Wendy Hector
School
CSU Northridge, Bath Spa University
Expertise
Home Cooking Techniques, Spirits & Craft Cocktails, Italian Wine
- Wendy is an experienced home cook and an unabashed lover of garlic, so much so that she was once a finalist in the Gilroy Garlic Festival recipe competition
- She holds a Diploma in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and is a certified specialist in Italian wines and Sherry.
- An avid traveler, her goal is to eventually visit and experience the cuisine and wine of every region in Italy.
Experience
Wendy is a freelance writer focused on the world of food and beverage. Based in California, she has covered the Bay Area dining scene for platforms including Eater SF and the San Francisco Examiner. Wendy has worked on both sides of the restaurant industry, as a bar program director and sommelier, and as restaurant critic focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area. A lover of all things potable, she holds multiple wine certifications and spent years of her career creating custom cocktails.
Education
Wendy earned both a B.A. and M.A. in creative writing, focusing on literary fiction. After years of working in restaurants, she decided to blend these two interests and pursue a career in food writing.
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 Wendy Hector
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Wondering which of McCormick's seasoning blends you should reach for on your next steak night? We were curious, too, so we decided to put them to the test.
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Canned sardines are an economical and nutritious addition to any diet, but you don't have to eat them straight from the can. Here are 14 ways to upgrade them.
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From clam chowder to beef barley, we tasted 14 Progresso soups to let you know which options are worth your money and which you should leave on the shelf.
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There's more than one way to cook a hot dog. Actually a lot more! We tried several different techniques and ranked them all from worst to best.
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To help you choose between all of the many soy sauce varieties on sale at the store, here's our taste test and ranking of several common brands.
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Starbucks Refreshers are fruity and thirst-quenching. Here's our review of their latest offering, with its taste sensation of sage and blackberry.
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Jalapeño poppers are a classic snack, and they're easily bought pre-made and frozen to enjoy at home. Here's our ranking of a few popular brands.
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It's hard not to be tempted by the simplicity and affordability of Trader Joe's frozen pastas, but are they actually any good? We tried several of them to find.
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If you're looking for a tasty hot dog, both Costco and Five Guys offer good options. But if you have to choose, here's our side-by-side comparison.
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It's easy to feel spoilt for choice with all of the barbecue seasonings available out there. If you're unsure which to buy, here's our favorite.
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Trader Joe's has an impressively big selection of frozen pizzas on sale, so we tried and ranked 12 of them to see which ones are the best to buy.
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Canned coffee is a quick and easy pick-me-up on the go, but it's easy to be overwhelmed by the selection. Here's our ranking of the best options.
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As you plan your 2025 grocery budget, be sure to take into account that these foods and drinks might end up costing you more next year due to tariffs.
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Because of its greatness, rarity, and time and effort to make, Champagne tends to be quite costly. However, there are still some great deals out there.
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Cocktails are stronger than wine or beer, so you'll need to be more careful when pairing them with steak. Certain liquors and flavors will clash with your meal.
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Fruitcakes are often referred to as what you'd give someone you're not particularly fond of. So of course, many fruitcakes could use an upgrade or two.
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Costco's whisky selection is well-curated and offers bottles that are hard to find at traditional liquor stores. But are the prices worth making a special trip?
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Dolly is not only known for singing, but she's penned a cookbook and has various food lines as well. So how does her new wine fare? We took a sip to find out.
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We tasted the newest, limited edition fall flavors from Simply Spiked to find out if they would get us into the spirit of the season. Here's the verdict.
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There are wildly different pumpkin beers available, so we tasted 12 and ranked them based on flavor and how successfully pumpkin is integrated into the brew.
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Costco's pumpkin pie is a fan favorite and many people wait for its arrival in stores each year. We bought one to review, to see how it fares.
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If your usual cocktails have become a bit boring, and you're looking to branch out to more adventurous libations but don't know where to begin, start here.
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As a fan of tequila-based cocktails and spicy drinks, I enjoyed Devil's Reserve, realizing that it could be a shortcut to making some fabulous drinks.
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From draft beer to colorful cocktails, bars serve all kinds of drinks, but some can be more trouble than they're worth. Here are a few to reconsider ordering.
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Cocktails were all the rage in the 1960s, but many of them fell out of style. Now, cocktail bars are bringing some of them back with a few modern twists.
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From adding an ingredient or two to switching up the cooking method, it doesn't take much to elevate the humble onion ring and raise it to gourmet status.
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From using the proper tools to selecting the right ice, there are plenty of reasons cocktails are better from a bar. Our resident mixologist explains them all.