Ashley Delmar

Being brought up in a family very much in touch with its Romanian roots, Ashley was immersed in the rich and unique flavors of Eastern European cooking from a young age. Recipes like mamaliga and sarmale hold a special sentimentality for Ashley and remind her of the Christmas Eves spent in her grandmother's kitchen. As a teenager, Ashley began working as a waitress in an Indian restaurant in her hometown, where she was first introduced to international flavors. Since discovering dishes such as papri chat and paneer makhani, Ashley embarked on a love affair with South Asian cooking that has led her to seek out all of the aromatic cuisines the region has to offer. After finishing school at the University of British Columbia, she moved to Wroclaw, Poland, to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. Living in Europe has given her the chance to sample traditional cuisines from countries such as Germany, the U.K., Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Georgia, and, of course, Poland. Ashley enjoys using her travel experience to bring interesting global foods to her readers.

Ashley attended the University of British Columbia, where she studied positive psychology, the science of well-being and happiness. This field of training has helped inform her writing as it relates to how people around the world derive meaning and happiness from food. She is currently completing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Wroclaw University of Environmental Sciences in Wroclaw, Poland. She is the author of several scientific papers in the fields of animal welfare, epidemiology, and public health.