It’s officially spring, which on Kauai actually feels more like summer. It’s more like 2-ish seasons here on the island – hot and rainy, or cool and rainy! In between big downpours of jungle rain, the sun comes out in full blast and it feels like a Louisiana swamp when the trade winds are gone. This didn’t leave much time for my body to transition out of winter practices, and …

These days, I’ve been finding myself spending more time focusing my creative energy behind the computer than in the kitchen. Creating a book has me thinking, talking, writing, studying, testing and photographing food in its many forms and purposes daily. Yet, I must confess, when it comes to actually feeding myself I’ve become admittedly lazy. A quick daal. A pot of kitchari. A steamed sweet potato and broccoli. …

Cue up the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and start stringing cranberries and popcorn for the tree! It finally feels like Christmas here. My mom came to visit this year and we’ve hung two little ornaments on a tiny palm in the living room as a makeshift tree. Mele Kalikimaka. It’s a bit of a Hawaiian Charlie Brown tree situation, but we’re content with its charm. So instead of …

I turn 30 today – on the new moon of December 7th. The same new moon I was born on. Call it auspicious or significant, whatever planetary alignment it is, it’s brought a tangible feeling of freshness and excitement into greeting this new decade ahead of me.

I’d be lying if I said this transition was welcomed with ease. In fact, I spent much of 29 fretting about turning 30. I …

Happy Thanksgiving and holiday feasting season! I was on the mainland this fall and got to enjoy a few weeks of cozy sweater weather and cooked meals with my favorite autumn ingredients. I baked a lot. Tested new recipes, including this warm farro salad, and caught up on a few books and shows (I’m all about the Durrell’s in Corfu right now). After two years skipping winter for island weather, I forgot …

I kind of left you hanging a few posts back on what happened to my world after the flood. It’s been three months now since we were evacuated out of our home, and as of last week I have finally moved back into my “end of the road” apartment. Having a kitchen and bed of my own again has never felt better, and I’m getting my feet back on …

Have you noticed? Ayurveda is starting to gain more momentum in the mainstream–from Goop to Hillary Clinton to Oprah–people are curious what this science is and how it applies to their health. There has been a great run of new books coming out this year exploring food and self-care, and there are two that have really caught my eye: Laura Plumb’s Ayurveda Cooking for Beginners and …

I planted the first seeds for a food blog when I was living in Paris in 2010. I was attending Sciences Po to study international affairs and political science, but my real passion was wellness. I had just completed my yoga teacher training the summer before and was practicing Ashtanga avidly. On weekday mornings before school, I would walk from the 4th arrondissement across the bridge to the 5th to …

A teacher of mine once said it’s a good thing when you’re being chiseled and polished by the challenges of life. If so, then the past month has carved new edges and facets into my being. Like a crystal with its many faces, when held to the light you can see the complexities that lie within, shaped by time and pressure. And when angled into the sun, sometimes all those …