Heritage, Healing and French Flavours
Isabelle takes us on a nostalgic journey of precious memories, timeless recipes, and the essence of fresh produce. We explore the richness of French cuisine, the importance of sharing food, and how creativity can transform even the simplest of recipes into a culinary adventure.
Isabelle also reflects on how cooking helped her through her personal healing journey and how she helps other do the same now.
From yoghurt cake to stolen-carrot-soup, this episode is a heartfelt reflection on the universal values and shared intimacy of home cooking.
So, let’s gather around the table and indulge in the the French flair of the stories and tips that Isabelle has to share to help make our meals a celebration of life, right here, right now, At Home.
tasty morsels
01:00 French food culture revolves around meals times and abundant produce.
05:32 Sharing food builds community.
06:39 As a kid, dreamt of owning a deli.
12:00 Quality produce really tastes better.
15:12 Learning through doing: observing and helping.
17:04 Yoghurt cake experiments.
20:54 Apple tarts and family dynamics.
23:28 Facilitating therapeutic cooking sessions for cancer patients.
27:18 Food is connection to stories, memories, people, places.
29:43 Cooking can get you through difficult times.
33:53 Enjoying simple meals, and making the best of leftovers.
36:41 Tips for getting the best flavour from your produce.
the best bit
"If you got the basic skill, nothing stops you. The way I cook very often is I taste something that I really like, and I'm like, I'm sure I can reproduce that. And I'm not an extraordinary cook. But with the basic skills that I know very well, then I can do anything."
get cooking
Three ideas for taking action in your own kitchen, inspired by the conversation.
🍅 Get to know your local shops and farmers' market, and choose some fresh produce to cook.
🍅 Get out a measuring cup and try your hand at your own version of yoghurt cake.
🍅 Start a kitchen diary, with notes, ideas and recipes you want to hold on to.
connect with Isabelle
connect with Katerina
community: No Recipe Club
instagram: @intuitive.cook
youtube: @intuitivecook
additional links
Original music by Colin Bass.
About your host
Katerina Pavlakis
Intuitive cook & irreverent kitchen coach
Growing up in 70s Greece, cooking - and eating - at home was simply normal. Shopping at farmers' markets, drooling over recipes, grinding spices, and animated conversation over dinner are some of my fondest memories. This is where I honed my cooking intuition. I'm here to help you find your way back to a simpler, more joyful way of cooking.
To bring intuition into your kitchen too, start here!
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