Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Podcast

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 play, and as a powerful tool for presence.
We also dive into the parts of food we often avoid—the connection to death, transformation, and the unseen processes that make nourishment possible—and how embracing these realities can deepen our gratitude and sense of aliveness.
Toward the end, Marije shares a simple, playful way to make your meals more meaningful—something you can try at your own table tonight.
Links and Resources
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Marije’s website: www.marijevogelzang.nl
* Food Design Playground: www.fooddesignplayground.nl
* Find Marije on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marije_vogelzang/



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

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 the process
*How moving step by step can bring more ease and joy into your days
*A simple way to practice this in the kitchen (even on a busy schedule) plus a spring entertaining menu
*How missteps and “failures” often lead to something even better
This is an invitation to soften, surrender, and remember: the transformation happens in the making—not just the end result. Be sure to head over to the newsletter, where I share the spring menu!
LINKS
* This week's newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time
* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

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 flavor with ease, and trust your instincts so cooking becomes simple, nourishing, and even fun.
In this episode:
* What intuitive cooking really means
* How to trust your senses in the kitchen
* Why recipes can feel limiting—and how to use them as inspiration
* Simple ways to build flavor and add contrast
* A more flexible, non-restrictive approach to healthy eating
LINKS & RESOURCES
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Katerina's website: https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/
* Find Katerina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.cook/


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

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 doing the dishes can become opportunities for presence, gratitude, and connection.
She shares a real-life story about completely forgetting this intention… and why that’s actually the point.
This episode is a gentle reminder that the practice isn’t about getting it right—it’s about remembering, again and again.
LINKS
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Nicki's episode with Tamar Adler: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/tamar-adler
* Nicki's episode with Bella Lively: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/bella-lively
* Good Things cookbook, by Samin Nosrat: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984857781



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

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 senses can transform the kitchen experience, and why letting go of perfectionism can bring more freedom and joy to home cooking. Tamar also shares her thoughts on cooking for children, simple rituals around the table, and a powerful reframe: focusing less on making the perfect meal and more on the experience of gathering and being fed.
This conversation is an invitation to slow down, cook with presence, and rediscover the meaning and pleasure in everyday meals.
LINKS & RESOURCES
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Tamar’s newsletter, The Kitchen Shrink: https://tamaradler.substack.com/
* Find Tamar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamar.e.adler/
* Tamar’s new book, Feast on Your Life: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781668078020



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe