A. C. Grimes

• Andre currently works as an editor for Mashed.
• During travels abroad, he has made a point of trying famous foods in famous cities. He's had haggis in Edinburgh, Wiener schnitzel in Vienna, and Neapolitan pizza in Naples, to name a few.
• He once had breakfast with World Food Prize recipient, World Food Program co-founder, and former presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Experience

Andre began contributing to Mashed as a writer in 2020. Combining his taste for wordplay and his academically honed research skills, he showed he can quip about Quarter Pounders, explore the historical appeal of bananas, and tell you why apple pie isn't very American after all. He has treated words like his personal playground since childhood and earned acknowledgments big and small along the way. Whether he was being asked to present a 70-page handwritten story to adults in elementary school or winning a statewide award for historical writing and research in high school, he has found ways to stand out with his writing. Andre spent nearly a decade as a freelance writer. That journey began at Cracked.com, where he crafted articles that sometimes amassed millions of views.

Education

Andre has a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious studies from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in cognition and culture from Queen's University Belfast. His studies helped him develop a critical eye and an ability to view food as a vessel for cultural and symbolic expression.