My Personal BackgroundI was born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal. My French-Canadian culinary roots blossomed quickly, and even before I was a teenager, I was already cooking 3-course meals for my family. Mom was always there to encourage me, and that set me on the path to explore the culinary world. It was at that time that Julia Child and Graham Kerr were cooking for us on Saturday afternoons. A decade later, there was an explosion of TV channels dedicated to cooking and food exploration including my personal favorite - Jacques Pepin. Such a massive change in a short period of time. I remember sending my video application for the first season of Food Network Star! I didn’t make the cut, but that didn’t stop me. I can still hear the echo of my friends encouraging me to open a restaurant after the many foodie get-togethers at our home.I was also lucky enough to travel extensively as a young salesperson, which allowed me to sample lots of regional cuisines. Living out of a suitcase got a bit tiring, and ultimately, I shifted my energies to start a home-based catering business with one of my friends. That led to formal training in a culinary program followed by a series of careers in food service. My food sensitivities started to show up as an adult. It is possibly the result of being exposed to decades of unnecessary chemicals in our food, and for me, also being misdiagnosed with a digestive ailment called GERD. After too many years on various medications (esomeprazole, omeprazole, cimetidine) I started to develop digestive problems, joint pain, and inflammation. The medical community responded with the usual prods, pokes, and prescriptions. None of it helped. I started my healing journey after following a more integrated approach that eliminated common food allergens. It turns out that I am sensitive/intolerant to several foods that include dairy, gluten, soy, legumes, and nuts.Armed with a better understanding of my food sensitivities, I have dedicated the last 10 years to food research and recipe development to modify my own diet. Lucky for me, I am a trained chef and a chemist to boot, and that knowledge has helped guide my path to self-healing. I know the foray into the world of food allergens and intolerances can be a daunting task – there’s so much information out there, but no easy way to make sense of all of it. I am here to share what I have learned, and to support you on your journey.