Christine Van Arsdalen

Christine is a born-and-raised Jersey Girl, native to central and coastal NJ. As the author of the blog the Dexterous Diner, Christine chronicles her efforts as she indulges her foodie side on her very small budget which she likes to call “champagne dining on a beer budget.” She grew up being yelled at by an old Italian woman in the kitchen who was, surprisingly, not her mother. Her love of food grew from a combination of cooking in a restaurant and fond memories of creating scrumptious meals from scratch with her father. Today, she travels around the state of New Jersey and beyond searching for new twists on her old favorites: foods that bring you back to your childhood in a modern and sophisticated way. She loves unexpected and creative combinations, both in the food she eats and cooks. Though her palate has become more refined, she is still excited by a grilled cheese sandwich; that, and a great cup of coffee