Shooting Stars: Young Foodies in the Spotlight

While finishing her degree at a university in Boston, Elissa Bernstein still finds time to update the recipes on her gorgeous blog, 17 and Baking, which features a bevy of inviting photos and fun writing. A little multi-tasking is, we suppose, par for the course for today's college student. Bernstein (now over 17) fell in love with food in her early teens and followed more than 40 food blogs before starting her own. Since its inception, Bernstein's blog has been featured by Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Epicurious, and a number of other foodie outlets. Not bad for a college senior. Bernstein focuses mainly on sweets, from brownies to pies, tarts, fruit desserts, and other treats.

Browse more of Elissa's goodies at 17andbaking.com.

This year, Andy Waugh won London Evening Standard's award for "Top British Street Food" for his new company, "The Wild Game Co." Waugh's company supplies wild venison and game fresh from the Scottish highlands to the London market scene. Growing up in a foodie family (they owned a game food business called Ardgay Game) did not necessarily dictate Waugh's future career plans, but it certainly informed them. Shortly after he graduated university, where he studied biology, Waugh began helping his father with his market needs, doing both glamorous and "unglamorous" duties, like market set-up and bookkeeping. Waugh now sells highly-acclaimed goods at the Whitecross Street Market during the week and at Broadway Market on Saturday.

Check out more at wildgameco.co.uk.

Suffering from celiac disease and a few other health problems in her early teens, young Lauren McMillan decided to take her health into her own hands. She started the gluten-free blog, "The Celiac Teen," at only age 15 and has been writing ever since. Based in Canada, McMillan recently returned from a year abroad that left her inspired and ready to begin university with a refreshed spirit and enthusiasm for food. She blogs less regularly but continues to write when she can. In true foodie form, McMillan celebrated her high school graduation with a recipe for gluten-free banana-chocolate-chip cake.

Find more gooey goodness at celiacteen.com.

This year, Martha Payne, a 9-year-old girl from Scotland, garnered international attention for her blog, "Never Seconds." The blog, which initially set out to document her unappealing school lunches, is a shining example of how blogging can instigate changes for the better. Highlighting the poor quality of her school meals meant facing a little negative push-back from local council members. But Payne persisted and was ultimately awarded a "Best U.K. Food Blog" award from the Observer Food Monthly. In addition to blogging (and working through her 4th grade curriculum), Payne has begun fundraising efforts for organizations like "Mary's Meals," which feeds children who do not receive school lunches at all. We lift our glasses (of juice) to you, young lady!

Follow Martha's efforts at neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk.

What's the weirdest thing you ever ate? Turkey jerky? Squid? Buffalo? That's nothing compared to what Remy Mumby, the wide-eyed, 12-year-old host of Food Oddities, has eaten. Already on season 11 of his series (now on YouTube), Mumby shares his experiences trying food from around the world. In season one he breezed through scorpions, snails, and menudo. In season 11, he tries raw clams, lychee, and poutine. By the time he's 15, what will be left to try? We're scared, but we know he's not!

Check out little Remy doing big things at foododdities.com.

The recipe index page for Kaitlin Flannery's baking blog proves that she is an adept 21-year-old who's organized, deeply passionate about baking, and not afraid of a good challenge. Interspersed with her musings about her time at Michigan State (she will graduate shortly), Flannery shares her achievements in the kitchen. For Flannery, writing, recipes, and baking are all part of the creative process — each serves its purpose in her life.

Follow Flannery's culinary adventures at whisk-kid.com.

While just a high-school student in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Zachary Ware started a food truck to serve the public one of his favorite foods: Street Waffles! As Ware puts it, these are "not your Mamma's waffles." Street Waffles are made from a yeast dough instead of a baking powder batter, and they "have all the fresh ingredients found in a great brioche along with a secret Belgian ingredient." As in Belgium, Ware wanted to make street waffles popular in the U.S. All we have to say is: Pass the powdered sugar!

Check out what's ready to crave at cravetruck.com.

While most kids spends the post-school day hours shooting some hoops, shopping at the mall, or even doing homework, Flynn McGarry just wanted to cook. At age ten he began experimenting with cooking after school, then created dishes inspired by recipes in Thomas Keller's and Grant Achatz's cookbooks. Eventually McGarry started the EUREKA Supper Club. The most recent menu shows a culinary homage to Achatz and Keller. Not bad for an 8th grader, to say the least. We love the genuine nature of his passion and inspiration, and look forward to seeing what becomes of him as he matures.

Learn more about McGarry and EUREKA at diningwithflynn.com.

At age 13, after fighting with his father, who had confiscated his Halloween candy the night before, Nicky Bronner made the brave decision to admit that his father was right: There was too much crap in all of his candy. Father and son set out to change that. With the help of professors and food scientists, their company, UNREAL, was born. Determined to keep those hydrogenated-everythings out of their sweets, this candy brand grew to become a mission, not just an experiment.

Get a taste of the new candy at getunreal.com.