After moving north 2 years ago & working as sous chef at a new fine dining restaurant in town for a year, I began working at mining camps; & while being away from home was never easy, it paid the bills. One of the hardest things with being away from home for 4 weeks at a time was knowing that Erin (who at one point in time, exploded Pyrex all over the kitchen) was left alone to fend for herself wi
th very limited cooking skill. On my weeks home I tried to get a greater understanding of what was keeping Erin from making herself meals that weren't triscuit nachos or pierogies while I was away at camp. The toughest part for her was trying to figure out what to do for the protein component and often the confusion about 'what went with what' was enough to overwhelm and she would revert back to what she knew (see triscuit nachos and pierogies). Therefore, on my weeks home I began spending my time preparing a variety of foods for Erin in flavour combinations I knew she already liked and then I vacuum sealed these, labeled them up & froze them. Then, when I was gone, I could still take care of her in some way and the only effort that was required of Erin was to transfer the protein of choice from the freezer into the fridge in the morning before heading to work & then once home at the end of a long day, Erin simply cut open the vacuum seal bag & placed the marinated meat onto a pan. Usually less than 20 minutes later (depending on the protein) & with some simple sides like salad, some frozen veggies & rice – a delicious, healthy, simple meal for 1 was ready. From this beginning I have had a strong desire to provide this experience beyond my home since everyone that Erin has ever bragged to about how great I am, has said how great it would be to have their own freezers and cupboards stocked with items high in quality & convenience without sacrificing health or needing a dictionary to figure out what one of the 60 ingredients in their chicken breasts is. Throughout my life of cooking, I have always enjoyed connecting with people (strangers and family alike) through food. The connection people have to food is incredibly powerful & I feel more and more frustrated that generally speaking, the foods that all of us are putting into our bodies, are filled with ingredients that have no place in food at all. Through this business venture, I'm hoping to empower & encourage people to realize that just because you don't have a lot of time to cook, it doesn't mean you have to eat poorly or unhealthily. I want people to eat food with ingredients that they can read, understand and pronounce; and where possible, I aim to highlight local, northern flavours. In today's world, most people's ability to cook at home is impacted by children (furry & non), work, lack of time & ability. You shouldn't have to sacrifice quality of food in order to be able to cook something quickly, conveniently and simply – something that is good on all levels for you & your family. Thank you for your time & continued support - Luke, Erin & Colby (The Wandering Bison)
