Ksenija Hotic

Photographer & Food Stylist

Ksenija currently works as a freelance photographer and food stylist in Toronto. She grew up foraging and fishing in the mountains and rivers of Bosnia, and in her grandmothers' kitchens and gardens.  At 11, she fled her home due to the civil war.  Her family moved many times over the period of three years and lived in Berlin until settling in Toronto, Canada in 1995.  

She is currently working on her own cookbook about Bosnian food and her journey to Canada. In April 2018, Ksenija’s completed a cookbook (The Great Shellfish Cookbook) which was released and published by Penguin Random House Canada (available online via Amazon internationally). This was her first cookbook and she was given both the role of the photographer and food stylist. It was the combination of having the creative space and preparing the food for the photography which she truly embraced and enjoyed. She is also currently the photographer and food stylist for another cookbook for a Canadian Chef which will be published and released in 2021.

In Toronto, her involvement with food started at a specialty European deli for 7 years.  In 2011, she became a member of the Toronto Underground Food Market and for 3 years, worked as the in-house photographer & vendor manager of this innovative showcase for alternative culinary talent in the city at that time.  It was later on at the Depanneur that Ksenija was able to link her own experiences as a refugee with her sociology major, and share food as an important and effective tool to cross cultural gaps through gatherings. 

She hosted over 30 drop in dinners and supper clubs, as well as a Table Talk and Cooking Class at the Depanneur during the 4 years of her involvement there.  In addition, from 2015 to 2017, she was the cook at the Raca Cafe and Bar in Parkdale. The 47 Bar, as well as Food & Liquor are also places which Ksenija has popped up in over the years.

Ksenija holds two honours bachelor degrees from York University and her previous career was in the mental health field.  She worked in various departments at CAMH and the University of Toronto for 11 years and gained educational, clinical, research, managerial as well as business development skills and community outreach experience.