Marian Blazes lived in South America for several years. Inspired by the rich local cuisine, Marian attended cooking school at the Cordon Bleu Peru in Lima and received a degree in Pastry Arts. She has been a food writer since 2008, covering South American food for About.com. Marian translated Edible Structures: The Basic Science of What We Eat by Chilean author Jose Miguel Aguilera, which was selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2013. She lives in Bethesda, MD.