Maarit has a degree in Central and Eastern European Studies from the University of Manitoba and spent a decade traveling and studying around Europe. Maarit worked in the food & beverage industry for nearly two decades, cultivating a love for artisan cheese, natural wine and sustainable agriculture. She is a third-generation Ukrainian Canadian, and volunteers her time in education and activism for Ukraine. Maarit’s heritage and academic background has led her to her work on her latest project, ‘Ukrainadian: Stories and Recipes from the Diaspora Table’; a cookbook in homage to the culinary history and foodways of Canada’s Ukrainian diaspora. When she’s not cooking or reading books about cooking, you can find her in the woods, foraging for mushrooms and other wild things.