Jodi MacKinnon (QFG) [MACJOD]

PASSIONS:

My passions include my friends and family and creating lasting memories. Experiencing new restaurants and sharing a good meal with friends and family is an ideal way to spend time together. One of my favorite pastimes is cooking and baking. I love the whole experience. Cooking is an art form but it is also an adventure in experimentation to create something tasty. I love experimenting with different ingredients and new creations. Taking raw ingredients and turning them into something that is absolutely delicious, with just the right flavor balance, is one of my favorite pastimes. No matter what the season is, you’ll also find me playing center on a year-round local ice hockey team for fun. I’m very active in sports and athletics.

EXPERIENCE:

I grew up inheriting a passion for food while learning how to perfect home-style baked goods in my parents’ rural Nova Scotia bakery.  Working beside my mother from the age of 4, I generally ate more icing than my wage. Their dedication and work ethic toward their craft inspired me to follow in their footsteps and I exhibited an entrepreneurial acumen at an early age. My favorite subject all through school was mathematics and, after graduating high school early, I absorbed as many psychology courses as my university offered.

After moving to Toronto to pursue a career, I began navigating the big city with a stint in door-to-door sales. In May of 2006, I started my career with Qualifirst in the warehouse and have drawn on the work ethic lessons of my youth to rise through the ranks, taking on roles in the office and finally in management. Being a part of a growing company that shares my passion for food has been a perfect match for my career and life goals.

FAVORITE PRODUCTS:

Michel Cluizel Elianza and Vanuari – I thought I loved chocolate, but when I first came in contact with Michel Cluizel chocolate my love was completely reinvented. I enjoy the true taste of chocolate that Cluizel offers and if you’re having dessert at my house, prepare to become a convert. I use Cluizel 63% Vanuari at home for brownies, banana bread, mousse and my favorite chocolate lava cakes. Vanuari has a perfect flavor and balance for any style baking.

Castelanotti Arbequina Oil – Growing up in a household where the food was rather traditional meat and potatoes, I never had olive oil in my house and my initial encounter with it I thought "eww, olives." It always makes me smile as I love olive oil now and enjoy nothing more than a well-balanced olive oil to finish with or to make salad dressings with. For Castelanotti olive oil, I really enjoy the flavor and often put it on bread as a snack. One tablespoon is packed with so much flavor, simply nothing compares.