A new collaboration between students in OCAD University's Graphic Design program, George Brown College (GBC)'s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts and Stella's Place has culminated in the production of Cooking Compassion: Fueling Minds and Feeding Hearts, an accessible cookbook that underscores the importance of eating for resilient mental health.
(Left to right): OCAD U students Anna Wang, Jess Ng, Katrina Imperial and Liam Burrows
Cooking Compassion is co-authored by Chef Warren Ford and Dr. Linda Gillis, a nutrition professor at GBC and a registered dietitian. The book, which includes over 80 recipes, aims to educate readers about a whole diet approach and nutrients that support resilient mental health.
Compassion aims to introduce young adults to healthy cooking, offering simple recipes that gradually increase in difficulty, along with tips for cooking when fatigued, unmotivated or on a tight budget.
OCAD U students Anna Wang, Jess Ng, Katrina Imperial and Liam Burrows were tasked with illustrating the book to make it approachable, accessible and appealing. The students spent time with a focus group at Stella's Place, a free mental health organization for young adults in Toronto, listening closely to what the young adults wanted in a cookbook.
"The OCAD U students played a key role in shaping Cooking Compassion, exploring ideas for illustrations that would bring the content to life," said Dr. Gillis. "One standout idea was the creation of a calming mascot to guide readers through their culinary journey. That's how Stella the Cat was born; she is a character who gains confidence in her culinary skills alongside the reader."
The final book is filled with soothing colours, cozy illustrations and gentle reminders that perfection isn't the goal. Illustrations subtly allude to this with overflowing bowls and other intentional details that reflect the real-life cooking experience.
Incorporating the feedback from the focus group, the OCAD U students included illustrated "meditation spaces" throughout the book, offering moments of encouragement, hope and calm for readers navigating mental health challenges.
Cooking Compassion: Fueling Minds and Feeding Hearts will be available in bookstores and retailers later in 2025. Funds from the sale of the cookbook will be used to support the treatment of mental health challenges for young adults who attend Stella's Place.
