Today I speak with acclaimed Tuscan food writer and cooking teacher Giulia Scarpaleggia 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 out gluten twelve years ago).
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.
Links:
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore/* Julia’s Newsletter: https://julskitchen.substack.com/
* Find Giulia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julskitchen/
* My full story with food: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/my-history-with-food-its-complicated
Recipes:
* Giulia’s Potato & Asparagus Tortelli: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/cook-along-potato-and-asparagus-tortelli
* Castagnaccio (Tuscan chestnut cake): https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/castagnaccio-chestnut-cake
* Giulia’s Strawberry biancomangiare: https://julskitchen.substack.com/p/strawberry-biancomangiare
* Lemon Olive Oil Cake: https://fromscratchfast.com/lemon-olive-oil-polenta-cake-recipe-gluten-free/
* Orange Olive Oil Cake: https://fromscratchfast.com/orange-olive-oil-cake-recipe-gluten-free/
* Apple Honey Cake: https://fromscratchfast.com/healthy-paleo-gluten-free-apple-cake-recipe/
* Almond Coconut Cake: https://fromscratchfast.com/almond-coconut-cake/
* Carrot Cake (omit the frosting or use coconut whipped cream): https://fromscratchfast.com/healthy-gluten-free-carrot-cake-recipe/
* Vegan Coconut Lime Panna Cotta: https://fromscratchfast.com/coconut-lime-panna-cotta-with-roasted-berries/
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 (https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)