chefbari

Do we need time? It’s a strange question, but it’s one you ponder on days like today. We all talk about time, but you never understand how truly valuable it is until you’d give anything for a single day that’s gone forever. If I had the power to reverse time, I know exactly where I would go. I would ask for just one more day with our daughter, Jenni.

That wish, that ache for one more day, is a feeling I carry with me always. Many of you know me as Chef Bari, but few know the story of our daughter, Jenni Michelle, and the day our lives changed forever.

Today, November 5th, is a day etched onto our souls. It marks 45 years since my wife, Patricia, and I lost our precious daughter to Kawasaki Syndrome.

Even after all this time, the pain of losing her remains a profound sadness that still hurts. And even though 45 years have passed by, it still feels like yesterday. When she left us, Patricia and I were lost in a fog of grief, navigating a pain that no parent should ever have to endure. It’s an experience that unwillingly welcomes you into a community no one ever wants to be a part of—the community of parents who have lost a child.

Living in Calgary at the time, our grief sent us to our parents farm in Southern Saskatchewan ; it was our only refuge.

I vividly recall one of the darkest, coldest Saskatchewan nights of that year, 1980. I looked to the heavens, desperate for an answer, for anything. In that moment, I saw a single, brilliant star burst to life. It was a sign from our Jenni, a small, celestial assurance that her soul was safe.

45 years later, we remember her sweet, adorable smile. We remember the gift of her life, a time that was far too short, but a gift nonetheless. We still look for her star.

In loving memory of our beautiful daughter, Jenni. We miss you every day. You can read her full story on the blog here—it’s the story behind my work — Click Here

That story is why my cookbook, “Canadian Recipes of the Great White North,” isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a family book, poured from the heart and created in loving memory of Jenni.

It’s filled with cute illustrations of wildlife, meant to be shared with our children and grandchildren. It’s not just about food; it’s about family, about sharing, about creating new memories together while we have the time.

This book is for Jenni.

It’s my hope you’ll enjoy it, not only as an outdoor family camping guide to share around the evening campfire, but as a heartfelt reminder of just how precious our children are.

Chef Bari