Xin Xu hails from Edmonton, Alberta. But before settling in, she lived in Shanghai for the first 7 years of her life. That’s where she grew up and got her taste of the vibrant food culture. Since moving to Edmonton, she has fallen in love with international cuisine. If there’s a new restaurant in town, she would be the first to line up outside the door. At home, you can find her experimenting with recipes around the world. She hopes to share these experiences with all who care to listen.
In her spare time, Xin cares for 6 rescue budgies. Many of which she found stranded in parks or her backyard. On weekends, she drives out to Banff or Jasper where she can be found hiking new trails. She’s thankful Athabasca University has allowed her to work full-time as a researcher while taking courses that interest her such as abnormal psychology.
In my adventures sampling cuisines from around the world, I found a lot of the exotic is closer to home than we think. Particularly in supermarkets, it has become common to have one or perhaps a few aisles dedicated to international foods. You might occasionally browse the aisles and spot your favorite foreign spices or… Read more »
If I had to name one fast food that unites all students worldwide, instant noodles would be my pick. While the column is named “the not-so-starving student”, realistically, there will be a time and place for instant noodles; especially before a fixed deadline or when youre in dire need of grocery shopping. We will be… Read more »
Despite carefully controlling portion sizes, sometimes the option of buffet is too tempting to pass up. Having recently booked my trip to Las Vegas this Fall, I’m sure to visit a handful of top-notch buffets on the Vegas strip. Regardless of which buffet youre feasting at, theres some fundamentals to the art of buffeting. You… Read more »
Recently I moved from living in the comforts of my parents’ home to a new home closer to school, work, and downtown Edmonton. The first week navigating the freedom of cooking my own meals has been a rocky start. Not knowing where to begin, I scrambled to purchase ingredients, eliminate ingredients (from the mold!) and… Read more »
September comes with a series of stressors for new students. For students living independently, cooking is either a headache or a pleasant break from studying routines. Whichever you find it to be, you can benefit from an array of tools to save preparation time so that you can focus on more important things, such as… Read more »
As the Game of Thrones finale is rolling out this Sunday, I’m hearing plenty of hype for theme parties for the upcoming episode. Here’s some tips for throwing your own game of thrones themed dinner party. For the die-hard fans, you’ll know what each of the food cameos refer to, but if you’re not following… Read more »
With inflation nearly at its peak, students may find that scouting affordable food has become a chore. I decided to experiment with what a five-dollar bill could afford in the now. As a student, theres a certain criteria I use to rank my fast-food experience. The fast food selection, quantity and price tag are of… Read more »
Edmonton recently hosted its annual local food festival this past week. As an adventurous gourmand, I toured the outdoor festival on three separate occasions. On certain days even braving an unpredictable forecast to sample freshly-prepared local fare offered by food trucks and restaurants. Here are some of my personal favorites from the week, along with… Read more »
[t]../articles/images/2530-Food.jpg[et]I returned home from my two-and-a-half-week vacation in Southeast Asia about a month ago. Since returning, I am nostalgic for the local street food. If you are unfamiliar, street food is exactly what it sounds like – ready-to-snack food served to you on the side of the pavement. Having grown up in Shanghai, street food… Read more »
Ghandi once said, “live as if you were to die tomorrow and learn as if you were to live forever”. The Japanese certainly took the second part of the quote to heart. Living forever is a skill, and there’s a certain focus and rigor in the way Japanese people learn to master this art. The… Read more »