LMP students bring together Temerty Medicine to feed Ontario
“What better way to show off your cooking than having it contribute to a good cause as well?!” says Matsya Thulasiram, PhD candidate in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and lead on the Temerty Medicine Crowdsourced Cookbook.
Students in the LMP graduate student union, CLAMPS, started the cookbook (known as the FacMed Cookbook) during the pandemic as a way to support the local community in fighting food insecurity, with the additional aim of bringing members of Temerty Medicine together.
They ask learners, staff and faculty across Temerty Medicine to contribute their favourite recipe, plus some context and a photo. The cookbooks are then available as digital or hard copies in return for a donation to the foodbank charity, Feed Ontario.
“Our hope is to encourage everyone to get creative in the kitchen and fall in love with cooking and baking. It can be a major stress reliever and it’s healthier than getting takeout. We hope that the wide range of recipes in our cookbook will inspire students and staff from around Temerty Medicine to explore new recipes well-loved by their peers!” say Michelle Lim and Tiffany Ni, part of the cookbook team.
With around $1,500 raised so far and almost 200 copies distributed, the team hopes the annual cookbook will provide some long-term financial contributions to Feed Ontario.
Departments such as Molecular Genetics, Global Health and Nutritional Sciences, Occupational Therapy & Occupational Science, Speech-Language Pathology, Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Immunology, IMS, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology, alongside LMP of course, are represented in the cookbooks. “I love the collaborative effort that it takes to make this cookbook. It is so exciting seeing people across so many departments share a common interest, and it is a special feeling seeing this project grow from the beginning,” commented Matsya.
The team includes Lauren Joe (MSc, Dr. Janice Robertson’s Lab), Michelle Lim (3rd year Medicine student), Tiffany Ni (3rd year Medicine student), Bana Samman (MSc Dr. Stephen Girardin’s Lab), and Matsya Thulasiram (PhD, Dr. Alain Dabdoub’s Lab).
Be part of the FacMed Cookbook: submit your recipes now!
The team is taking recipe submissions now – deadline June 5.
Find out more about the cookbook and how to submit your recipe, or how to get a copy of the completed cookbook!
Be part of the FacMed Cookbook 2023
Why we love the FacMed Cookbook!
Some of the team shared why they love being part of the initiative:
“One of the many things I enjoy about being a part of the FacMed Cookbook is contributing to a community of like-minded chefs from across the Faculty. Food is a very personal thing to share, and I love learning from my friends and colleagues about the types of food they like to eat, foods that bear sentimental meaning to them and their families, or recipes that are just fun to make!” Tiffany Ni
“I personally love everything about food; cooking it, plating it, and tasting it! It's great to discover and connect people who also share that same interest. I love that this cookbook is a fun initiative to unite everyone who shares both a passion for science and food.” Lauren Jo
“I love reading people’s stories on why they chose the recipe they did. It can range from sentimental to cultural to ‘I randomly decided to experiment’. I love hearing peoples’ journey with food.” Michelle Lim
