Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
School
University Of Kansas
Expertise
Culinary News, Baking, Sweets
- Nikki named her baking business after her great-great-grandmother.
- She baked pies for her own wedding.
- After her wedding, she spent two months traveling around her husband's home country of Kenya, meeting her in-laws and exploring the local cuisine.
Experience
Nikki has worked as a writer and editor for more than a decade. She previously worked for four daily newspapers in Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota. While in Kansas, she regularly published a baking column that combined her love of writing and sweets. She took a break from journalism to go to culinary school and start her own baking business. Now that she's back in journalism, she mainly bakes for fun, including pies for her own wedding. Although, to be honest, her go-to remains a bag of M&Ms. She recently spent two months traveling around her husband's home county of Kenya, meeting her in-laws and exploring the local cuisine.
Education
Nikki has a journalism degree from the University of Kansas and a pastry chef certification from Johnson County Community College in Kansas.
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.
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Stories By Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
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Rhubarb can bring a tasty flavor to many dishes, including as a popular addition to certain pies. Here is what you will need in order to peel your next rhubarb.
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Firmness and size matter when selecting the nutrition-rich Brussels sprout, which has edged up in popularity as cooks learn the best ways to prepare the veggie.
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Ramen noodles is a dish that has a long (and somewhat complicated) history. Not only did it leave its mark around the world but also in outer space.
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Unlike traditional juice boxes, Squeezits came in a plastic bottle that didn't require a straw -- only a squeeze. Whatever happened to the signature bottles?
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One item you might not associated with vacuum packing is canned goods. So if a can is labeled vacuum packed, what does that mean?
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Striped bass is regarded as a healthy protein for your diet. Here is what you need to know about the differences between wild and farmed striped bass.
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Undercooking your dinner may seem like a bad idea, but some experts actually recommend slightly undercooking foods when they're made on the grill.
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Bacon is one of the most popular proteins in the average American diet. Here's a tip on how to cook bacon without it sticking to your cast iron skillet!
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Unlike bananas, pineapples don't continue to ripen when sitting out on the counter. This means the taste deteriorates the longer it sits.
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The stainless-steel inner pot of your Instant Pot can be put as is in the dishwasher. But what about the lid and its parts?
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Swedes traditionally take a coffee and cake break called a fika. Some even call it a national institution. So what makes fika so important to Swedish culture?
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If you're thinking about trying to elevate your grilled cheese with a fancy bread, you might think twice about it and here's why.
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Despite the convenience, not everything can be put in the dishwasher. There are some items that require the extra time to hand wash.
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The dessert known as water pie has an intriguing history, as it was born out of the Great Depression.
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For most fruits and vegetables, the best way to keep them fresh is in the fridge. But you might want to rethink that strategy for watermelon, and here's why.
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Pecan pie is so beloved by the Lone Star state that it was even named the official state pie in 2013. But how did the treat become so popular in Texas?
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As the refrigerator is used to keep a lot of things fresh, you might think it's the best place to store your coffee, but is this actually the case?
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Part of the slow cooker's appeal is saving time by adding all your ingredients at once, but are you missing a key step with your meat?
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You might not think it's that big of a deal to drain the fat off your cooked ground beef over the kitchen sink, but this would be a big mistake.
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You can use collected rainwater for almost everything you would use tap water for, like watering the lawn or washing clothing, but is it safe for cooking?
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The flavor combinations might be endless, but their shelf life sadly isn't. Here's how to keep cupcakes fresh and enjoy them beyond the day they were baked.
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When it comes to frosting, consistency is key. Nothing is more frustrating when decorating a cake than frosting that it too runny. So what can you do to fix it?
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When it comes to pastries, it's hard to top a warm, buttery croissant from your local bakery, but unfortunately fresh-from-the-oven isn't always an option.
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Sometimes a greenish color can indicate the presence of mold, and green is also associated with unripe foods. So which is it for the green grains?
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While everyone knows about the expiration date, near it is another number on your carton of milk which is the key to finding out exactly where it came from.