inthekitchen
my family,” she says. “I’ve been brought up
to be strong and be passionate and not to
shy away.”
Jackie still tries to replicate the family
recipes she grew up cooking with her
grandmothers, and today carries on
tradition by passing her culinary knowledge
to her 10-year-old niece. Her family has
always encouraged and supported her
dream, she says; at seven years old, she told
her mom she wanted to be a chef and by 9
was enrolled in cooking classes.
After attending Red River College’s
culinary school and working through
school work placements and jobs after
graduation, she discovered what she loved
most was being hands-on and on the line
at a restaurant.
Even as Executive Chef, she continues
to do the perhaps less glamourous work,
still doing what she loves: cooking and
obsessing over ingredients, procuring the
best she can get. Climbing up on a food
truck making its delivery to examine new
products on offer is not uncommon for
Jackie – she discovered some top-notch
local produce this exact way.
She has also evolved the menu to fit
new trends or dietary needs; and shares
freely with other chefs in Hy’s network.
A three-course vegan meal she developed
for a client was such a rave it initiated
conversations among her colleagues across
the country and prompted other creative
solutions for vegetarian diners.
The fall menu’s meatless meatloaf,
showcased in this feature, was instantly
met w ith approva l and has become
an enormous success. Hy’s has long
recognized the importance of keeping
Do it because you love it, work hard, be willing to
learn, and absorb as much information as you can.
leading by example and not letting ego
get in the way of creating delicious dishes.
The day starts at 9 or 10 am. First there’s
paperwork or kitchen prep, like making
sauces or baking, and then Jackie is
on the line, cooking in the kitchen for
lunch. In the afternoon, she does more
administrative wor