Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Podcast

This is the season seven finale—and it's a personal one. In this solo episode, I explore what freedom actually feels like in the body: not the rush, not the grand gesture, but the quieter, more powerful kind that's available to us in any moment of everyday life. From harvesting arugula on an unexpected free morning to catching myself measuring tamari in my own fried rice recipe, I get honest about...

What happens when you hand a stranger all your savings in cash, buy a restaurant in the middle of the Mojave desert on a feeling, and build something extraordinary from scratch? You get La Copine. This week I sat down with Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth — the couple and creative duo behind one of the most talked-about destination restaurants in the California desert and authors of the new cookboo...

This week's intention is a carry-over from Sunday's post on inner power — and it's one I needed deeply this week: I will get grounded. Getting grounded isn't a wellness buzzword. It's a felt sense in the body. A root system for real, lasting inner power. And in this short episode, I explore what that actually looks like — in the chakra system, in the kitchen, in the way we move through an ordinary...

In this episode, I sit down with Jerrelle Guy—author of the James Beard Award finalist Black Girl Baking , the newly published We Fancy , and creator of the newsletter The Dinner Ritual —for a conversation about ego death, creative burnout, body trust, and the radical freedom of letting yourself be exactly who you are. Jerrelle and I kept talking long after we stopped recording. This one goes deep...

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki reflects on a recent retreat in Ireland and the reminder that joy, creativity, and play are not frivolous—they’re essential. In a world that can feel heavy and overwhelming, play becomes a way to reconnect to ourselves, access deeper wisdom, and return to a sense of lightness. This episode is an invitation to loosen the grip, step out of survival mode, and b...

In this week’s episode, I sit down with registered dietitian and functional medicine practitioner Samantha Rigoli for a grounded, empowering conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and how to support ourselves through this season of change with more nourishment and less dogma. We explore the common—and often overlooked—symptoms of perimenopause, how shifting hormones can impact mood, sleep, s...

What does it really mean to nourish yourself? In this episode, I sit down with chef, food stylist, and author Melina Hammer ( A Year at Catbird Cottage ) for a thoughtful conversation on food, self-care, and living with more intention. Together, we explore how to create simple, nourishing meals using seasonal ingredients, find inspiration in spring cooking and foraging (including garlic mustard an...

This week’s intention is: I will get curious. Building on last week’s practice of moving one step at a time, this episode explores how curiosity can help us move through overwhelm and reconnect with play. When we let go of the need for a perfect outcome, we open ourselves to creativity, discovery, and growth—in the kitchen and beyond. Tune in for a simple shift that can bring more ease, experiment...

In this episode, I’m joined by Marije Vogelzang, a pioneering Dutch food designer who uses food as a medium to explore human connection, emotion, and experience. While we often think of food as flavor or nutrition, Marije invites us to see it as something much deeper—a way to access memory, create meaning, and reconnect with ourselves and each other. This conversation explores food as ritual, as p...

Feeling the surge of spring energy—the ideas, the momentum, the urge to do it all at once? In this week’s intention episode, I’m sharing a gentle reminder: we don’t have to rush to the finish line. Just like seeds in the garden, growth happens step by step. In this episode, we explore: *Why this season of “activation” can feel both exciting and overwhelming *The wisdom of slowing down and trusting...

What if cooking felt less like following rules—and more like freedom? In this episode, I’m joined by intuitive cooking coach Katerina Pavlakis to explore how we can move beyond rigid recipes and reconnect with our senses in the kitchen. We talk about building confidence, cooking with creativity, and finding joy in everyday meals. Katerina shares how to think in patterns instead of recipes, layer f...

What if the smallest moments of your day held the potential to shift everything? In this short episode, Nicki explores the idea of making each moment sacred—not in a perfect or lofty way, but through simple, real-life awareness. Inspired by her recent conversation with Tamar Adler, this episode dives into what “sacred” actually feels like in the body, and how everyday acts like cooking, eating, or...

In this episode, Nicki sits down with Tamar Adler , the James Beard and IACP Award–winning author of An Everlasting Meal , Something Old, Something New , and the bestselling The Everlasting Meal Cookbook . Her newest book, Feast on Your Life , explores how everyday cooking can become a practice of attention, care, and delight. Together they discuss why cooking still matters, how noticing with our...

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki reflects on the power of connection—both with ourselves and with others. After several weeks of book tour events and retreats, meeting listeners and readers in person reminded her how nourishing it can be to share our stories and experiences. But true connection doesn’t begin with other people—it begins within. Nicki explores how real connection doesn't come...

Welcome to season 7! In this episode, I'm joined by cookbook author, photographer, and gluten-free baking pioneer Aran Goyoaga to talk about her book The Art of Gluten-Free Bread . We dive into what it really takes to make beautiful, structured gluten-free bread — from sourdough starters (flour + water + time + wild yeast) to fermentation, ingredients, and why using a scale matters. Aran breaks do...

In this final Weekly Intention episode of 2025, Nicki invites you into a simple but transformative practice for the holiday season and the months ahead: opening to delight . Nicki reflects on how awe can arise in the most ordinary places—a cut grapefruit, the smell of spiced coffee, a quiet childhood memory beneath the Christmas tree. Even on tired, imperfect days, these tiny moments of delight ca...

Today’s conversation felt like a deep exhale. Nicki sits down with breathwork teacher and writer Ashley Neese , author of How to Breathe and Permission to Rest , and publisher of The Deeper Call newsletter. Together they explore what it really means to rest—beyond sleep—and how to work with your nervous system, not against it. Ashley shares the neurobiological and emotional benefits of rest, why s...

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki explores what it means to be simple —not to simplify our lives through action, but to embody a state of simplicity itself. She reflects on why slowing down can feel harder than staying busy, how our nervous systems get swept into the collective pace of the season, and why embracing simplicity—especially now—can feel both radical and deeply nourishing. She sh...

In this cozy, holiday-ready episode, Nicki sits down with cookbook author and entertaining pro Dan Pelosi to talk about what it really takes to host with joy—without burning out. Dan shares how his Italian American upbringing shaped his love of feeding people, how he protects the joy in his work as a food creator, and the simple mindset shifts and rituals that make gatherings feel more spacious, p...

This is the episode that almost didn’t happen. After a day of endless tech glitches and an overflowing to-do list, Nicki found herself gripping tightly to her plans—until she finally decided to let go. In this short “Weekly Intention” transmission, Nicki explores what it really means to release control, soften perfectionism, and surrender to what is. Through stories from her kitchen and life, she...

Today’s episode weaves together two different threads: how we can eat meat more sustainably (and joyfully) and how we can live in a way that feels more sustainable to our nervous systems. Nicki is joined by butcher-turned-writer Steve Sabicer , creator of the newsletter Enlightened Omnivore . Steve shares his winding path from PBS-obsessed latchkey kid to running an artisanal whole-animal butcher...

Feeling scattered or overwhelmed lately? You’re not alone. In this short grounding episode, Nicki Sizemore shares how to reconnect to calm and balance through mindful cooking, breath, and presence. Inspired by her talk with author Robyn Moreno, she explores how simple rituals—and earthy, seasonal foods—can help us feel steady and supported, even in busy seasons of life. ✨ This week’s intention: I...

Writer and curanderismo practitioner Robyn Moreno joins me to talk about healing, the kitchen, and what it means to get rooted when life feels “slippery slick.” Robyn shares her journey from being a high-level executive to embracing curanderismo—a traditional Mexican practice of caring for oneself and others. We explore how perfectionism and ambition can sneak into healing, the meaning of susto (t...

Weekly Intention: I Will Find Freedom in Structure This week’s intention explores the paradoxical relationship between freedom and structure. Nicki reflects on how true spaciousness often arises within boundaries—the same way a recipe, a menu plan, or a daily ritual can create room for ease and flow in the kitchen and beyond. Tune in to explore how structure can become a sacred container for freed...

Feeling uninspired in the kitchen? You’re not alone. In this episode, I talk with Maggie Hoffman—host of The Dinner Plan podcast and newsletter—about cooking burnout and how to rekindle joy in the kitchen. We explore simple structures that support creativity, ways to tune into what you actually want to eat, and how to plan meals that feel nourishing rather than stressful. Maggie shares practical t...