the players

Nancy Duran

I am a qualified chef, food editor, and recipe developer. Trained at the Cordon Bleu in Sydney, Australia, I began my food career in the kitchen of the critically acclaimed restaurant, Rockpool, working under the tutelage of the internationally famed chef Neil Perry.

Upon leaving Rockpool, I entered the food publishing industry, joining the test kitchen of the venerable Australian Womens’ Weekly. At the Weekly, I was part of a team of 8 working on such cookbooks as Low-Fat Low Carb, Fresh Food for Babies and Toddlers, Party Food + Drink and Cakes, Biscuits and Slices. Moving on from my test kitchen work, I joined the team of delicious. magazine as Assistant Food Editor. There my duties included the writing of a regular column entitled Real Fast Food, offering quick, healthy ways to feed the family.

I now work as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. Working under the Australian Womens’ Weekly brand, I published two cookbooks of my recipes, Café Favourites and Cooking from the Pantry. Now back in my native United States, I freelance as a recipe developer and editor both in the editorial and advertising industries. Project work includes developing recipes in the Food Network kitchens and working as a ghostwriter for celebrity chefs. Most recently, I have been working on a number of Deen family books, including Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible and Bobby Deen’s From Mama’s Table to Mine. My most recent publication is Bobby Deen’s Everyday Eats, available in book stores now.

Jeanne McLaurin MS, MEd, RDN

Nutritional information found on our blog is provided by Jeanne McLaurin, our resident registered dietitian nutritionist. Jeanne  holds two Masters Degrees in Nutrition from Columbia University, an MS in Applied Physiology and Nutrition and an MEd in community nutrition education.  Additionally, Jeanne has earned her certification as a health and fitness instructor from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Previously Jeanne held the position of endocrine dietitian at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.  She has spent the past few years volunteering as a guest lecturer in the Tarrytown Public Schools and is currently building a private nutrition practice.