A 2003 graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, Vanessa was an associate food editor at Ladies Home Journal and has developed recipes for Blue Dot Living, Ladies Home Journal, Real Simple, All You, Health, Cooking Light, and Hannaford's Fresh among others. She has also worked as a food stylist for television, video, editorial and books, including Procrastibaking, Real Maine Food, the Apple Cookbook, and Berries, as well as for national brands such as Al Fresco, Perdue, Barney Butter, Ninja Kitchen, and Coleman's. She was a long-time culinary instructor at the Stonewall Kitchen Headquarters in York, Maine. Her cookbooks include Warm Your Bones and Eat Cool, which received positive reviews from the New York Times, Vogue.com, and Parade magazine. Additionally, her first book, Secret Sauces, has been translated to Spanish, Italian, and Russian. Vanessa has appeared on television (Hallmark Channel's Home and Family), radio/podcasts (All of It on WNYC; Food Schmooze with Faith Middleton on NPR) and virtual cookbook events (Cookbooks with Virginia with Virginia Willis) among others. Vanessa also holds a micro degree in horticulture.

She lives with her family in Portland, Maine. She can be found online at vanessaseder.com and Instagram @vanessa_seder_eats.