Olivia

Raised in Ontario, Canada, my love for cooking did not take a typical route. I was by no means a master in the culinary arts, and my impression of a good university meal was pasta with melted butter (don’t worry I only bought salted). For the longest time I took great measures to avoid cooking with certain ingredients, or meats with fear of time constraints and higher costs. I used to desperately avoid chicken as I was convinced from childhood that it was doomed for dehydration. And although my friends were constantly baffled by the lack of seasoning I used, I couldn’t help but admire the simplicity and affordability of it all. It wasn’t until I began to re-emerge from the depths of my third year in civil engineering, that I discovered Manon and moist chicken. That’s right, I said it. Moist. A type of chicken that in all its raw, pale and wobbly glory, could in fact be delicious. Whether it be with cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, parmesan cheese or rotisserie sauce, it was all fabulous; we just had to turn the oven down (well, almost…). Together, Manon and I overcame our pasta obsessions and we began to explore other food groups besides carbs. We were delighted by our discoveries and intrigued by the challenges of creating meals that tickled our tongues and creativity.