We are back with another exciting episode of The Aligned Love podcast! Today's show features the amazing Chef Palak Patel as our guest, who joins our host, Lauren Zoeller! They discuss cultivating relationships through food and how you can use love to deepen and foster connections in your life. Palak is a classically trained chef, the owner of Dash and Chutney restaurant, two-time winner of Food Network’s famed show Chopped, and a TEDx speaker! Join the conversation as we delve into her book, Food Is Love: Plant-Based Indian-Inspired Recipes to Feel Joy and Connection, and the story behind the title. We also unpack her journey of using food as a form of connection in this episode. Tune in for all this and so much more. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Palak shares the story behind her book’s title, Food is Love. We unpack her journey using food as the catalyst to connect; not solely to herself but to those she’s serving.
• How her emotional state influences the food or recipes she creates.
• Where, how, and why listeners should start the process of using food as a connection point.
• Finding the emotion that drives the “chore” of cooking. 
• Palak’s advice on planning day-to-day meals and centering them around connection.
  
  

Quotes:

“[Food, for me] is the ultimate glue. It’s kind of the ultimate expression of who I am and how I care for the people in my life.” — @chefpalak [0:06:47]

“I think emotions really do drive what we eat, — what we reach for, and what we cook.” — @chefpalak [0:07:42]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Palak Patel

Palak Patel on Instagram

Palak Patel on X

Palak Patel on Facebook

Palak Patel on TikTok

Food Is Love: Plant-Based Indian-Inspired Recipes to Feel Joy and Connection

The Power of Community Cooking and Eating Together | Palak Patel | TEDxRutgers

Lauren Zoeller

Lauren Zoeller on LinkedIn

Lauren Zoeller on Instagram

Lauren Zoeller on X

Lauren Zoeller on TikTok

Lauren Zoeller on Facebook

The Aligned Love Collective

The Aligned Love Podcast