Carmen Varner
Expertise
Vegetarian Cooking, Baking, Fine Dining
- Carmen always seeks out vintage cookbooks at thrift stores even though she doesn't need to add any more to her collection.
- She loves to travel and savor local cuisine such as huitlacoche in Mexico, port wine in Porto, and gelato in Italy.
- As a member of the Yelp Elite Squad in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Carmen enjoys trying new-to-her places, attending foodie events, and writing reviews about her experience.
Experience
Carmen is a food, drink, and travel writer based in San Diego. She has 10+ years of experience and has been published in Chickpea Magazine, Parade Magazine, San Diego Reader, Luxe Beat Magazine, LOCALE Magazine, and more.
Education
Carmen has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in health promotion and disease prevention.
Tasting Table’s editorial coverage hails from a veteran group of writers and editors with expertise in their respective fields in the food and drink, hospitality, and agriculture industries. Outside experts are also consulted to help deliver factual, up-to-date information and original recipes.
We strive to publish knowledgeable, engaging articles to give readers the information they're looking for, whether that is the news of the day; cooking tips, tricks, and trends; or reviews and recommendations. In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, current, and accurate content, our team is constantly reviewing and updating articles as necessary. Click here for more information on our editorial process.
Stories By Carmen Varner
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Cream cheese is more than just a bagel spread. It can be used to add a creamy, slightly tangy element to numerous recipes, from appetizers to desserts.
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Panera Bread is rolling out four new breakfast and all-day sandwich items. We review them to see if they're worth the price.
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Scrambled eggs are a classic dish you can reinvent a million ways, but here's how to season them if you want to have a totally new huevos experience.
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If your store-bought ranch dressing is bland or you simply want to ramp up the taste for a particular meal, here are chef-approved ways to add flavor.
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From enhancing coffee drinks to creating nutrient-rich desserts, we share a few of our favorite creative ways to use frozen bananas in the kitchen.
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Looking for creative ways to enhance your culinary confections? The warm, spicy notes of cinnamon sticks are easily adaptable in drinks, meals, and desserts.
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Here are canned foods to help you upgrade your pasta recipes. These foods add a surprising element to typical pasta meals, and the whole family will love them!
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If you've run out of your favorite bread or you're simply wanting to switch things up, here are some creative ways to eat egg salad without the bread.
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When you're down to the last bit of mustard in your fridge but not quite ready to throw it away, here are 15 ways to use up leftover mustard.
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A jar of store-bought jam can provide fruity flavor to all kinds of meals, but you can upgrade it to the next level with a few simple ingredient additions.
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Molasses makes a dynamic addition to both sweet and savory dishes due to its sweet, bitter, earthy flavor. Here are some creative ways to use this ingredient.
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Don't toss those leftover hot dog buns. Whether fresh, stale, whole, or torn, there's a creative use for unused buns - from mini pizzas to bread pudding.
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It can be used as more than just a squirt on a sandwich. Sriracha has a myriad of uses, from in savory items like peanut butter to sweet ones like Skittles.
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Canned crab meat is a versatile ingredient that's often overlooked and misused. If you want to up your canned seafood game, avoid these common mistakes.
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Love Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce? Love spice? The brand's new Hella Hot sauce is a must-try. We sampled the sauce to report on all the details.
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If you're out of mayonnaise (or just don't like it) and still want to make egg salad, there are plenty of flavorful ways to do so with no mayo.
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Brie cheese can be used for much more than baking and dipping crackers into. Here are some creative ways to use Brie in your cooking and baking at home.
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Don't sleep on canned baby corn, as there are a multitude of ways to incorporate the yellow veggie into your next meal, be it an appetizer, soup, or entrée.
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Costco has just released a banana cream pie, and it has the internet ablaze. We got our hands on one of these giant desserts. Read our review of it here.
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Frozen broccoli can be pretty bland if you just cook it as-is. These are some creative and exciting ways to bring new life into that bag of frozen broccoli.
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You may have seen Japanese soufflé cheesecakes jiggling in viral videos. We review the new Trader Joe's version of this delightfully light confection.
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There's no shortage of popular coffee shops in the San Diego area serving up delicious cups of Joe, but these are the best of the best, according to a local.
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Ice cream sandwiches are a classic childhood treat. But you can make this dessert all the more luxurious with some of these delectable additions.
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As a protein-rich alternative to flour-based crepes, egg crepes are versatile and delicious. We share some of the best ingredients to fill egg crepes.
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Nachos are a delicious meal that you can whip up pretty easily for parties, dates, and family functions. Here are some creative toppings for nachos.
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A wide variety of ordinary ingredients can help you easily upgrade store-bought guacamole with flavorful flair. Guests will think your guac is homemade!
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From common additions like beef stock and root veggies to the more unexpected, there's a wide scope of ingredients that can boost the taste of your pot roast.