Posts By: Xin Xu

Cassandra Wang

Cassandra Wang 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.

The Not-So Starving Student—Perfect Worry-free Curry

For many beginner chefs, curries can seem intimidating.  I know that for me, the early days of living independently meant relying on a few simple recipes, and curry simply did not make the list.  The thought of having to find the right ingredients and mixing the right balance of spices seemed like a giant headache… Read more »

The Not-So Starving Student—Grow Your Food in the Kitchen

It’s spring time, the time for gardening, the time for getting outdoors will be soon upon us (give or take a month for Canadians).  Fortunately, for those with allergies or who are less outdoorsy, such as myself, gardening can be less taxing when done in the comfort of your kitchen.  Yes, that’s right.  I’m talking… Read more »

The Not-So-Starving Student—Tribute to Pies

For most, March 14th doesn’t ring any bells in terms of holidays.  However, for myself and some (nerdy) others, we might recall this day to be Pi Day.  A day where we celebrate the mathematical constant 𝛑 or 3.14 rounded to the nearest two digits.  In reality, this irrational number goes on forever.  In my… Read more »

The Not-So Starving Student—Toronto Food Tour

Toronto is a major hub of eastern Canada and arguably a Northern gem on the North American continent. Situated on the banks of Lake Ontario, the city boasts some of the most gorgeous skylines, nightlife and of course, incredible food around every corner. Having wandered around Toronto the past weekend, I had a chance to… Read more »

The Not-So Starving Student

Frying things in the comfort of your own home, where you can smell the grease wafting through the air for days, if not weeks? Even if you’re fortunate enough to have an air-fryer, the taste of deep-fried deliciousness is simply not the same. I know. So what can AU students do to satisfy that intense… Read more »

Six Things You Should Know about Chinese New Year

As I child, I would talk about the lunar new year instead of Chinese New Year.  My father would correct me.  “You mean Chinese New Year”.  He corrected me not because he wasn’t aware the festivities were shared with many Eastern Asian cultures, but that the way our family celebrated the new year was particular… Read more »

The Not-So Starving Student

The classic comfort food that has won the hearts of children and adults everywhere is fried chicken.  The love for fried chicken is so universal that besides your local fast food chains, fried chicken has appeared on the menu of five-star restaurants.  Despite trying to recreate healthier versions of fried chicken in my kitchen using… Read more »