Meet the Taste of Home Test Kitchen Team

Taste of Home recipes may begin with home cooks, but our team of culinary experts tests and perfects every single one before publication to make sure they can be called Test Kitchen Approved.

From our food editor who reviews thousands of recipe submissions each year, to prep cooks and recipe testers who make every recipe at least twice, to the food stylists who make sure everything looks as good as it tastes, our culinary team works hard behind the scenes.

Here’s a look at the people who make Taste of Home recipes come alive.

Our Test Kitchen Team

Sarah Farmer

Executive Culinary Director

Sarah Farmer is the heart of the Taste of Home Test Kitchen. On top of leading the culinary team, she develops, tests and food styles recipes, balances budgets, connects with vendors and oversees the product testing process for pantry foods and cooking gear. You might spot her in our videos on social media and TV, gushing about the latest food trends or must-have kitchen gadgets.  

Sarah joined Taste of Home in 2004 as a food stylist. She’s still head over heels for her job, and loves spending every day surrounded by people who share her enthusiasm for food, cooking and the Taste of Home community. Sarah and her husband live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Areas of Expertise: Cake and cookie decorating, air fryers, small appliances and cooking gadgets, food and cooking trends

Favorite Recipe: The Best Ever Chili and Big & Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies. “My beloved, low-tech, three-ring binder holds more than 17 years’ worth of my favorite Taste of Home recipes. It’s stained, wrinkled and worn, but deeply cherished,” Sarah says. 

Margaret Knoebel

Associate Recipe Editor/Tester

Maggie Knoebel develops, tests and prepares recipes for Taste of Home’s photo and video studios. She’s an alumna of the Culinary Institute of America, where she earned two degrees in baking and pastry arts. When she’s not making new recipes, you can find Maggie reading or hanging out with her goldendoodle, Annie.

Areas of Expertise: Yeast dough, bread baking, cake and cookie decorating

Favorite Recipe: Best Vanilla Buttercream

Josh Rink

Culinary Producer

Josh Rink spends his workdays food styling, shooting recipes and starring in cooking videos. While pursuing an education in fine arts, he worked as a barista, baker and caterer. When he’s not in the kitchen at work, Josh is in the kitchen at home, cooking (and eating!) with friends and family.

Areas of Expertise: Bread baking, pie pastry, cake and cookie decorating, turkey cookery and styling, cocktails

Favorite Recipe: The Best Pizza Dough

Ellie Crowley

Associate Culinary Producer

Ellie Crowley styles and photographs our high-performing recipes. With more than 11 years of experience as a high school Culinary Arts instructor, Ellie brings her expertise in cooking, recipe development and organization to her fellow foodies on the team. When she’s not cooking new recipes, you can find Ellie hiking with her dog, Hank, or exploring vintage stores and new restaurants with her husband, Blake.

Areas of Expertise: Knife skills, regional and international cuisine, soups, stocks and sauces, yeast doughs, bread baking and cocktails

Favorite Recipes: Slow-Cooker Carnitas washed down with Fresh Lime Margaritas

Catherine Ward

Prep Kitchen Manager

A lifelong foodie, Catherine Ward heads up the Taste of Home prep kitchen. She also lends her expertise for articles about cooking and baking techniques, as well as kitchen tools. Catherine has worked in the hospitality industry for most of her career, catering and teaching cooking classes. She is happiest when she’s cooking for a table full of friends and family.

Areas of Expertise: Grilling and smoking, bread baking, pie pastry, canning

Favorite Recipe: That Good Salad

Mark Neufang

Culinary Assistant

Mark Neufang spends his days baking and cooking in the Taste of Home prep kitchen. A lifelong baker, he has tested recipes for Baked, Food52 and The Vanilla Bean Blog, and formerly ran his own business, Neufangled Desserts. Outside of the kitchen, Mark enjoys reading, eating chocolate, watching classic films, traveling with his partner Jake, and directing and acting in local stage productions

Areas of Expertise: Cake and cookie decorating, pie pastry and cocktails

Favorite Recipe: Mocha Cinamon Rolls

Suzanne Williams

Dishwasher

When asked how she’s doing, Suzanne always answers: “Fabulous!” She’s been working with Taste of Home for several years through the Milwaukee Center for Independence, which offers programs and services for adults with disabilities and special needs. Suzanne does so much more for the Test Kitchen team than keep dishes clean and organized—she makes everyone smile!