Lineup of weekly celebrity cooking columns is expanded by AP

An expanded lineup of weekly cooking columns and food experts will be introduced by The Associated Press in the first week of September. 

Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian will join AP's team of kitchen authorities, taking over "The Healthy Plate," a weekly column aimed at helping home cooks discover the healthier side of everyday ingredients. 

Sara Moulton, who has written "The Healthy Plate" for nearly two years, will launch "KitchenWise," a weekly column that will use delicious recipes to teach basic cooking skills every home cook will want to master. 

D'Arabian's arrival and Moulton's "KitchenWise" will enrich an AP menu that also includes Elizabeth Karmel's "The American Table," which celebrates the diversity of simple home cooking, with a special focus on Southern cuisine and barbecue. 

In addition, AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch will continue to cook up "Cooking on Deadline," featuring easy, weeknight-friendly meals to help busy families get dinner on the table fast without sacrificing flavor. 

"I am thrilled with our new lineup of food columns," Hirsch said. "Sara Moulton has spent more than three decades teaching home cooks to work the kitchen like a pro. Now she'll distill those lessons into a weekly column that will help us all feel more confident at the stove. And Melissa d'Arabian's ingredient-driven approach to eating healthier without busting the budget is exactly the sort of news-you-can-use Americans want. Add in Elizabeth Karmel's 'The American Table' – an ode to all things Southern and grilled – and we have an amazing buffet for AP's subscribers and readers." 

D'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. Her newest projects include developing and hosting the FoodNetwork.com series, "The Picky Eaters Project" and serving as a judge on the Food Network competition series "Guy's Grocery Games." Well-known for her "Ten Dollar Dinners" TV show and best-selling cookbook, she's also the author of the upcoming cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." 

Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals" and has written three cookbooks, including "Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners." 

Karmel is a grilling and Southern foods expert and executive chef at Hill Country Barbecue Market restaurants in New York and Washington, as well as Hill Country Chicken in New York. She is the author of three cookbooks, including "Pizza on the Grill." 

Besides serving as AP's food editor, Hirsch is the author of three cookbooks, including "Beating the Lunch Box Blues." He blogs at http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch. 

To find out how to subscribe to AP's food coverage, please contact Brian Scanlon at bscanlon@ap.org.