MadisonMayberry

Fancy shmancy: despite her professional eye and sophisticated palate, this cook's anything but. MadisonMayberry, an Iowa-born 22-year-old food editor for the Meredith Corporation, is in the biz, which means she's not messing around with false frills. Her food showcases the best of simple or, as she puts it, "easy to prepare, delicious, and mostly healthy -- minus the desserts." And hey, we can't fault her for that.

Blink twice at her photographs (did we take that?), and hear your tummy rumble to her recipes, many of which contain inspired twists on classic preparations. She's even a recently converted vegetarian (much to her boyfriend's chagrin -- ain't it always that way) which does not preclude her, however, from having a flat out appealing recipe for Fuss-Free Damn Good Meatballs. MadisonMayberry also has one eye on trend, hence the cupcake craze she's got going: Peach Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured above) and Strongbow Hard Cider Cupcakes galore. In short, behold a cook who knows a good old vitamin-rich salad (Broccoli-Raisin! Eat your greens people!) and the beauty of a Homemade Pop Tart.

Read her profile Q&A below, see her blog, and follow her on Twitter.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  beef heart at a Brazilian restaurant 
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• What do you cook when home alone?
  homemade nut butters, whole wheat bread, and lots of roasted veggie dishes 
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• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  my food processor 
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• Your ideal meal:
  something shared with those I love 
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• Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
  I would love to have the budget to cook with truffles. 
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• The number of bottles of wine you own:
  5
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• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  6-8, enough to keep it intimate but still make for lively conversation 
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• Kitchen pet peeve:
  When people use the phrase "fancy restaurant" 
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• Your favorite cookbook:
  Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
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