Freedom to choose what you want in each moment is the most authentic thing. It’s being authentic to your now. - Jerrelle Guy
Hello my friends,
What happens when the very thing that once lit you up—cooking, creating, sharing food—becomes the thing that buries you?
In this week’s podcast episode I sit down with Jerrelle Guy—author of the James Beard Award finalist Black Girl Baking, her newly published We Fancy (so good!), and the newsletter The Dinner Ritual—for one of those rare conversations that feels less like an interview and more like two old friends finally finding each other. We discover (out loud, in real time) how parallel our paths have been: both artists who claimed the kitchen as our canvas, both creators who sprinted toward burnout, and both women who had to lose themselves before they could come back home.
Jerrelle and I ended up talking long after this episode was over, and I almost wish we had just kept going. This one goes deep. Pour yourself something warm and delicious, and settle in.
In this episode we cover:
Roots, culture & a Florida palate: How Jerrelle’s deep-South, Pacific Island, and Caribbean upbringing shaped the way she cooks and craves.
The kitchen as the first canvas: We both discovered cooking as creative play (and how the Food Network was the unlikely spark for us both).
Burnout, ego death & hitting the wall: The fear-driven hustle that led Jerrelle to a full creative collapse, and why she now sees it as a necessary reckoning.
Inner alignment as the real work: Why going quiet and doing nothing “productive” is sometimes the most powerful creative act.
Body shame, diet culture & coming back home: A frank, tender conversation about learning to speak to your body the way you would a child you deeply love.
The inner child meditation that changed everything: The stillness practice that cracked Jerrelle open and reconnected her with her playful, curious core self.
Labels, freedom & cooking without rules: What watermelon sushi and shiitake bacon have to do with asking: who am I right now, and what do I actually want?
Authenticity, style & not forcing it: Why personal style—in art and in life—can’t be manufactured, only uncovered through joyful, consistent practice.
“One step from an aligned place is a hundred times more powerful than a billion steps out of sync with yourself.” — Jerrelle Guy
You can listen to (or watch) today’s episode right here, or, better yet, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, or You Tube.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s show, and don’t forget to tap the heart in this post to let me know you’re here!
With love,
Nicki
Recipe Index | Website | Instagram | More Recipes | Cookbooks
I’d love your support ❤️
If today’s conversation resonated with you, I’d love it if you shared it with someone who might need to hear it. Leaving a rating also helps more people find the show—and if you’d like to go deeper, becoming a paid subscriber is one of the most meaningful ways to support this work. This ad-free show exists because of this community, and subscribers get access to recipes, cooking classes, bonus content, and more.
Links and resources mentioned in the show
Jerrelle’s fabulous new book, We Fancy
Jerrelle’s newsletter, The Dinner Ritual
Jerrelle’s website
Find Jerrelle on Instagram
The podcast episode mentioned with Abigail Rose Clarke
Abigail’s book, Returning Home to Our Bodies
The podcast episode mentioned with Lukas Volger
