Today’s Exec Profile highlights cofounder and managing editor Manon Cooper who’s currently studying abroad in Argentina while still corresponding via email, Skype, and the online office to keep working on the magazine.

Culinarian: Gotta get the basics out of the way, major and year?

Manon: I’m a junior at Barnard majoring in Religion.

C: So what made you decide to start a food magazine?  You were already involved in Culinary Society (Manon was President of the group last semester) while also writing for the blog (cuculinary.com), what made you decide to do more?

M: Ever since I started living in New York, I’ve been fascinated with the publications industry, and when I found out that so was Amanda, I knew we had to found the first ever culinary magazine on campus. It’s been incredibly rewarding to find others with our same passion for food AND magazines, so I’m incredibly excited to share our first issue with the rest of the Columbia University community!

C: Obviously food has played a large part in your college life.  What memories does food hold for you in particular?

M: I love food because it brings people together. In fact, I believe that the social aspect of any meal is actually more important that the food itself, because yes, you might be eating the most succulent steak or rich crème brulée, but the real pleasure in food is sharing a moment with someone else. Nothing beats friendship and family, and food is, at least for me, an important medium through which friendship and family is expressed.

C: The conversations are what make those dinners memorable!  And the delicious entrees, of course.  Speaking of which, what’s the one food you’d choose to eat (if for some horrible reason you were limited to just one dish forever)?

M: Oh, this is such a hard question! I’d have to pick my mom’s roast chicken served with my dad’s stuffing, which is made with nuts, dried fruit, and the chicken’s innards, among other things. (I know that that looks like two different things, but work with me here: the stuffing is cooked inside the chicken.) My parents are both excellent cooks, and when they combine their talents as in such a situation, the chicken and stuffing are both so flavorful, moist, and go so well together. I could never go without eating this perfect combination of food(s)…

Got questions for Manon? Wondering what the weather’s like in Argentina? Asks us in the comments!