable to my cooking and recipe-writing skills. I went there hoping to learn some basics, and I graduated with knowledge of how to break down whole rabbits, shuck oysters, and pickle mustard seeds. You know, the basics!
I have a solid, classically-French foundation of how to prep ingredients, pair flavors and textures, and cook pretty much anything. Menu planning, catering, cooking on the line – I did it all, so you don’t have to.
I geek out on all the details like technique, yield, and relevant make-ahead advice, and I consider food safety to be a passion project. Whether you are using up leftovers, doomsday prepping, or just hosting your mother-in-law for brunch, I’ve got you covered.
Meet the Team
Monica Presler
Title: Director of Operations
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
How we met: We grew up together.
Education: B.S. in Sociology
Start date at Culinary Hill: January 2019
Former career: Worked in retail for 18 years before coming to CH.
Daily drinks: Coffee, watermelon Hint, and tangerine LaCroix
Fun facts:
- Wrestling super fan to 3 boys
- Northern lights chaser
- Avid reader and puzzler
- Fellow AJR enthusiast
- Dog lover
Favorite recipes: Stuffed Bell Peppers, Banana Bars
Jana Velia
Title: Food Editor
Location: Los Angeles, California
How we met: We went to culinary school together.
Education: B.A. in History, B.A. in Italian
Start date at Culinary Hill: December 2016
Former career: Began working in restaurants in 2002, including Six Flags, fast food, and full-service. Also worked in human resources and auto insurance claims.
Daily drinks: Hot coffee with a splash of heavy cream, sparkling water, and an occasional glass of red wine.
Fun hobbies:
- Going to the beach
- Gardening
- Playing video games with her husband
- Reading (her favorite book is the The Princess Bride by William Goldman)
- Love to organize and label (her mom says she’s a minimalist)
Favorite recipes: Salisbury Steak, Blueberry Muffins, Fresh Fruit Tart
Moises Cruz Lopez
Title: Test Kitchen
Location: Los Angeles, California
How we met: We met at a restaurant in 2004. He was a cook, I was a waitress.
Start date at Culinary Hill: May 2022
Former career: Line cook, independent food purveyor in Mexico
Daily drinks: Agua
Fun facts:
- He comes from a long line of talented cooks in Mexico, and most of the Mexican recipes on this site are from him.
- After working at a diner in Milwaukee for 7 years, he went back to Mexico and started selling fish fries (with a Mexican twist) to the locals.
- Loma Culinaria, our sister site in Spanish, was entirely his idea.
Favorite recipes: Carne Asada, Agua de Horchata, Tapioca Pudding
Gerry Speirs
Title: Photographer Extraordinarie
Location: Long Beach, California
How we met: We met on a press trip for pulses at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California.
Start date at Culinary Hill: September 2017
Former career: Former pastry chef and baker
Favorite movie: So I Married an Axe Murderer
Fun facts:
- Animal lover
- Avid pickleball player and hiker
- Foodie and wine lover
Favorite recipes: Tacos al Pastor, Chicken Tinga, Carne Asada
Karla Walsh
Title: Freelance Lifestyle Writer and Sommelier
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Education: B.A. in Magazine Journalism, B.S. in Kinesiology
How we met: We met at a Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker event in 2016. But we got to know each other much better when I visited BHG to tour their facilities, and Karla showed me around the offices and Des Moines.
Start date at Culinary Hill: January 2019
Favorite TV show: Top Chef
Delightful Hobbies:
- Travel
- Live music
- Board games
- Lifting weights and yoga
- Learning new things
Favorite recipes: Hummus, Puppychow, and Cobb Salad
Where to Start?
If you’re new to Culinary Hill, here are some great places to start.
- The homepage is a celebration of upcoming holidays and occasions. It’s always a good place to discover what’s new!
- Visit the Recipe Index to see all recipes by category or ingredient. Or, see all recipes by date (like an old-fashioned blogroll).
- Check out all our Chipotle Copycat recipes. These are some of the post popular recipes on the site, and with good reason!
- Master some culinary basics like homemade chicken broth, mayonnaise, meat sauce, mustard, marmalade, pesto, spice blends, and salad dressings.
- Sign up for my latest email series and weekly newsletter or daily recipe updates.
- Check out our full collection of Monthly Produce Guides so you can always cook what’s in season.
As Seen In
Questions or comments about a recipe?
If you have questions or feedback about a recipe, the best place to say something is on the post. That way everyone can see and benefit from our interactions. I love answering reader questions!
However, I don’t have any expertise in specialty diets and I’m not a registered dietician. I provide nutrition information within the recipe card, but those are generated by a program and may vary.
For anything else, please email me at hello {at} culinaryhill {dot} com
Culinary Hill and Loma Culinaria are registered trademarks of Meggan Hill.