A B.C. womanB次元官网网址檚 culinary legacy continues to live on digitally and will now help support North Island College (NIC) students.

Ruth B次元官网网址淩ootitootB次元官网网址� McCusker of Campbell River was well-known in the online Instant Pot recipe community. She shared her family recipes, which were adapted for the counter-top kitchen appliance, with a loyal online following and had self-published two cookbooks.

McCusker passed away earlier this year after a brief illness. She was 65.

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But McCuskerB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址� also known as Rootitoot, a childhood nickname given to her by her father B次元官网网址� legacy is living on.

Her children, Brian Wilkowski and Linda Ramos, have set up an endowment with the NIC Foundation to honour their motherB次元官网网址檚 memory and to support students who are interested in pursing a career in the culinary arts.

B次元官网网址淪he was passionate about cooking and so this seemed like a perfect way to honour her memory,B次元官网网址� said Wilkowski in a press release. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so fantastic how many lives sheB次元官网网址檚 touched over the last couple of years. Even when she found out that it was going to be a terminal diagnosis, she was grateful for what she had experienced, especially in the last portion of her life.B次元官网网址�

McCusker first became active in the online Instant Pot community on Facebook in 2018, according to .

She ended up starting her own group, , which has grown to more than 100,000 members. (Her family continues to run the group.)

B次元官网网址淢any were drawn to McCuskerB次元官网网址檚 unmistakable sweetness B次元官网网址� she began most posts with the words, B次元官网网址楪ood morning, O Best Beloveds.B次元官网网址� But she was also endlessly helpful, spending the majority of her waking hours fielding queries and developing recipes as needed,B次元官网网址� wrote Harrison Mooney in the Sun.

McCusker altered many of her recipes,B次元官网网址漷reasured family heirloomsB次元官网网址� that were developed over four decades to be suitable for the One Pot. She had recipes for Beef Stew and Rootitoot Cinnamon Pork Chops; Rootitoot Cheesecake and Rootitoot Lemon Curd; even Rootitoot Scalloped Potatoes and Rootitoot Sweet Potato Dream. She offered tips and tricks to her B次元官网网址渇lowers,B次元官网网址� the name given to the groupB次元官网网址檚 members.

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When one of her flowers posted: B次元官网网址淗ubby went squirrel hunting n [sic] brought one home. How long in pot whole?B次元官网网址� McCusker entertained the question, despite growing up in Banff National Park where squirrels were her B次元官网网址渇riends and pets.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲HOLE?B次元官网网址� she responded, B次元官网网址淵ou want to cook it WHOLE? IB次元官网网址檇 cut that little beggar up into tiny tidbits. Lots of onion and garlic. 1 1/2 cups of squirrel broth. Badger broth if youB次元官网网址檙e fresh outta squirrel broth. 12 minutes HP. 15 NR. I hear squirrel drumsticks are delish.B次元官网网址�

Further down the thread, she follows up with a recipe for B次元官网网址淩ootitoot Squirrel StewB次元官网网址� where she refers to preparing the B次元官网网址渃ute little squirrelB次元官网网址� because B次元官网网址淚, Rootitoot, am all about the recipes right?B次元官网网址�

She was remembered by writer (and One Pot user) Katie Baker in another obituary, this time published on the .

Baker calls McCusker B次元官网网址減ure digital sunshineB次元官网网址� and her Facebook group, B次元官网网址渁 place that would become one of the most cherished, cheerful corners of my internet life.B次元官网网址�

The group, now at 102,342 members, continues to grow. But McCusker also had a website, where followers could find recipes and order the two volumes of her self-published cookbook. ItB次元官网网址檚 on this site and the Facebook group that her family notified followers that McCusker had died. ItB次元官网网址檚 also where Wilkowski and Ramos began a fundraiser and matched donations. The final tally, $42,862.48 (after being matched by the siblings) will be put into the Ruth B次元官网网址淩ootitootB次元官网网址� McCusker Wilkowski Memorial Bursary Endowment Fund and will be put towards a yearly award for an aspiring culinary student.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l never be able to fully appreciate the entire significance of what weB次元官网网址檝e done here,B次元官网网址� a message signed B次元官网网址淩uthB次元官网网址檚 familyB次元官网网址� on the website says. B次元官网网址淭his will have a lasting impact on countless lives, just as RuthB次元官网网址檚 recipes and help have also had a truly unimaginable lasting effect on all of us.B次元官网网址�

As one flower wrote on her website: B次元官网网址淚, like many, feel as if I have lost a friend even though I had never met her. She gave us confidence and a place to laugh together over our B次元官网网址榤istakes.B次元官网网址� Her influence will still be present in generations ahead.B次元官网网址�

marissa.tiel@campbellrivermirror.com
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