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Golden Moments

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November 22, 2017

- Personal

Walking back into the kitchen to meet the new recruits for season nine of MasterChef Australia held both a familiar calm and an anxiety-inducing rumble in my soul. Something, I am sure, only those who have walked through those doors can relate to. 

The last time I stood there, at the front of the room, I was awaiting the ever-drawn-out words from the judges mouths regarding my attempt at Heston Blumenthal’s Verjus In Egg thankfully, I was being ‘held up’ and surrounded by my nearest and dearest, after a 6 hour marathon cook and months honing my craft, growing more in confidence and in love with the infinite potential I found and saw in food- I was physically and mentally exhausted. As I listened, to the words of praise and every compliment, each as surprising to me as the last; a warmth of electricity, encouragement and affirmation rose up inside me, standing side-by-side with the butterflies flapping about, not only in my tummy this time, but in every cell of my being; I made the right choice when completing that lengthy application form, and daring to dream. 

I was concerned when signing up for a competition, as I’m not a particularly competitive person by nature; I’m most competitive with myself, always striving to improve, show growth and be a better version of myself each day and with each activity. I was worried that this may be my undoing, a potential weakness in a group of incredible and potentially strategic contenders. In that moment of celebration however, the love, respect and support we’d all grown to show one another was so overwhelming – we’d all made it it – we’d all shared this extraordinary, bizarre and totally remarkable experience together – we’d all found within ourselves our paths forward, focus and direction. I maintain that this feeling of my extended family of marvellous MasterChef alumni (and incredible staff and crew), more specifically my season eight people, all helped one another survive, thrive and flourish in very unusual circumstances. We were all there at the end, in celebration and positive reflection, and in joy. Competition aside, we were all winners for having found like-minded, passionate foodie friends that will be connected forevermore. Gosh, I’m so cheesey sometimes… but I really can’t help but feel absolute, complete and thorough gratitude for those friendships formed – thanks so much, you wonderful souls, for helping shape my experience so positively.

 

The warmth and joy of the shared experience was something I could feel walking into the kitchen again as a part of season 9. I was greeted by so many enthusiastic, excitable, nervous faces that had already created a bond that would also give them the strength and endurance to see each other through the competition and beyond. I remembered walking into that kitchen, I wished I could share it with my sister Alexandra, who had been so encouraging of my passion for food and such a support when I was applying. It was even more grand than I could have imagined, like walking into some kind of cathedral entrance and trying to take in everything at once, the dreams that were realised here before me, the creative energy thick in the air and the feeling of having a whole new adventure ahead of me. The same feeling a teaching colleague always said was the best part of the school holidays; waking up that first day, with it all ahead of you – don’t worry, she totally earned every single break and felt the same way about each teaching in term time!

Approaching the benches where each new participant was madly and frantically cooking, I was so aware of the journey of growth we had all taken. Those first day jitters interfering with logical decisions, the first day excitement preventing your fine motor skills from operating properly, the first day ambition of wanting to incorporate every skill ever learned – I could see a bit of everything, and all I could feel was this massive sense of knowing what the joyful reflection of a steep learning curve feels like at the other end.  In a few months, this group of home cooks would be transformed and may barely recognise themselves in the kitchen. I wanted to tell them to breathe, to take their time, to find their happy place quick smart – this always helped me do my best cooking and was way more fun than the panic and fear.

 

The nerves were evident as I tasted the food the new contestants had created. Whilst everything in the mystery box was chosen by me, I was pleasantly surprised with how the ingredients had been utilised. There were some stand outs for sure, individuals who delivered comforting, tasty, experimental and exciting food that inspired me to look at my own favourite ingredients differently – I love seeing how other people’s minds work, it’s fascinating! There was a whole lot more potential in specific elements that others served up, a bravery and creativity that was just so much fun to observe and sample.  And, as always in the early days, there was a lot of pasta and spaghetti heavy dishes.  I’m sure all MasterChef alumni can remember making pasta early on, its fun, therapeutic and when successful, an absolute triumph! I of course had a very rough time the next day, so much gluten that I had tried out of respect to their creators, but boy oh boy was my body angry with me…  Above all, I saw 24 individuals who were about to experience the adventure of a lifetime. They were about to experience highs and lows the likes of which I cannot compare, and come out stronger, more creative and up skilled on the other side.

 

As MasterChef approaches its 10th season, I can only imagine what goodies are in-store for the newest group of contenders, participants and soon to be the closest of friends. What a truly outstanding show and experience to have been a part of and be connected to. I was always a massive fan, I loved getting ideas and watching the participants create astounding dishes under intense time pressure; little did I know when watching Julie Goodwin and Poh Ling Yeow in 2009 that they were paving the way for all these years of entertainment, life-changing experiences, and what has now shaped my future in a most profound way.

There are so many moments I could share with you, but I’m a good rambler and I may not stop, so if you have any specific MasterChef Australia related questions, please #AskElena and I’ll do my best to respond here, soon.

xox Elena

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Personal

Life Since MasterChef

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November 2, 2017

- Personal

It has been an awesomely busy 12 months absolutely chocka-block-full of rewarding work, tremendous opportunities, wonderful people, fascinating places and delicious food!

MasterChef has opened up so many doors for me, cemented my desire and love for creating and cooking and provided me with the platform I needed to share, educate and continue to learn about all that this industry and culinary passion has to offer.


I have taken great pleasure in continuing with my work in education. It was bitter sweet to have to leave my job at Galston High School when I entered the MasterChef house. There is a part of me so dedicated to teaching and educating that I feel wherever I end up, it will follow me, guide me and inevitably be at the heart of everything I do. I have been very fortunate to have run a number of cooking workshops and master classes for our aspiring young chefs, incredible young people, disadvantaged children in and around Sydney, teaching them all I have learned before, during and since MasterChef and sharing with them the joy, inspiration and serenity that can be found when we create and learn together. I see so much value in creating awareness about using our local produce, understanding where foods come from and how sustainability affects our world, how we can be more respectful of our ingredients and our farmers – support their industries, minimize our waste and cook with what is seasonal, local, organic and delicious! I have also been working with behavioural and special needs students teaching them leadership, hospitality skills, world cuisine, cooking techniques and home economics – they’re thriving; it is joyful and rewarding work.

Much of my day to day has been spent building this lovely new website – a hub for all my favourite food related topics, styles, ingredients, philosophies; a place to connect with my dedicated audience, fans and fellow foodies – lets build this community together. I also continue to take part in cooking demonstrations all over Australia, keynote talks to high school students and teachers and MC’ing at various foodie festivals. My continued work with charity is important to me too, this last year I have been an ambassador for FebFast, who help youth workers supporting disadvantaged youth – I gave up sugar and alcohol for all of February, which was very rewarding. I also supported BarbeCURE for Cancer and the Greatest Australian Morning Tea, all of which hold special places in my heart and I thoroughly support their on-going, vital work.

You will have also seen me in Delicious Magazine of course, sharing with you some of my favourite seasonal recipes and a few Elena insights. Working with the great team at Delicious has helped me learn so much about another side of this industry, it is a very exciting and educational process and they are so passionate about what they do. Before my work began with Delicious I also wrote a few articles for local and national papers regarding seasonal produce (I think you may have gathered I hold high regard for good seasonal produce), tips, tricks and also some recipes.

There is almost too much to mention but I’ll talk you through some of my absolute highlights both in, and out of the limelight…..

October and November last year was a pretty busy and exciting time for me. My partner Eric and I got engaged which was an unbelievably special time for both of us – so as well as everything else, wedding plans have also been at the forefront of my very full mind! I had the honour of attending the RaboBank Farm2Fork Summit on Cockatoo Island. For those of you who don’t know, the Farm2Fork Summit is an absolutely enormous coming together of the international food and agriculture industry. The primary focus is on examining the challenges of global food security, future innovation for farmers and all produce related businesses and a showcasing of groundbreaking concepts in food.

The 2016 summit also coincided with the 400 year anniversary of Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog landing on Australia’s west coast and so Dutch Royals King Willem – Alexander and Queen Maxima were invited to be the headline guests, pretty exciting for me with my Dutch heritage. I was asked to cook for them at the Summit, which was an utterly thrilling experience! It was a very proud moment indeed, to present the King and Queen with my semi final dessert of Apple, Bickies and Cheese inspired by my childhood snacks and Dutch spiced cookies. Luckily for the thousands of other punters, there was plenty to share – more than I had ever imagined creating!

Early June saw me jetting off to India for World on a Plate festival. I visited both Mumbai and Bangalore for a truly culturally rich and wonderfully educational experience, which was one of a kind. The festival is India’s biggest international food festival and celebrates the very best of local music, culture and of course food! I had the honour of joining some of the best in the business; providing cooking demonstrations, judging competitions and attending the all-important Q and A sessions along with Ranveer Brar, Janice Wong, Gary Mehigan and Adriano Zumbo. With over 7000 people in attendance at both Bangalore and Mumbai, the festival was busy, breathtaking and an intimate insight into India’s way of life. I was made to feel so welcome and was immediately embraced by the truly gracious and kind people of both cities. Their pride in their culture and history was an unrivalled inspiration to me. My favourite part of the trip, aside from all the delicious food, was connecting with the people, meeting so many passionate food fans and gathering all sorts of recipe ideas and flavor techniques for my own cooking and for sharing with all of you of course. One of the hotels in which I had the pleasure of staying served an unbelievable ground lamb omelet which I may have to adapt, perhaps it will make a debut on my website, stay tuned. The festival worked closely with several local charities both utilizing leftover food and benefiting underprivileged young people and I was very grateful to be a part of this vital work whilst I was there.

Roll onto the beginning of August – I was invited by Janice Wong to attend and assist at the 20th anniversary of the Iron Chef Allstars at Sydney Opera House. To say I was excited is an understatement. For those who don’t know – The Iron Chef was a very popular Japanese TV show in the 90’s – a cook off type show (a style of show of which I am very fond of, naturally), contestants would take on one of the resident Iron Chefs in a cooking battle with a themed ingredient. You could say that the show paved the way for MasterChef. This fantastic event was the 20th Anniversary of the show’s final broadcast in 1997 and was a celebration of the incredible chefs that featured on the show and their history. The evening featured a 6 course degustation menu designed by the all-star chefs and some truly exhilarating entertainment also provided by the chefs. I was privileged to assist the food prep and plating up with some of my biggest cooking inspirations – Rokusaburo Michiba, Hiroyuki Sakai, Kenichi Chen, Masahiko Kobe, Kentaro Chen and of course my friend and pastry guru Janice Wong. What’s more is the event was held all in the aid of Opportunity International, a super charity providing families living in poverty some of the financial support they need to transform their lives.  

I have also spent some time at the William Angliss Institute – Australia’s largest centre for foods, tourism, hospitality and events training, and, where I actually auditioned for MasterChef. The institution offers a full certificate of degree programs and training. Education and being a part of educating is where my heart is, what I enjoy most. The biggest opportunity I see from my MasterChef success is this platform that it has provided for me on which I can teach and continue to learn myself. My work at the William Angliss Institute has included general mentoring of some of the students and the hosting of a delicious cook off competition which involved a lot of over indulging at an enormous buffet created by the students and then a bit of judging at the end.

Travel and food and connecting with community have been an incredible highlight through the last year.  I think I’ve seen more of Australia in the last year, while demonstrating, connecting with farmers, producers, locals, sampling local cuisine, regional produce and learning about specialty food products.  I continue to treat every activity and experience as an opportunity to learn and grow – I thrive when learning and absorbing from passionate experts in their field and I look forward to passing much of this knowledge and experience on to you.  

Most recently I have been working tirelessly to put together this foodie hub/cooking community for you all in the shape of my website. I did take 3 weeks off for a well-deserved break though. I visited America for my cousin’s wedding and did some travelling around with my fiancé and my family. I have seen so much, done so much and…..eaten so much! I look forward to filling you in on my USA adventures in a dedicated holiday blog…coming soon.

Elena

xox

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Personal

A little more of what I care about…

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November 2, 2017

- Personal

I feel privileged to have been born in a country with such an abundance of natural produce, which we all seem to hold so much respect for, so it is part of my duty as a chef, a member of my community, and as a human, to do whatever I can to protect and encourage environmentally mindful food consumption.Sustainability and health are my first priorities, and I aim to provide as much information on both not only through my cooking, but also through my partnerships as well.

The environment is of the utmost importance to me and as such, it is essential that my cooking follow the seasons. But never fear, this is what makes cooking exciting as it forces creativity, and provides a great atmosphere for learning. I am also passionate about people and education, and some of the most valuable wisdom you can acquire about food comes from those that farm, cultivate, and source the local ingredients we use everyday. So get out there, and start chatting with your local growers and farmers!

Having coped with a number of my own intolerances, sensitivities, and health issues for a large portion of my life (learn more about this by reading my blog I Have a Complicated Relationship with my Body), I strive to create dishes that take into consideration the many concerns that each of us feel in our individual relationships with food. You will find stacks of recipes here that are budget, environmentally and family friendly. You will also find dishes that are all about convenience and making healthy food into ‘fast food’. All of my recipes will include a multitude of options should your own intolerances require you to substitute individual ingredients. They will all naturally be things I can personally enjoy and test, so you can expect a whole range of gluten-, refined sugar, and grain-free options.

Last but by all means not least, I am deeply passionate about flavour. You will never live healthy and environmentally conscious lives if what you’re cooking isn’t tasty! One of my favourite things about MasterChef was the judges frequently referring to my dishes as flavour bombs, so you can expect that every dish I recommend is full-on, spoon-tappingly, moreishly scrum-diddily-umptious!

Other than being a mouthful, what is environmentally mindful food consumption? I think it is very much open to interpretation but fundamentally, when we choose what foods to grow, buy, prepare and eat there are many ways we can be a little more considerate of ourselves, each other and our home – Earth. Here are just a few items to consider:

A passion for plants– aim for at least half of every plate you consume to be plant based, this quite happily aids our bodily functions and enriches the environment. It generally means there’s less processing involved too, so less water and electricity used in their creation, and more natural foods headed straight towards our mind and body for the best fuel possible.

Minimal meat– consider lots of different sources of protein intake including eggs, nuts, and seeds.  If and when you choose to consume meats including but not limited to beef, pork and lamb, be mindful of their treatment, growth, and their potential environmental impact. Consider the diet of the animal and how that may affect your diet; for example, I try to only consume grass fed, organic beef (if it’s grain free, so am I) and, whenever possible, be in contact with either the butcher or farmer responsible for it reaching me.

Sustainable seafood– all seafood is a super precious gift, however, some species of fish are at extreme risk of being overfished and potentially extinct if we continue to consume them at the rate we are. Apps like Seafood Watch, created by the incredible Monterey Bay Aquarium, make choosing our dinner easy with giving us a rating of ‘best’ choices to those, which should be ‘avoided’. Wonderful news from the staff at the aquarium who have been seeing some species of fish become more abundant and off the danger list, within the app’s short life – so they’re doing a great job. I’ve got lots of thoughts on seafood so I’ll return to this topic in greater depth soon.

Keep it close – and when I say that I mean shop as locally and naturally as possible.  If your food is grown within 10-50kms, it’s likely to be fresher, had to travel less thus having less of a footprint and if you buy it from a farmer’s market, it’s most likely organic too.  The best thing about markets is that you get to speak to the farmers – the absolute experts in their field, the people who are most passionate about what they do.  They often have tricks and tips for understanding optimum ripeness and they may even have a few recipes up their sleeves for you to try. You’ll also feel more compelled to utilise every last skerrick of every vegetable more wisely, when you know the huge effort which the farmers have gone to, to nurture your veggies (keep your eyes peeled for my tips on pickling wilting veggies). Another great option is to join a food co-op, there’s plenty around Sydney if you do a quick search and hopefully some in your area too.  Third and finally, you can’t get much more local than your backyard, so grow whatever you can within your capability and space. Herbs are especially easy to grow and can make such a huge difference to flavor.

Sweet and seasonal – Fruit and vegetables are at their best, most nutrient dense and abundant when in season.  Get a little experimental when you have 1kg of asparagus, just because you can. Eat some carrots now, and pickle some for later.  When in season and abundant, fruit and vegetables are often more budget friendly – you get more for less. This is not rocket science people! Fortunately for us Australian residing people, we have a lot in season all year round!

Respectful and reflect – it’s easy to get caught up in a quick meal, trying to swallow things whole in attempt to regain a few minutes in each busy day. But it really can’t hurt, in fact I encourage you to take a few moments to really enjoy and consider what you’re eating. Be grateful for the energy you’re being provided and respectful of the nourishment the earth has given us. Taking some time to stop and truly be in the moment can slow us down, offer us perspective and, we may even require a little less food because our bodies can catch up and alert us of when we’re full.

Be on waste watch – this may mean reusing bags, containers, wraps etc., upcycling eggshells, avocado skins and coffee grounds. It may mean you invest in a tumbling compost barrel, you may get some laying chickens that, along with a worm farm, pretty much enjoy most scraps.  Aim to send less and less to landfill!

In terms of the effects on our individual, community and ‘whole earth health’, all of the above benefits us all.  We thrive when consuming minimally disrupted, natural foods; they nourish us, they can act as anti-inflammatories and they have medicinal benefits.  Whilst I’m not a doctor (more about that in my blog), I can give you some hints about what foods can assist in alleviating a whole stack of unwanted symptoms. Most of which has been known for centuries; so I send a very grateful thank you to our many and wondrous ancestors.

Keep an eye out for my glorious and exciting partnerships.  

Two brains are better than one and I love to collaborate, providing I’m working with philosophically like-minded individuals, groups, organisations and companies. And you know, we all love a give-away, and I can’t wait to pass on some awesome treats!

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Personal

Since Masterchef…

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October 23, 2017

- Personal

In the 12 months since MasterChef Elena hasn’t stopped!

She is a woman on a mission – to inspire and educate all her fellow foodies to find sustainable, healthy and flavour-rich ways of incorporating food into their lives. A great deal of time and energy has been spent creating this wonderful website – bringing to fruition her vision of a complete cooking resource, a place to find delicious recipes, top tips, reflections, memories, ideas and solutions; a complete food community.

Elena has been a part of some very rewarding charity work for organisations such as FebFast and Cancer Council Australia. She has also found the time to continue teaching; Elena has been able to share all she has learned from MasterChef by providing cooking classes for young people in and around Sydney.

Elena has been incredibly honoured to demonstrate at multiple international and domestic food festivals. She recently returned home for the Noosa Food and Wine Festival, headed to India for the World on a Plate food festival and attended the 20th Anniversary and Iron Chef All Stars Charity dinner in aid of Opportunity International. A particular highlight for Elena was being invited to cook a dish representing her heritage to the Dutch King and Queen in addition to 1500 guests in attendance at the RaboBank Farm2Fork Summit on Cockatoo Island.

Elena returned to California briefly to visit potential work experience locations as part of her continued learning and development as a chef. In truth, far too much has happened to fit into this little space!

You can read more about all Elena’s travels since MasterChef here.

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I have a complicated relationship with my body

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October 10, 2017

- Personal

Doesn’t that sound familiar?!

It is such a heartbreakingly common statement that I know so many of us can relate to. I’ve gone through emotional and physical positivity, appreciation and gratitude, and then the extreme opposite; anger, fear, chronic pain, depression and anxiety when it comes to how I view my body, it’s capabilities, it’s limitations, it’s ever changing shape, weight, texture and beauty.

I did most of my growing by the time I was 12 years old. I was almost 6ft before I’d even reached high school. I was a giant, long legged freak – I was torn between enjoying being treated like a grown up and just wanting to be like all of my friends. I wanted to play the girl role in my jazz dance class, not the boy, but still preferred the boys’ costume. I enjoyed being in the back row for class photos, but I was usually the only girl.  My size and presence was in a continuous battle with my image and understanding of femininity.

I was reasonably proud of my muscular legs that I’d earned through daily activity; snorkeling in the Noosa River and swimming in the ocean or pools… that is until one day I overheard one of the most desired and popular young men at the school comment that I had “nice legs but my skirts were way too short”, hilariously and ironically I was already wearing the largest size uniform available from the school. I had no choice otherwise I’d be ignoring school rules, and I just didn’t do that. I was excited to try out for the school Netball team that same year. I didn’t make the A-team because I’d, “…grown so much so quickly, and just didn’t know how to use my body,” with my limbs and height all over the place.

I was never particularly interested in designer fashion, not because I didn’t like pretty things, but because I got used to having to wear women’s clothes as a child to ensure they fit adequately, appropriately and practically. As an adult, even less exciting options were available in the curvy/ plus size sections and even today they often reflect asymmetrical patchwork quilts rather than flattering, age appropriate, empowering ensembles. I’ve often found myself somewhere between the largest size in regular and then venturing into plus size clothing, a lot of which just isn’t flattering. I know that all you wonderfully curvy women out there hear me!

When my well trained, strong and healthy body lapped a young man several times in my year 12 class PDHPE 90 minute snorkelling challenge, and my gender-biased teacher immediately claimed my dishonesty (because how could that possibly have happened?!) I was definitely angered, upset and enormously frustrated because the truth, as witnessed by the whole class (including said lapped young man, now with very bruised ego) was let fall along the poolside.  My value as a female, my value in my healthy and capable body was totally dismissed.

Along with various diagnoses including Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in my early twenties and just this year, Endometriosis, came various prescribed medications. Some of which dulled some symptoms but created others, including significant weight fluctuations and changes to my shape. In truth the only time I have ever felt truly satisfied with my appearance was when I was running 10km a day and eating a very strict diet (we all know that is no fun and certainly not maintainable!) My strength, pain tolerance and fitness have all been affected by both not medicating and medicating my symptoms, making everyday life feel like a challenge at times.  I love to exercise- I have rowed, played netball, played basketball, attended many gyms, used PTs, done yoga, I have run, jogged, walked and swam what sometimes feels like a whole ocean. Sometimes my pain and pain induced exhaustion makes it impossible to get out of bed, to stand up. Frustrated with an endless deluge of medicated quick fixes… I was determined to find the cause. I just couldn’t understand why people wanted to treat the effects rather than the cause.

In the last 8 to 10 years, with some extensive research and a particularly wonderful doctor, I’ve learned that some of my body changes have been due to a variety of health concerns and diagnoses.  My first endocrinologist (wonderful doctor, as mentioned above) blew me away when he told me the ‘story’ of my growth and behavior accurately, based on his 40+ years of studying Insulin Resistance. He also told me that insulin resistance was to blame for my small feet and hands – not freakishly small, but sometimes I wonder how I don’t fall over more often – this causation has always made me giggle. All of these challenges and indeed the revelations have driven my fascination with body nourishment; food for fuel, food for healing and food for sheer enjoyment – it is amazing the affect a happy mind can have on the body!

When I’m feeling capable and strong, I love my body, I appreciate my body for all that it can do and I look forward to reaching my goals, seeing improvement and tracking my progress.  I love my body for being a precious vessel, which carries me through this incredible life.  I love what my body enables me to be involved in. I love that my body can surprise me with its strength, endurance, recovery and miraculous healing.

Sometimes I feel happy with my appearance and sometimes I don’t. More often than not, the days that I don’t are related to the expectations of others, external pressures and imagery associated with beauty and success – moulds that I simply don’t fit.  Most of those days I can talk myself around by practicing gratitude and gaining a little perspective. Unfortunately there is the odd day when I really beat myself up and let those feelings impact on my self-worth and value. I know that this negativity is in all of us and sometimes it just gets the better of us.

On top of all that (as if that wasn’t enough!) I’m also gluten intolerant, aside from the variety of undesired symptoms that come along with this intolerance (blood sugar spikes and falls, painful digestion, a variety of eczemas and very inhibiting inflammation), some of the world’s favourite, traditional and convenient dishes are full of gluten – how boring! A little known fact, out of the 60 dishes I created in MasterChef, only two of them contained gluten – this didn’t seem to disappoint three of the world’s best and most discerning palates.  I was determined; I am determined, to create delicious, nutrient rich, beautiful food without anyone missing out, including me! I don’t, and I never wanted to be coined as ‘the gluten free’ chef, it simply doesn’t encompass everything I do.  I also get a lot of my enjoyment from cooking for others enjoyment, and sometimes that means cooking dishes for my loved ones that I don’t or choose not eat. But, if you are like me and have to listen to your body and find a way to work in harmony with it, then be sure to browse through my free food recipes for perfectly satisfying alternatives for all our scrumptious favourites and pantry staples.

All of these experiences have driven me to seek answers, to seek control, to seek a healthier approach, mind, body and soul; to find a way to thrive and prosper, to work with my beautiful body and not against it.  I like to cook, I like to grow, I like to connect with farmers and producers, I like knowing what I’m fuelling my body with, I like knowing what I’m putting into my mouth, I like being aware what I’m sensitive to, intolerant to and also what makes me flourish. This is just some of my motivation for creating healthy alternatives to some family favourite recipes, alternatives to my favourite cuisines, using ingredients and methods that allow me to be my best self without missing out on all the joy associated with eating.  I look forward to sharing ongoing tips and tricks with you and likewise, I’m happy to hear from you – your stories, your favourites, healthy alternatives, your successes or challenges and how you overcome whatever challenges you face.

Elena xox

PS. Reflecting my diet choices, being gluten free and watching my sugar in-take too (an unfortunate consequence of being insulin resistant), I thought I would share with you an undeniable food staple, something most of us hate to love and definitely something that needs to be a free food for me….Bread.

I don’t eat a huge amount of bread, but to have the option on hand is convenient.  I keep mine in the freezer to prolong its longevity and to allow for my intermittent toast cravings. Here’s a favourite bread recipe of mine, of which there are several easy variations depending on your personal preference.  

It doesn’t require kneading or proving; it’s filling, satisfying and above all it’s delicious!

Start baking!

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