on her favorite restaurant in NYC and soulfood

I met Jennifer (also known as Skinny Chef) at a dinner she hosted earlier this year combining food with alchemy and meditation. Yes, I know... right up my alley. As a nyc chef, holistic health coach and yoga teacher, I was intrigued by how she combined her passions to create the workshop and had to introduce you to her.

If you were to start your day with an intention what would it be?

Keep Up, stay in the flow. My lifestyle and work is very active, so burn out is is what I dread. Now my focus is to stop doing things that drain energy and stay in a happy flow of doing work you love and being productive too :)

What’s your morning routine like and how important is it to you?

Yes, a big mug of black coffee (my true love) first then meditation. I meditation every morning to ground me so I don't "freak out" when I see my to-do list! Also I found sometimes dreams and deep sleep can sort of follow you into the day, so the kind of Chi meditation I do moves the energy around the body and gets me fresh faced for the day.

As a chef and health coach, where did your love of food begin?

When I was a child, and I watched how my Granny nutured her family through food. She also expressed her creativity and pride in her cooking skills and knowledge through food. She started to teach me how to cook at the age of 8.

Who or what inspires you?

So many people and things inspire me, I find it shift depending on what I'm working on within myself and with my writing. One re-occuring theme is soufulness and passion. Right now I am loving essential oils and Marion Woodman, a feisty, gypsy loving analyst who's movie I just watched.

Congratulations on your book, “50 Shade of Kale!” What’s your favorite kale recipe right now?

Thanks so much!. Kale pesto is my favorite then and now, it's really the easiest and classic recipe I use in all of my workshops because people love it and it travels well.

What's your favorite restaurant in NYC?

This is a hard one, so many great places out there. Lavagna has been a long time fav, great Italian good prices, I love their homemade pastas and the romantic decor.

What does your dream daily food diary look like?

I like to track what I eat generally, especially since I do health coaching and I always want to see how changes to my diet effects how I feel and look. An average day starts with black coffee, then meditaiton then a smoothie with kale and fruit, kefir, nuts and seeds, lunch can be salads or cooked veggies with some protein, fish, shrimp or an egg, Dinner is similar to lunch and a do a small handful of carb like rice crackers, rice, or quinoa, with another cooked veggie like cauliflower. My cheat foods are dark chocolate (2 square) and cappucino. I eat red meat 1-2 times a month, grassfed rules!!

How else do you live beautifully?

Doing things that feed my soul, cooking for others, dancing tango, and exploring new spiritual or movement traditions like NIA, Shamanism, Quigong and more...