Follow Friday: Foodies of Twitter

by Sara Mahmood

It takes a lot of work to stand out from the mass of foodies occupying Twitter. Here are three Canadian women who use their tweets to dish about their love for food.

@DanaMcCauley
You may have seen Dana McCauley on The Food Network’s new reality series, Recipes to Riches or on an episode of Canada AM, Breakfast Television, The Today Show or even CNN. Aside from her TV appearances, Dana has been the culinary director for Janes Family Foods since she sold her company, Dana McCauley & Associates Ltd., back in 2010.  Dana has spent more than 20 years working in the food industry in one way or another. After attending Stratford Chef School, she became a chef. Her love for food didn’t stop at cooking, and now her resume also has food editor, author, food trends expert, blogger, and food product innovation expert listed as well. Aside from writing her own cookbooks, Dana also professionally coaches first time cookbook writers. Dana uses Twitter to show her followers the latest trends in the food industry. She also retweets the latest food news and some delicious, quick, and easy recipes.

@MairlynSmith
Mairlyn Smith is a rare combination of food critic and comedian who likes to mix laughter with education. She studied home economics and teaching at the University of British Columbia and was a teacher before she enrolled in an acting school in the States. Her mix of acting, cooking and humour helped her secure the role as a host on Harrowsmith Country Life, for which she earned a Gemini nomination. Mairlyn was also a member of the Second City Comedy Troupe and now works as a freelance writer. She is the author of three bestselling cookbooks. One of her books, Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health and Don’t Forget the Chocolate!, was the first healthy cookbook to ever win Gold at the Cuisine Canada Cookbook Awards. Her Twitter feed is full of recipes, food advisory warnings, and tips on eating and living healthier. She also likes to add in that sense of humour that has made her successful on TV to her tweets.

@SimpleBites (Aimée Wimbush-Bourque)
Aimée Wimbush-Bourque is the writer and editor of SimpleBites.net, a family-focused website dedicated to food. The site emphasizes providing practical recipes for families that are pretty easy to make. Aimée has always had a passion for food. She grew up on the West coast, where her family raised most of their own food. As a child, Aimée would often milk goats, collect eggs, and bake bread. When she was 20, Aimée traveled around the world before she moved to Quebec. She went to culinary school and then she cooked for some fine-dining restaurants and did a little catering and personal chef work for several years. After becoming a mother, she decided to give up her fine-dining career for good and become a blogger. Aimée uses Twitter to support her blog, posting up pictures and letting followers know what she’s working on. She lists different, practical ways to use ingredients and updates her Twitter with the progress of recipes she’s trying out.