In addition to a bachelor's degree in journalism from New York University, she holds a degree in professional cooking and baking. In 2002 she was awarded the International Foodservice Editorial Council's scholarship for food writing. She has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including "The Wall Street Journal Europe," " The Wall Street Journal," " Gastronomica," and "The Washington Post." She contributed to the first edition of a Bradt guide to Hungary (2005) and the 2006 update of "Frommer's Budapest and the Best of Hungary."