Wendy Leigh - Tasting Table

Location

Seattle, WA

School

University Of Washington

Expertise

Food News And Events, Culinary Adventures, Cultural Food Connections

Wendy has been a professional journalist and storyteller for more than two decades, specializing in cultural connections to food, travel, and "sense of place."
As an experienced travel journalist, Wendy has covered regional food cultures, restaurants, farming, culinary trends, and the wine industry for magazines, newspapers, and major online publications.
She served as editor, features writer, and photojournalist for the Storied Journeys segment of the Storied Hospitality Group, taking readers on road trips through the history, mystery, food, and culture of America.

Experience

Wendy's work appears in dozens of online and print publications ranging from USA Today to NBCUniversal, Seattle Magazine, King5 News, San Francisco Chronicle, Storied Hotels, and major hospitality brands. While living "on the road" full-time for three years, she churned out features for diverse news outlets while breaking bread with families across the globe. She's gone hands-on with Slow Food cooking lessons on an Umbrian olive farm, harvesting cherries with day laborers in Washington orchards, and cockling/shrimping at dawn in a timeless fishing village outside London. Though making her home in the Pacific Northwest, Wendy identifies strongly with the food, music, and farmlands of her childhood in the Mississippi Delta. She currently lives on a tiny, boat-access-only private island off the coast of Seattle, surrounded by bald eagles, whales, and a whole lot of fresh seafood.

Education

Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Washington, accompanied by a Professional Certification in Photography and Digital Imaging from the UW Extension. She employs this expertise in photojournalism, storytelling, and exploring cultural connections at home or abroad.

Tasting Table Editorial Policies

Tasting Table’s editorial coverage hails from a veteran group of writers and editors with expertise in their respective fields in the food and drink, hospitality, and agriculture industries. Outside experts are also consulted to help deliver factual, up-to-date information and original recipes.

We strive to publish knowledgeable, engaging articles to give readers the information they're looking for, whether that is the news of the day; cooking tips, tricks, and trends; or reviews and recommendations. In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, current, and accurate content, our team is constantly reviewing and updating articles as necessary. Click here for more information on our editorial process.

Stories By Wendy Leigh

Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

Costco On Instacart: Do You Need A Membership To Shop, And How Different Are The Prices?

Instacart can be a very convenient way to get your shopping done without leaving the house, but how much more does it cost to use?
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Restaurants

Restaurants By Wendy Leigh

The Best Chain Restaurant Kids Menu Is A Picky Eater's Paradise

An inviting kids menu can make or break a family dinner outing, and one unexpected casual chain, Legal Sea Foods, has nailed down the ideal options.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Drink

Drink By Wendy Leigh

You're Just 2 Ingredients Away From Making A Starbucks-Inspired Salted Brown Butter Cookie Topping

Starbucks' pistachio drinks have a delightful topping that you might want to add to other drinks. Fortunately, you can make your own version pretty easily.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

Here's What Happened To IncrEdible Eats After Shark Tank

Season 13 of Shark Tank saw Dinesh Tadepalli make a good impression with his IncrEdible Eats edible spoons. Here's what the company's been up to since then.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Restaurants

Restaurants By Wendy Leigh

You Can Order Olive Garden Soups By The Bucket - Here's How

When you're at Olive Garden, you're family, we all know this. But sometimes you want to bring that family-style dining home instead.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

Never Overcook Pasta Again With Help From Barilla's Spotify Playlists

Rather than waiting in silence while your pasta simmers, and potentially overcooking it, there's a Spotify playlist devoted to cooking Barilla pasta.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

This Is The Only Cast Iron You'll Ever Need For Baking Bread

Baking your own bread at home is well within your grasp as long as you follow our expert's advice and avoid the most common bread baking pitfalls.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

Nigella Lawson's Advice For Swapping Oil With Butter In Muffins

As Nigella Lawson notes, if you want to use butter in place of oil when making muffins, you totally can. But there are a few things to keep in mind.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

Ditch The Oven For Homemade Bread - Try This High-Heat Method Instead

While the oven might be the device that comes to mind when you want to bake bread, it's not the only good option. Here's a great alternative.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

The Absolute Best Way To Prepare And Cook Urad Dal

Urad dal is a popular dish in Indian cuisine, and preparing it at home is within your reach as long as you follow our expert-approved advice.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Drink

Drink By Wendy Leigh

Are TikTok's 'Dopamine Drinks' A Real Thing? We Asked An Expert About The Science Behind The Trend

TikTok's "dopamine drink" trend is everywhere, so we spoke to an expert to see if there's any truth to the idea that they can actually boost happiness.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Holidays

Holidays By Wendy Leigh

How Jelly Beans Became An Easter Tradition In The US

Jelly beans have become a fixture of Easter celebrations. However, it wasn't always this way. What connected the candy to this particular holiday?
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cooking Tips

Cooking Tips By Wendy Leigh

The Best Lentil Varieties For Easy, Comforting Homemade Soups

Lentils can be used to make excellent soup, but the different varieties aren't interchangeable. Here are the best options for cooking a comforting dish.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cooking Tips

Cooking Tips By Wendy Leigh

Can You Slow Cook Any Cut Of Beef? We Asked Tyler Florence

Whether you can slow-cook any cut of beef is the question at hand, and we reached out to Tyler Florence to get the celebrity chef's expert opinion.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Restaurants

Restaurants By Wendy Leigh

The 4 Coolest Taco Bell Locations In The US

Taco Bell isn't content to sit back and rest on its laurels. The fast food chain has continued to experiment with different types of restaurants.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Drink

Drink By Wendy Leigh

Here's The Best Quality Chianti Wine You Can Buy

Chianti has a mixed reputation, but there are many different varieties and categories of the Italian red wine. This is the highest quality Chianti you can buy.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

Here's How Costco's Return Policy Stacks Up To Sam's Club

While Costco and Sam's Club have some notable similarities, they certainly aren't identical. The same can be said of the chains' respective return policies.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

The Key Nutritional Info Costco's Food Court Menu Doesn't Give You

Costco largely provides nutritional information for it's food court. However, there's one surprising menu item that's missing some pretty pertinent information.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

How It's Possible For Cheese To Be Lactose-Free

Most people would assume that dairy cheese is a no-go for anyone on a lactose-free diet. But some real cheeses can be eaten; we look at which ones and how.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

The World's Largest Candy Shop Is An M&M's Store (But Not The One You Might Think)

A massive M&M's store somewhere in the world seems to lay claim to being the largest candy store in the world. And no, it's not where you think.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Cook

Cook By Wendy Leigh

Turn Your Frozen Fruit Into A Jammy Breakfast Topping In One Easy Step

Instead of boiling, mashing, nursing, and simmering the fruit as when making compote, this quick alternative requires just frozen fruit and a pan.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

Costco Business Center Vs Costco Wholesale: What's The Difference?

Not all Costco stores were created equally, as there are some notable differences between the familiar Wholesale outlets and the rarer Business Centers.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

The Absolute Best Lindt Lindor Truffle To Indulge In

There are a lot of different Lindt Lindor truffle flavors to choose between, and while many of them are great, we've determined which one is the absolute best.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Drink

Drink By Wendy Leigh

The Sweet, Creamy Spread That Will Transform Your Next Hot Chocolate

This unexpected sweet, velvety cream is the secret ingredient for upgrading your favorite hot chocolate recipe from 'so-so' to 'soooo-good.'
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Coffee and Tea

Coffee and Tea By Wendy Leigh

The 7 Growing Regions Coffee Fanatics Should Know About

Here's what coffee lovers should know about these seven coffee-growing regions, including the type of beans produced, flavor notes, and more.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Food History

Food History By Wendy Leigh

This Famous Savannah Restaurant Transports Diners 250 Years Into The Past

Savannah, Georgia, is a place filled with history. If you want to indulge in the culinary legacy of the area, this restaurant lets you step back in time.
By Wendy Leigh Read More
Grocery

Grocery By Wendy Leigh

The Company Behind Kirkland Signature's Imported French Brie

The Kirkland Signature products found at Costco are usually produced by third-party companies that have been rebranded, but the brands aren't always secret.
By Wendy Leigh Read More

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