Ellen Kanner is the Edgy Veggie, a syndicated columnist and a contributor to Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Eating Well, Vegetarian Times, More, the Miami Herald and regional publications across the country including Pebble Beach and Palm Beach Illustrated.
A food and nutrition writer for ten years and a vegetarian since the age of 13, Ms. Kanner serves on the board of Slow Food Miami. With James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, she teaches cooking and nutrition basics to underpriviledged Miami school kids through the national nonprofit organization Common Threads. It bears out her belief that creating an awareness of the vital connection between what we eat and where it come from can change the world.
Ms. Kanner also worked to implement HOPS (Healther Options in Public Schools) in Miami-Dade Public Schools, the nation’s fourth largest school district. Funded by South Beach Diet Dr. Arthur Agatston, HOPS educates students and parents about nutrition, enables school lunchrooms to make healthful menu changes and providing kids a hands-on understanding of where food comes from by creating school organic vegetable gardens.
Ms. Kanner has profiled, cooked with and been inspired by other renowned chefs and cookbook authors including Michael Schwartz, Paula Wolfert, John Ash and Lydia Bastianich. Her own cooking awards include the Kikkoman Gold Prize.
She served as contributing editor at Pages and her work appears in anthologies including Writers Ask, Writing for your Life and The Luxury of Tears. She received an Individual Arts Grant in Literature from the State of Florida, and is the author of The Last Refuge, a finalist for the Doris Bakwin Prize.
Ms. Kanner earned a Bachelor of Arts in writing and philosophy from Bennington College. She was green before it was hot, back when it was only embarrassing. Her Obama victory garden is bearing tomatoes, chilis and collards. A fourth-generation Floridian, she lives la vida vegan in Miami. More at her website www.ellen-ink.com and her blog edgyveggie1@blogspot.com.