Janet Mendel Twitter Location: Andalucia, Spain American-born Janet Mendel is a freelance journalist who has been living in Spain for four decades. She writes about food and travel for various publications around the world. Mendel has published numerous cookbooks focused on the regional cuisines of Spain, including "Traditional Spanish Cooking" (1997), which won the prestigious André Simon Award. Experience Before she became an expert on Spanish cuisine, Janet Mendel was a midwesterner who grew up in the "land of corn and soybeans" and worked as a reporter in Chicago. She initially planned on spending a year or two traveling abroad but fell in love with Spain and never left. Mendel first learned Spanish cooking in village tapas bars. She collected recipes from her Spanish neighbors and talked to restaurant chefs about cooking. Mendel eventually convinced the editor of a locally published English-language magazine to give her a food column where she offered how-to tips on cooking techniques, recipes, where to find seasonal regional specialties, and what wines to drink with meals. The articles formed the basis of her first cookbook "Cooking in Spain" (1987). Mendel went on to write several more cookbooks, including "My Kitchen in Spain" (2002) and "Tapas: A Bite of Spain" (2008). When she is not writing about Spanish cuisine, Mendel teaches cooking classes from her home in southern Spain. Education Janet has a degree in journalism. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.