Culture and Cuisine with Diala Canelo

What does it mean to you to ‘eat well’…and where did those beliefs and ideas come from?

I find myself asking these types of questions more and more as I realize that so many of my beliefs around success, happiness and yes, health, came from a very specific + one sided dialogue in our culture. And I am so consistently inspired by folks who embody a different way of being: one that feels abundant and joyful, while staying in your integrity. One that prioritizes rest and pleasure no matter what life throws at them.

Meet Diala.

This week I am talking to one of the most delightful humans on the internet, Diala Canelo, author, photographer and creator of Diala’s Kitchen where she shares beautiful plant-forward, pescatarian recipes inspired by her travels and her Dominican culture.

I speak with Diala about her journey from a 19-year-old who didn’t cook at all to becoming a pastry chef in Mexico City. We also chat about the flavours and culinary customs of her childhood, her extensive travels, and her refreshing philosophy on living well. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss…

About Diala Canelo:

Diala is the author of Diala’s Kitchen: Plant-forward and Pescatarian Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel as well as the content creator and food photographer behind the popular @dialaskitchen instagram. Diala is based in Toronto, where she lives with her daughters Isabella and Gaby, and her partner Warren.

On this episode we chat about:

Why striving to be proud of what you do is better than striving for perfection
The importance of eating more than one meal together as a family
Growing up in the Dominican Republic and the flavours, spices, and fragrances of the country’s cuisine
Why “elevating” foods from other countries is a term that needs the boot, stat.
What it means to be a creator in the food world and how cultural appropriation is harming creators of colour
The importance of understanding “impact” over “intention” when it comes to appropriation
Why she refuses to work with brands that ask her to talk about “guilt free” eating or cooking
Why Diala is “pro-age” and believes that years offer us liberation
Why creators need to create primarily for themselves, especially in the face of social media algorithms that hide content when we don’t play their game
Why we need “a new relationship with this app.”