Shows
In My Kitchen with PaulaMade in Taiwan: A Culinary Legacy with Ivy ChenWhat if preserving a recipe was the key to preserving a culture?In this heartfelt and flavor-packed episode, I sit down with Ivy Chen—longtime cooking instructor, co-author of Made in Taiwan, and the force behind Ivy’s Kitchen in Taipei.You’ll hear about:🍚 Why sticky rice dishes like oil rice are central to Taiwanese celebrations🏮 The cultural rituals that surround food—from ancestor offerings to baby blessings🎥 What it was like filming with Phil Rosenthal for Somebody Feed PhilWhether you’re a curious home cook or someone tra...2025-07-1750 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaNot Your Butter Chicken: Exploring Cultural Heritage with Shiva ReddyWhat if the immigrant story you’ve heard is only half the truth?In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Shiva Reddy—sommelier, food columnist for CBC Vancouver, and host of the acclaimed docuseries Not Your Butter Chicken. We talk about identity, heritage, and the power of food to connect us to our culture and the women who shaped it.Shiva shares the deeply personal story behind the series, inspired by her mother’s dementia and her own journey to reclaim the flavors and traditions of her Indo-Fijian roots. From hustling samosas as a t...2025-07-1050 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFlavourful Bonds Part 4: What We Leave BehindWhat if you could supercharge your travel experiences, with just a little perspective?In this episode I wrap up the four-part series 'Flavourful Bonds' by delving into the character strengths of humility, gratitude, and legacy within the culinary traditions of Pakistan, Mexico, and Croatia. I share personal anecdotes, cultural insights, and practical exercises to help travelers and food enthusiasts recognize and practice these strengths through food. You will learn about:✈️ How these strength helps us to have a more immersive travel experience🍲 Traditional dishes like Peka, Sarma an...2025-06-2725 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFlavourful Bonds Part 3: Resilience in the RupturesHow do food and culinary traditions reflect resilience, forgiveness, and hope? In this episode I look at the character strengths of forgiveness, hope and perspective through the lens of food in Pakistan and also Vietnam and Portugal. Three countries that have experienced upheaval and rupture. Through personal stories and culinary traditions I illustrate how these strengths manifest in the kitchen and during travels, emphasizing the importance of food in preserving memory, fostering connection, and enabling healing. You will hear reflections on:🌏Partition of India in 1947: Devastation and the birth of Pakista...2025-06-2420 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFlavourful Bonds Part 2: Exploring Cultural Truths Through CuisineHow do honesty, integrity, and fairness shape our culinary adventures and deepen our connections across cultures? Join me in episode two of 'Flavourful Bonds' as I explore these character strengths through stories and culinary experiences from around the world. Learn how honesty varies in different cultures, the importance of culinary integrity in places like Italy and Pakistan, and how fairness is shown in community-based tourism and traditional meals. This episode invites You to reflect on your values and the impact of your presence, transforming you from mere tourists to guests who honor the tables you a...2025-06-1315 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFlavourful Bonds Part 1: Kindness Served WarmHaver you ever wondered how food can create deeper, meaningful relationships? In this first episode of our special four-part series, Flavourful Bonds, we delve into the VIA character strengths and how they manifest in different cultures. This week, we're kicking off with 'Kindness Served Warm' and exploring love, kindness, and gratitude through memorable meals and personal stories. We’ll travel from my own kitchen to the homes of Suha, Naomi and visit Japan, and the warm hearts of New Zealanders. You’ll not only hear about diverse culinary traditions but also practice some reflect...2025-06-0634 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaWhip Up Wellbeing: Character Strengths in Action (Part 2)What if your best travel companion isn’t your passport—but your personality?In this solo episode, host Paula Mohammed continues the conversation on character strengths—those deeply personal yet often overlooked qualities that shape how we connect, cook, and travel. Building on episode 33, Paula explores how our signature strengths like curiosity, kindness, and humor show up in everyday moments—from bustling street markets to quiet shared meals with strangers.She shares personal stories, including a dog bite in Portugal (yes, really) and a watermelon dinner on a Greek ferry, to illustrat...2025-05-2922 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaWhip Up Wellbeing: Character Strengths in Action (Part 1)Ever wondered what makes you truly shine? In this episode we go on an exciting journey to discover our unique character strengths using the VIA Character Strengths framework. Developed by positive psychologists Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson, this framework identifies 24 universal strengths that help individuals not just get by, but truly flourish. We Talk About:😀How knowing and applying these strengths can boost happiness, enhance resilience, and enrich our connections through food and travel. 💫Actionable tips, stories, and the magic of using your personal 'seasoning blend' to navigate...2025-05-2214 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFrom MasterChef to World Traveler: Michael Motamedi's Culinary QuestWhat if the best way to experience the world was to live in it—one month at a time?In this episode, we meet Michael Motamedi: former MasterChef Canada contestant, marketer-turned-full-time traveler, and passionate culinary explorer. For the past three years, Michael has been traveling the globe with his wife and young daughter—living in one city at a time, uncovering local food gems, and sharing stories through his podcast No Fixed Address and viral food videos.From pig nipples in Spain to baby eel breakfasts in Barcelona, Michael’s advent...2025-05-151h 03In My Kitchen with PaulaCulinary Activism: Anna Voloshyna's Journey from Ukraine to CaliforniaWhat does it mean to fight a war—with food?In this episode, we meet Anna Voloshyna: chef, cookbook author, and passionate culinary activist. Born and raised in Ukraine and now based in California, Anna shares how her deep love of Ukrainian cuisine has become a powerful tool for cultural preservation and resistance amid war.From feeding soldiers on the frontlines in bulletproof vests to writing cookbooks that celebrate regional Ukrainian dishes, Anna’s story is a moving example of how food can connect, heal, and inspire action. Her journey is equal parts resi...2025-05-0849 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaCulinary Time Travel: Sephardic Flavours and Tales with Hélène Jawhara PiñerWhat can food tell us about history, identity, and resilience?In this episode of In My Kitchen with Paula, I sit down with Hélène Jawhara Piñer — historian, professor, and author of Matzah and Flour — to explore the powerful stories behind Sephardic cuisine. With a PhD in medieval history and the history of food, Hélène shares how her research into Inquisition trials and Jewish food traditions unearthed a rich, global culinary heritage that continues to shape how we eat today.We discuss her personal story, including growing up between French an...2025-05-0144 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaFrom Farms to Flavour: Exploring Heritage through Food with Selena PellizzariWhat if your next meal could take you back in time—and across continents?In this episode, Paula reconnects with longtime friend and accomplished equestrian coach Selena Pellizzari, whose story weaves together family heritage, global exploration, and rich culinary traditions.From Ukrainian cabbage rolls to Italian minestrone, Selena shares how she’s traced her roots through food—and how those recipes carry stories of the past.Together, Paula and Selena reflect on:🍝 How food and travel have shaped Selena’s Italian, Ukrainian, and Norwegian identity📚 The recipe book sh...2025-04-2445 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaSharing Meals: A Global Happiness HackDid you know one of the simplest ways to boost your happiness might be sitting right at your dinner table?In this solo episode, I dive into a fascinating chapter of the World Happiness Report 2025 that explores something near and dear to my heart: the power of sharing meals.From the data to the dinner table, I’m connecting the dots between science, culture, and personal experience — showing how something as ordinary as a shared meal can have extraordinary effects on our well-being.You’ll hear reflections on: 💛 How meal sharing sh...2025-04-1719 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaCulinary Adventures: Paula's Method of Travel and Connection (Part 3)Want to explore the world more meaningfully — one dish, one market, one moment at a time?In this final installment of my three-part series, I’m wrapping things up by sharing the simple framework I use to explore culture through the lens of food. It’s a method I unconsciously developed during my 22 years in event planning, and it’s become the secret sauce behind some of my most memorable and meaningful travel moments. This approach helps me slow down, connect deeply, and travel with intention.In this episode, I share: 📖 How I prep for a...2025-04-1024 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaCulinary Adventures: Paula's Method of Travel and Connection (Part 2)Ever wonder how to create deeper connections through travel — and how food can be the key?In this special solo episode, I’m continuing a three-part series where I share my personal story, travel philosophy, and the principles that help me discover the world in a more meaningful way.This week, I’m diving into the power of micro-moments — those small, spontaneous connections that can transform a trip — and how they’ve shaped both my personal adventures and the foundation of In My Kitchen.From a terrifying scuba dive in the Azores to an...2025-04-0315 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaCulinary Adventures: Paula's Method of Travel and Connection (Part 1)Ever wonder how to create deeper connections through travel — and how food can be the key? In this special solo episode, I’m kicking off a three-part series where I share my personal story, travel philosophy, and the principles that help me discover the world in a more meaningful way.I’ll take you behind the scenes of my own culinary adventures, from childhood memories of fragrant curried peas made by my Bibi to spontaneous moments of connection that shaped my life in Portugal back in 1998.You'll also hear about my diverse...2025-03-2722 min
The World UnspunFrom Palestine to Western Sahara, the struggle is one. With Najla Mohamed-Lamin.2025 marks 50 years since Morocco invaded Western Sahara, forcibly displacing the Sahrawi people into neighbouring Algeria. Women’s rights and climate activist Najla Mohamed-Lamin joins us from the Sahrawi refugee camps to talk about the multigenerational impact of 50 years of forced exile, and the common struggles of Indigenous peoples around the world.Read NI554: Treaty / NI545: Decolonize now / NI540: Take back the landHost: Maxine Betteridge-MoesCredits: Maxine Betteridge-Moes (Producer, Digital Editor), Amy Hall, Bethany Rielly, Conrad Landin, Nick Dowson (Co-Editors), Paula Lacey (Editorial Assistant), Samuel Rafanell-Williams (Sound Design), Nazik Hamza (Audio Editor), Mari Fo...2025-03-2035 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaThe Spirit of Manaakitanga: Food, Family, and Friendship in New ZealandWhat does it really mean to care for others through food — and how does that shape who we are?In this episode, Paula takes us on a journey to New Zealand, where her earliest memories of generosity, gathering, and good food were formed. From fishing, harvesting for mussels on the beach to backyard hangi feasts and the comfort of warm pikelets, she shares the simple, soulful flavors that defined her childhood.But this conversation is about more than recipes. It’s about manaakitanga — the deep-rooted Māori value of hospitality and care — and how those...2025-03-2034 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaExploring Goan Food and Culture with Lara VictoriaHave you ever wondered what makes Goan cuisine so special? What if the secret ingredient isn’t just the spices, but the sun itself?In this episode, Paula sits down with Lara Victoria, a food and wine expert with deep roots in both Bombay and Goa. Lara shares her journey from pastry chef to sommelier, weaving in the rich cultural influences that have shaped her love for food and hospitality.Together, they explore the vibrant flavors of Goan cuisine, from the legendary Goan sausages to the Portuguese-inspired vindaloo. Lara explains the relaxed Goan wa...2025-03-1352 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaSavouring Slow Travel: Discovering Parma and Modena with Sonia BozziWhat if the best way to experience Italy isn't through checklists and tourist attractions, but by slowing down and savoring each moment?In this episode, Paula is joined by Sonia Bozzi, entrepreneur and founder of Cultour Italia, who curates immersive culinary and cultural tours in Italy. Sonia shares her journey from growing up in the Alps of Lombardia to managing hospitality ventures across Mexico, Canada, and Italy—all of which led her to creating unique travel experiences rooted in food, culture, and community.Together, they explore slow travel, the art of truly experiencing a...2025-03-0639 minIn My Kitchen with PaulaSavouring Alentejo: Alfredo Cunhal Sendim’s Portuguese Legacy & Montado do Freixo do MeioDid you ever drive by a village when traveling and wonder what people do here day to day and what is their story? In this episode, Paula talks with Alfredo Cunhal Sendim, a former fisherman turned organic farmer from the Alentejo region of Portugal. Alfredo shares his journey from the sea to farming, championing the Montado agro-ecological system in Freixo do Meio (a former estate). He discusses his family history, the importance of acorns as sustainable food, and how the Montado system intertwines with Portuguese culture and cuisine. Paula and Alfredo also explore th...2025-02-191h 03