Mardi Michels is an educator with over 30 years’ experience teaching English and French as a Second Language, as well as cookery classes to both children and adults. She was born in Adelaide, Australia and has lived and worked in Australia, Hong Kong, England, and France and has called Toronto home since 2000.
Mardi is a published cookbook author and has been writing about food on her website, eatlivetravelwrite.com, and as a contributor to numerous publications, including JamieOliver.com and FoodNetwork.ca, since 2009. Mardi started teaching cooking classes as an after-school activity in 2010, and this ultimately led to the publication of In the French Kitchen with Kids (Appetite by Random House, 2018). In 2021, she started writing French Food for Everyone and is self-publishing it chapter by chapter, with 3 chapters published (Le petit déjeuner, Le goûter, and Le dîner), the fourth (Le déjeuner) to come in December 2026.
Mardi teaches (mostly French) cooking classes to adults and children around Toronto and is passionate about “passing it on” à la Jamie Oliver (i.e. get people back in the kitchen cooking real food!)
In 2025, Mardi began part-time studies in the Library and Information Technician Program at Durham College, with a view to working in libraries when her time in the classroom ends. Mardi strongly believes that everyone should have access to the services provided by public libraries.
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Buy my books! In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks), le dîner (dinner) and le petit déjeuner (breakfast) are out now!
Click here for details and how to order!
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I originally started this blog as something to do in the year between my MA and PhD because after being chained to my desk for 2 years as I completed my MA, I had so much time on my hands – after all, I love to eat, cook, take pictures and write so what better platform. eat. live. travel. write. has kind of taken on a life of its own since its inception in May 2009 and I couldn’t be happier. Spending a few (all right, a lot of) minutes a day to do something for me and be creative has been the best refuge from the sometimes stressful life of a teacher and (former) grad student.
Follow me in my culinary adventures, near and far.
You can get in touch with me using the “Contact” form here.