Returning to the wisdom of seasonal eating increases our ability to find balance in the ever shifting demands of our busy lives. When we align with seasonal nutrition, we nourish our inner world, our foundation, our rooted-ness. We radiate vitality back into the connected web of life. We attune our bodies to the natural cycles inherent in all things. I'm inspired by traditional food ways in which cultures have followed seasonal rhythms to maximize nutrient density and variety.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

 -Hippocrates

I believe Michael Pollan's motto, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Which diet is best for an individual and the planet is a complex picture of many factors including: politics, economics, environmentalism, consciousness, and agriculture. I've spent many years as a vegetarian, many years eating primarily a vegan diet, and many years an an omnivore. I'm familiar with many special diets for allergies and health conditions, and I'm continuously updating as new research becomes available.

Following years of learning on the fly in catering and restaurants, my culinary training at the Natural Gourmet Institute was highly influenced by Westin A. Price and the foundation in his name started by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism."  In the absence of our food systems being mindfully stewarded, it is up to each one of us to become educated about food quality, access, labeling, and other food regulations. Let's reclaim cooking good food for ourselves and our loved ones. Good food feeds the body, gladdens the heart, sharpens the mind, and nourishes our communities. Everyone deserves the pleasure of good food. Good food is for everyone. 

Nourishing Root focuses on a whole foods diet, with an awareness that different diets serve different people at different times and stages of life, both through health challenges and in vigorous health. Everyone has a unique relationship to food with physical, emotional, psychological, social, and habitual components. We all need quality food to thrive. We all need community to feast with, welcoming the turns of the year with joy and thanks. 

Meal Blessing

Earth who gives to us this food,

Sun who makes it ripe and good,

Dear Earth, Dear Sun, 

To you we give our loving thanks.

Blessings on our meal, 

Blessings on our blossoms, 

Blessings on our roots,

Blessings on our leaves and stems, 

And blessings on the fruit. 

In cooking for you I always choose the best ingredients and cook them with joy. Healthy can be enticingly indulgent and perfectly satiating. With private cooking sessions or food made to order, enjoy the care and freshness of home cooked meals without spending the time cooking. Enjoy the support of meals cooked with love when you're busy and want to eat well without eating out all the time.

Let Nourishing Root's cooking services be a foundation so you can spend time doing more of what you want to do. Have more time to tend to work and family and play and self-care. If you are moving through a major life change or health challenge, all the more reason to invite more rooted-ness so you can stay connected and centered while you adapt. 

In wellness consultations, I aim to meet you where you are so that a shift in diet is more about integrating positive additions rather than limitations and deprivations. Elements of Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions may frame individual constitutions and seasonal adjustments. Explore your unique dietary patterns with the benefit of personalized attention. Learn how to increase the quality of your food while coming into more integrated balance with your whole self through diet and lifestyle. Feed your whole self. See Personal Dietary Consultations. 

Stock your fridge with customized meals and snacks with a Private Cooking Session. See Products for custom made desserts: cakes, tiramisus, and more. I teach small cooking and baking classes to adults and children upon request. Contact me for more information.