Monika Sudakov
School
Chapman University, University Of Nevada Las Vegas
Expertise
Culinary Education, Food History, Food Anthropology
- In 2015, Monika became a Certified Culinary Professional with the International Association of Culinary Professionals
- She was the innkeeper and chef of an award-winning bed and breakfast featuring gourmet cuisine for 18 years.
- Her master's thesis entitled "Moroccan Tea Ritual: Religion, Gender, Socio-Economics and Hospitality" was published by Lambert Academic Press in 2010.
Experience
Monika has worked in the culinary field since 2005 as a chef, cooking instructor, and cookbook author. She began her career as a writer with regular contributions to the mental health website The Mighty, in 2016. Over the years she has written on topics related to chronic illness, trauma, cooking for dietary restrictions, and hospitality. In 2022, she fused her experience as a culinary professional with her research in food and culture and her acumen as a writer by joining the team at Daily Meal.
Education
Monika has a bachelor's degree in French, a BFA in media performance, and a master's in cultural anthropology.
The Daily Meal’s content comes from an authoritative editorial staff that is dedicated to current and comprehensive coverage. With an aim to provide only informative and engaging content, our writers, editors, and experts take care to craft clear and concise copy on all things food-related, from news in the food service industry to in-depth explainers about what’s found in readers’ refrigerators, original recipes from experienced chefs, and more.
Our team also regularly reviews and updates articles as necessary to ensure they are accurate. For more information on our editorial process, view our full policies page.
Stories By Monika Sudakov
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While some steaks at Costco are must-haves due to their price or cut, others can be tricky or even dangerous to cook at home. Our resident chef weighs in.
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When making apple pies, canned filling is an easy shortcut, but faster doesn't need to mean bland. Here are some easy tricks for delicious pies.
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From beverages and sweet treats to snacks and condiments, the options for Advent calendars are endless. Here are some of the tastiest for foodies this year.
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From the type of beans to use, to whether or not they should be soaked, we'll help you demystify these luscious legumes so your next batch is a star.
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We sampled a variety of store-bought apple ciders to determine which ones are worth including in your family traditions and which ones are better to skip.
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If plain peanut butter sounds boring, you’re in luck, as there are numerous flavored varieties available now. We tried 18 of them to give you the full scoop.
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From storage to reheating to using Thanksgiving leftovers creatively, here's what you need to know to stay safe and well-fed for days after the big meal.
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Using boxed stuffing this Thanksgiving will be less stressful than making it from scratch, but you can still give it a homemade feel with these tricks.
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From its healthy selection of USDA prime beef to its vast meat department, this chain excels at providing quality and value. That said, there are some caveats.
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Our resident chef marinated hard-boiled eggs in beet juice, olive brine, and more to see how they taste. The results were nothing short of delicious.
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Jimmy John's has released their brand new Smoked Cheddar Bourbon Club sandwich -- it's loaded with yummy ingredients, but things can get a bit messy!
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This air fryer not only uses infrared technology to speed up the cooking process, it has seven cooking programs. We tested them all and here are the results.
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We took one for the team and tasted a variety of chocolate desserts from Costco to find out which one is the best of the best. Did your favorite make the list?
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To start the day with a breakfast sandwich, you can pick one up from Starbucks or buy frozen ones from Costco. We reviewed both of these, to see which is best.
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Want to wow your holiday guests with a flawless pumpkin pie? Our experienced expert has 14 tips for achieving spicy, sweet, pumpkin-y perfection.
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Coconut water has a naturally nutty and slightly sweet taste that lends itself to many culinary uses, including breakfast and dinner dishes and cocktails.
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The skyrocketing price of chocolate is an effect of troubles in the cocoa industry. Here's why this happened and how it affects you and the candies you love.
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From the inclusion of atypical ingredients to the use of interesting methods, we sought out and baked recipes that differ from the classic to find the best one.
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We chatted with Renzo to learn his secrets for great fried chicken. His advice isn't complicated or fussy, and you don't need pricey ingredients or equipment.
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We tasted Annie’s new cheesier Shells & White Cheddar to see how it compares to the brand’s classic version of shells and cheese. Here are all the details.
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Want to flip your eggs perfectly? Then you need to avoid these mistakes our expert has identified over the course of a long and egg-filled career.
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Stouffer's new mac & cheese is designed to go head-to-head against Velveeta's Shells & Cheese. We tried both brands to find out how they really compare.
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It's easy to feel spoiled for choice, with all the varieties of hard iced tea available. We tried several of the most popular to see which was best.
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From their purported role in casting spells to the idea they can't be used in desserts, this fruit has had a complicated road. Here's the truth about tomatoes.
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Ceviche isn't difficult to make, as long as you know how. If you've ever noticed that restaurants make it taste so much better than homemade, here's how.
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From bacon to chicken to brownies, we cooked 11 foods in both an air fryer and oven to find out which appliance produces the best results. And we were shocked.
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From the type of eggs used to how they’re mixed to ingredients added, our resident chef explains why restaurants have the most velvety and delectable scrambles.