FOOD IS MEDICINE

I’m a native New Yorker and was raised by South African hippie/rock musician parents who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970’s. I spent my formative years pursuing an acting career in the city and traveling overseas to Cape Town visiting relatives for the holidays. I come from a family of self-taught home cooks. My greatest memories on Earth are of my grandmother in her kitchen peeling and crisping potatoes or gazing down the long dining table set with roast lamb, pork crackling, cauliflower au gratin, pickled onions, warm Christmas pudding drizzled with cream, and Auntie Shirl’s Trifle. I used to eat everything under the sun without a care in the world! That was until my health took a sharp turn.

Today I live in the Pennsylvania countryside with my husband and our two teenage daughters. For the past 14 years I’ve been on a healing journey that began after the birth of our second child. Following a string of doctor visits and confusion, I was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, digestive issues, and eventually Lyme disease.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and search for ways to reclaim my health naturally.  

It’s been a ton of hard work full of triumphs and disappointments but I’ve mostly recovered using a combination of alternative medicine, lifestyle changes, and the undeniable power of nutrition. My diet has changed a lot and is now free of processed foods, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar although I do allow a bit of room for small indulgences every now and then. I still love making traditional recipes for family and friends and have been challenged to cook these foods alongside my personal dietary needs.

Creating simple delicious and healthy meals that include everyone at the table is the essence of The Kitchen Commune.

What you’ll find here are mostly plant-based allergen-free recipes, some wild fish, pastured eggs and animals, nutrient dense whole foods, and plenty of updated familiar classics.  I like to share demonstration videos too that might encourage home cooking and simplify the process.  Making your own food can be very easy, deeply empowering, and allows you to control what’s going into your body. 

I’m a certified integrative health coach and work with clients one on one to support them with personalized food and lifestyle changes.

I hope to offer you inspiration and help celebrate your loved ones together at the table in your kitchen commune.

With love,

Chay