Laura Manzano

Laura Manzano
Business: Laura Manzano
Location: Brooklyn, NY
  • Food journey started with working at her father's 160-seat restaurant in Florida.
  • Professional editorial and commercial food stylist (4+ years)
  • Professional recipe developer and recipe tester (6+ years)


Experience

Laura grew up in the restaurant industry - her father is a chef and restaurant owner in Florida, so she was working the line of his 160-seat restaurant from the time she was thirteen (her first shift was a Friday night in peak season - literal baptism by fire). She studied writing and film at The College of William and Mary in Virginia, and moved to New York immediately afterward to attend NYU's Summer Publishing Institute.

She quickly found herself back in food again, working for iconic NY-based pizza chain Two Boots (another family-owned business!), in their East Village headquarters. Soon after, she joined meal kit Marley Spoon, right on the brink of launching their partnership with Martha Stewart. There, she managed the test kitchen, produced photoshoots, styled food and props, and tested recipes. After a few years there, she left to work at an agriturismo in Tuscany for a few months and returned to New York to begin a career that keeps her excited about and engaged with food every single day.

Currently, Laura styles food for photography and video, develops and tests recipes for various publications and cookbook authors, and writes about food and cooking, both for work and for fun. In her free time, she cooks for herself nearly every day because she really does love it that much.

Favorite food: "All sandwiches!"

About Simply Recipes

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Read More from Laura Manzano

Tray of 2-Ingredient Ice Cream Sandwiches at a Table With Decorative Single Use Napkins
2-Ingredient Ice Cream Sandwiches
10 mins
Cheesy Pull with Hawaiian Roll Sliders with Meat Sauce and Parm
Hawaiian Roll Sliders with Meat Sauce and Parm
40 mins
Serving of chicken a la king on a plate with rice and a biscuit at a table setting with another serving on a plate, a bowl of biscuits, glasses of wine, and table napkins
Chicken à la King
40 mins
Bowl of Shrimp Butter with a Cheese Knife, Sitting on a Platter of Crackers at a Table Setting with a Glass of Wine, Stack of Plates, and a Kitchen Linen
Shrimp Butter
45 mins
Pot of Easy Beef Stew with a Wooden Spatula, a Small Bowl of Parsley, a Sprig of Thyme, and a Kitchen Towel
Easy Beef Stew
2 hrs
Glassful of Cantaloupe Smoothie With a Slice of Cantaloupe on the Glass Rim, and in the Surroundings, a Bowl of Cantaloupe and Slices of Bananas and a Whole Banana on the Counter
This 1-Ingredient Upgrade Makes Smoothies Tastes Better (It’s Already in Your Pantry)
French Onion Meatballs in a Pan at a Table Setting With Toasted Baguette Slices on a Wooden Platter and a Spoon on the Counter, All on a White Table Cloth
French Onion Meatballs
85 mins
Serving of Welsh rarebit on plate with a side salad at a table with another serving on a plate and more welsh rarebit on a cutting board
Welsh Rarebit
15 mins