Photo by http://www.stevencoutts.com

Hello and welcome!

I’m a Vancouver-based food blogger and kitchen advocate. My greatest mission is to help first time cooks gain kitchen survival skills. I take a practical approach to cooking, providing many variations and substitutions to my recipes to suit different diets and pantry stocks. In February 2011, I got involved with an amazing cooking initiative called Start From Scratch, where we teach university students to cook…for free!

My lifelong love of food has been fostered by many chefs, most notably my grandmother. When I was young, we would make typical Eastern European fare like cabbage rolls, perogies and homemade cottage cheese, among other meat-and-potato-based meals. Nowadays, I prefer simple recipes made with whole foods that are good for the body, mind and soul.

Born and raised in Calgary, I received my Bachelor of Interior Design from Mount Royal University. After a 4-year jaunt in Toronto design world, I decided to pursue other interests that would lead to a healthier lifestyle.

I’m a retired Interior Designer, an alumna of George Brown College in Toronto and the Cooking School of Grandma, and a registered yoga teacher. I’ve recently completed a 70-hour Ayurvedic Studies program and am currently completing my Diploma of Holistic Nutrition (Summer 2013).

I have an affinity for pie, earl grey tea, boardgames, dinner parties and mucking about in the vegetable garden. Here’s to your endless culinary creativity!

Happy cooking,

Jacinthe

P.S. You can get in touch with me by email at jacinthe(at)foodwithpresence(dot)com or follow me on Twitter: @jacinthekoddo