Emily Paster is the writer, photographer and recipe developer behind the the popular family food blog, West of the Loop. In 2011, she founded the Chicago Food Swap, one of the most active food swaps in the country.

Emily’s first book, a combination cookbook and guide to the food swap movement entitled Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving was published in May 2016. Her second cookbook, The Joys of Jewish Preserving, will be released in spring 2017.

An expert in home food preservation, Emily teaches canning classes and demonstrations throughout the Chicago area.