Rachel Levin knew she wanted to be a writer ever since her gold-star essay on macaroni and cheese was taped up in the window of her fourth grade classroom as an exemplar to all the other kids. Call it her first stab at food writing.

Today, Rachel is a frequent contributor to numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, and writes about her passions — food and dining among them. In addition to culinary craft, Rachel also covers dance and performing arts, international travel, Los Angeles subculture, and nutrition/health. She’s currently the senior writer for The Purple Passport, a taste-making online travel guide. (She’s also part of the travel blogging ranks of the Diary of The Purple Passport – subscribe to follow her dispatches from Los Angeles!)

Rachel is a graduate of Stanford University and completed her MFA in creative nonfiction writing at the University of Southern California’s Master of Professional Writing program. She specializes in telling true stories using creative techniques — ’cause real life is so much more strange and wonderful than anything we could ever make up — and is drawn to tales of cross-cultural exchanges. With her own book projects in the works, she’s also a consultant to those seeking to craft their personal narratives.

Rachel has taught writing courses at numerous colleges in Southern California. She’s currently an adjunct faculty member in the English Department at Los Angeles City College and a National Writing Project Fellow.

Health-conscious and hip-hop-loving, Rachel is an avid dancer and home cook. She grew up in Orange County, CA, but has been a resident of Los Angeles for over a decade. She’s still under the spell of the city’s purple-blossomed jacaranda trees, electric Santa Ana winds, and pulsing clave rhythms.