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Hello and welcome back to the podcast! Today I speak with acclaimed Tuscan food writer and cooking teacher about how food sensitivities impact our identities, health, and well-being. Giulia is the author of six cookbooks, including her latest, Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals, and she also publishes the newsletter Letters from Tuscany.
Giulia describes her recent journey of having to cut dairy out of her diet after a three-year health struggle, which has not been easy as an Italian who loves cheese! While Giulia grew up in Italy (where she still lives) and I grew up in the US, you’ll hear how we have remarkably similar backgrounds in terms of how we each found our calling in food and also how we each navigated health issues after having our first child (for me, that resulted in having to cut gluten out of my diet twelve years ago, which you can hear more about here).
While it’s not easy to cut out a beloved food (whether temporarily or permanently), Giulia and I share how there is also a silver lining, not only in feeling better in our bodies, but also in discovering new ingredients, new perspectives and a renewed connection to ourselves. Giulia offers tips for going dairy-free, and she also shares some dairy-free Italian recipes, which I’ve linked to below. I’ve also linked to my own favorite dairy-free desserts, all of which just happen be gluten-free.
While these are personal stories, I think many of us have either dealt with a food sensitivity ourselves or know of somebody who has. This is such an inspiring episode, and please forward it along to anybody you know who might be on a similar journey. We’re here for you.
Finally, I want to give a big shout-out and CONGRATULATIONS!! to and , two of my favorite podcast guests, who recently received James Beard nominations. You can check out their episodes below.
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xo, Nicki
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Recipes:
Carrot Cake (omit the frosting or use coconut whipped cream)
Links:
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Navigating Food Sensitivities, Identity and Health