MotherFood

My guest today needs little intro. She is a leading expert in period health, hormonal health and an advocate for women's health. Maisie Hill is the author of best selling Period Power and Perimenopause Power, she runs her own podcast Period Power, and offers health coaching via her innovative membership platform The Flow Collective. She is also a trained acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine specialist and a doula. Five years ago Maisie gave birth to her son Nelson, which inspired a new trajectory in her work - to write, and this is how she broke waves with her debut book Period Power! I was fascinated to learn more about Maisie's journey into motherhood, her career and the role of food and nourishment in her experience of mama hood. So in this episode we cover all of those topics and more! You can find out more about Maisie (if you haven't already) on www.maisiehill.com and join the conversation over on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @_masiehill_ If you'd like to learn how to bring food into your experience of postpartum then check out my online cooking course MotherFood at www.alissatimoshkina.com & you can support my work by buying me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/alissatim

A powerful episode that celebrates food and family! It is a moving tribute to Uyen's own family who experienced an unimaginably difficult transition from post-war Vietnam to London, but also to the very concept of Family and its power to heal, nurture and support us. Uyen's passion and genuine love for food shines through every word and will undoubtedly make you re-evaluate your own relationship to the seemingly banal daily ritual of feeding yourself and your family. We talk about Vietnamese food culture, the tradition of sharing your meals, the flavours and the deep understanding of how food nourishes your body on a deep level. Uyen share recipes and ideas for postpartum and baby weaning, and if I have another chance to experience that beautiful phase in my life, Uyen's new cookbook Vietnamese will definitely be the source of inspiration for me! Join the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @loveleluu If you love this podcast and would like to support what I do, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/alissatim

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking to Caroline Gladstone, a woman of many talents. She is a co-founder and creative consultant on numerous food and lifestyle projects, from Granger and Co restaurants to The Good Life Experience Festival, which she runs with her husband Charlie Gladstone. As well as their numerous creative endeavours, Caroline and Charlie are parents to 6 children! In this episode I satisfy my curiosity about what is it like to have a family of 6! Caroline shares her birth stories, her childhood food memories, and what is it like to feed a large family as well as how being a team is at the heart of a successful household! Full of laugher and fascinating insight, this episode is likely to make you wonder whether you might be up for having another child! It certainly had that effect on me! Join in the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina & @carolinegladstone Find out more about my cooking course MotherFood over on my website alissatimoshkina.com and you can buy me a coffee over on www.buymeacoffee.com/alissatim

Welcome to this delightful episode featuring Guilia Scarpaleggia, a food blogger, cookbook author and food photographer from the heart of the Tuscan country side. Guila recently became a mama to her daughter, Livia, and in this episode recollects the recent experience of being pregnant and giving birth during the pandemic. We also talk about her childhood memories and the cultural ideas around food and womanhood in Italy. There are a lot of mouth-watering depictions of various dishes that Giulia recalls eating as a child, as well as an inspiring list of dishes and ingredients that we can all recreate in our own family kitchens. Filled with so much love for food and family, this episode is uplifting and heart-warming and will make you want to rush into your kitchen to cook up a rustic Italian meal. Speaking of which, Guilia shares a recipe for her Chickpea Cake with us on my blog and if you like what you see do visit  Giulia's gorgeous blog Jul's Kitchen for more inspiration. Please join in the conversation with us on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @julskitchen To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/motherfood-cooking-course and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim  

Welcome back to Part 2 of the 3rd Season of the MotherFood podcast! In this episode I have the absolute joy of talking to one of my food-mama heroines, Georgina Hayden. Georgina is an acclaimed food writer, author of best-selling cookbooks, food stylist and a mother of a Greek-Cypriot origin. This conversation, which I have been dreaming of since the very beginning of the podcast, is likely to move you to tears and make you laugh, and feel all the feels in-between. Georgina's story of motherhood is so powerful, moving and inspiring. While she never doubted her desire to be a mother of a big family, her journey towards that vision was all but straightforward. She experienced child loss when her first baby, Archie, died short after birth, her and her husband went through a miscarriage and IVF treatments to be able to welcome their two daughters Perspehone and Elektra, who are now 4 years old and 9 months respectively. We also talk about the role of food and sisterhood in a life of a Mother, Georgina's views on gender roles within a family and why it is essential to include men into all conversations, while she also shares some insights into a life with two under 4s during a lockdown alongside some tips on weaning and eating as a family! Please join in the conversation with us on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @georgiepuddingnpie To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/podcast and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim

Welcome to this 2-part special episode dedicated to Her Nutrition, where I have the pleasure of talking to nutritionists behind UK's unique food-grown supplements brand, Wild Nutrition. Their supplements are ethically and sustainably sourced, and are 100% food-grown, i.e. an organic way of producing supplements without any addition of synthetic elements, solvents or bulking agents. In this episode featuring Lorna Driver-Davies, senior nutritional therapist with Wild Nutrition, we delve into the fascinating subject of menstrual health and our overall wellbeing as women. We discuss how hormones and our cycles are the foundation of our overall health, the source of our vitality and wellbeing, regardless of wether we want or can have children. We explore essential functions and systems of the body which are tightly intertwined with our monthly rhythms such as Mental health: mood, memory, sense of identity Immune system Thyroid health Digestive health Female microbiome Fertility Nervous system And we explore just how the menstrual cycle actually works, highlighting the importance of getting familiar with your menstrual blood, and celebrate the power of cycle tracking or the fertility awareness method. To learn more about these, I highly recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility and The Fifth Vital Sign, both books have changed my experience of my body in the most profound ways! If you would like to work with Lorna you can book a free consolation here and you can enjoy 20% off your first purchase with ALISSAMOTHERHOOD20 Join in the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina @wildnutritionltd and @lornadriverdavies To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/motherfood-cooking-course and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim

Welcome to this 2-part special episode dedicated to Her Nutrition, where I have the pleasure of talking to nutritionists behind UK's unique food-grown supplements brand, Wild Nutrition. Their supplements are ethically and sustainably sourced, and are 100% food-grown, i.e. an organic way of producing supplements without any addition of synthetic elements, solvents or bulking agents. In this episode, featuring nutritional therapist, and mama of two, Marianne Grechko, we delve into nutrition and supplements for fertilely, pregnancy and postpartum. This episode is packed full of useful insight into the science of nutrition addressing specifically the needs of female body from pre-conception to postpartum, so I would invite you to make some notes. We also talk about how food is grown and where do the nutrients in the food come from - through that we touch on the essential topics of understanding the food chain, and eating seasonally and locally where possible. Marianne really is the perfect person whose outlook very much resonate with my own - she embodies both the science and the intuitive approach to food. Her indepth knowledge is rooted in profound love of food and nature as well as in the feeling of trust in her intuitive and the innate wisdom of the body. While there is a ton of very sound scientific nutritional advice, I hope the key message that you carry out is that the main thing is to eat with pleasure and honesty with yourself, as it is the truthful and joyful process of eating that nourishes your body more than any particular ingredient! If what we speak about really resonates and you feel that you would love to learn more about how to nourish yourself in an accessible way then may I recommend my online cooking course MotherFood. Created as a digital pack it offers you many tips, recipes and cooking videos of simple and nutritionally balanced meals that tick pretty much all the boxes of your body's needs! Join the conversation over on Instagram with @alissatimoshkina and @wildnutritionltd To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/podcast and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim

This episode is all about baby food and baby weaning! It was such a pleasure to have a wonderful husband-wife duo, Lisa and Sallar, founders of Omami, to delve in-depth into the questions of how to feed your baby. As young parents themselves, Lisa and Sallar, decided to start a new baby food brand at just 3 months pregnant, to create an alternative to baby food pouches. Omami makes healthy weaning simple with their nutritionist approved, chef inspired, baby food subscription boxes. Their blends are freshly made to order and formulated with your baby's development in mind. We discuss how baby food is manufactured, how Omami creates their fresh pots, as well as how they approached baby weaning with their own son. There is a lot of fascinating insight into their philosophy of food as well as into their lives as food entrepreneurs and first-time parents. Funny, heartfelt and super informative, this episode will be a gem for anyone with a young baby about to embark on the weaning journey! If you would like to try out Omami subscription box, I am delighted to offer you a special discount - just head over to omami.co.uk and use MOTHERFOOD25 for 25% your first box. To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/podcast and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim

In this episode I speak to nutritional chef, fermentation expert and cookery teacher, Nena Foster about her experience of being a mother of two gorgeous children. She shares her story of a major career change after having her 2nd baby, how food made all the difference to her wellbeing during the postpartum phase, and how & why we could make our children more in-tune with what they eat. Nena shares tons of useful personal insight as well as professional opinion on the benefits of eating as a family, of cooking with your children, and we talk about gut-health and the essential role fermented foods play in our diets. Find out more about Nena's work on https://nenafosterfood.com and join in the conversation with us over on instagram @alissatimoshkina and @nenafosterfood To find out more about MotherFood cooking course visit my website https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/podcast and you can buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlissaTim

Welcome back to Season 3! I'm thrilled to launch the new season with this episode featuring Moroccan chef, author and restauranteur, Nargisse Benkabbou. We discussed the role of food in creating a sense of belonging, the role of female lineage in preserving food traditions, North African food for post-partum and what it means to be Moroccan and European at the same tone; and many many more subjects! Nargisse shares some delicious food ideas which will make you want to run to your kitchen and cook a fragrant tagine! You can find her recipes on www.mymoroccanfood.com & join in the conversation on Instagram with @alissatimoshkina and @mymoroccanfood

MotherFood Xmas-special Happy Christmas everyone! I am so excited to share this very warm and cosy special episode with you today! I have asked some of the wonderful guests on the podcast to record a little story for you: remembering their most special memories of Xmas as a child, their first Xmas as a mama, share their plans for this year and tell us about their must-have dish! It's been such a joy to edit this episode featuring Emiko Davis, Aran Goyoaga, Heidi Sze, Zuza Zak, Lara Lee, Eleanore Ford and myself! The community of women that has appeared in my life this year thanks to the podcast has been the most wonderful and at times life-saving thing this year! So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this and wish you a warm, restful and cosy holiday, no matter what ✨ all my love and gratitude

As this year draws to a close we are all invited to draw some conclusions and uncover some learnings from this confusing and contradictory experience. If I were to name one thing that has become more important than ever, that would be Health. In this episode I speak to Avni Trivedi, an osteopath and a doula, specialising in women's and children's wellbeing. We explore how to understand health in a new holistic way, discuss the limitations of mainstream medicine and what can we do ourselves to support our vitality on daily basis. Avni offers tons of insight into daily practises to support our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing, and shares her experience of working with expectant and new mothers, as well as children. Combining Western science and Eastern traditions, Avni's work is truly holistic as it bridges the relationship between body and mind. You can find more about her work on www.avni-touch.com, by listening to her podcast Speak from the Body and her instagram @avnitouch Share your story and connect with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and visit www.alissatimoshkina.com to find out more about the MotherFood cooking course and explore recipes featured on this podcast

In this episode I speak to the amazing Alice Zaslavsky. A Russian-Jewish Australia-based best-selling culinary author, educator, broadcaster and TV host, who is also a new mother to a baby girl. Alice and I, share more than just the name (she is also called Alisa in Russian), we share an Ashkenazi heritage, the memories of awful food in Soviet kindergartens, the awe for mother's lineage and the profound love of food! Alice, a teacher by trade, took a huge risk leaving her beloved job to enter Australian MasterChef competition, which was the most important decision of her life. What followed was a succession of serendipitous events which lead Alice to where she is now - at the top of her game in food, education and broadcasting. We talk a lot about her journey and how we can learn to trust the path; how to hold on to our vision no matter what life throws at you and also what to remember when things get difficult. Alice shares her pregnancy and birth stories, we talk about the food she ate in the early postpartum (spoiler alert: a lot of tvorog and kefir!). We discuss her life as a working mother and how she shares parenting duties with her husband. We delve into baby weaning and how to involve children in cooking early on AND we finish this 1.5-long chat on a glorious subject of elimination communication! This episode is an absolute gem full of Alice's witty, honest, quirky and wise character! You can find more about Alice and her work on https://www.aliceinframes.com And join the conversation with us over on isntagram @alliceinframe and @alissatimoshkina To find out more about my cooking course MotherFood please visit my website alissatimoshkina.com

Claire pretty much embodies the very concept of mother food as her cooking and food writing is so much focused on the family kitchen. Her cooking is very autobiographical documenting her experience as a mother of 3 girls. She's an author of 5 cookbooks all of which have the home kitchen as their main location. So I highly recommend her books to all the parents listening to this podcast. Because her books really do have the answers to so many questions we often face in our kitchens - full of practical advise, seasonal, family orientated with practicality, flavour richness and nutrient value in mind. Claire is a really passionate chef and food writer, and as you will hear, her knowledge of and her delight in cooking is so intoxicating! I just loved talking to her and then coming back to this conversation while eating the podcast, as it gave me a very much needed boost of confidence, reassurance and inspiration to get me out of my culinary rut, in which I have been finding myself a bit too often this autumn. i loved learning how her professional life developed and flowed into her personal life almost seamlessly. I really have been chaining my mindset around what being a working mother means to me and I have been, looking for examples in other women, as I am still new to the idea of embracing home as my creative space, and of not clearly defining work time and family time. So Claire's example was so inspiring and brought many smiles to my face as we were talking. Claire's new book - Home Cookery Year - is an ode to the simple joys of cooking as well as to the sheer diversity of reasons and occasions we enter out kitchen. So Claire truly knows what she is talking about when it comes to family cooking. This episode is full of wonderful tips and ideas, and if I were to encourage you to take away one thing from this conversation it would be the joy and the playfulness around food, and the idea of not taking food and yourself in the act of feeding too seriously - something I am certainly guilty of a lot - so for me it was a very welcomed reminder that a good meal is a lot more simple than the ambitious cook inside my head thinks it is. Find out more about Claire's work from http://5oclockapron.com and join in the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @5oclockapron

It is such a joy to welcome my good friend Zuza Zak back on the show, this time as a mother of two! Zuza is a Polish-British food writer, cookery author and food anthropologist. She's the author of Polska cookbook and has her second book coming out in 2021! Zuza shares her wonderful VBAC story, discusses life as a mother of two and the challenges of parenting a 4 year old while looking after a new born. We talk about emotional intelligence and tools to cultivate patience and awareness as parents. Zuza openly shares her experiences of two miscarriages and we marvel at the magic of food and women's cooking! Find out more about Zuza in S1 E2 of this podcast and join in the conversation on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @zuzazakcooks

My guest today is Romy Gill, MBE chef, author, broadcaster and restauranteur. She's the host of Ready Steady Cook and makes frequent appearances on tv and the radio food programmes. Romy is also a mother of two teenage girls! In this episode we talk about Romy's family and the cultural values of being a woman in India. Romy shares her challenges during pregnancy and the early postpartum period reminding us how essential it is to have the support system around. We talk about family foods and cooking with teenagers, and what does a lasting marriage look like! Find out more about Romy at romygill.com end join in the conversation with us on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @romygill

In this episode I talk to Eleanor Ford about her childhood filled with travels around the globe and visits to exotic food markets. We explore the importance of family culinary culture and how to encourage adventurousness around food in children. Eleanor shares her own story of being a mother while running her own business and writing award-winning cookbooks. We delve into the complexity of siblings' relationship, share birth stories, and Eleanor offers the most delicious recipe for home made peanut sauce and chicken sate from her cookbooks “Fire Islands”. You can find this recipe on my website alissatimoshkina.com/blog and if you'd like to enjoy more of Eleanor's beautiful food do visit her website Eleanorfordfood.com Join in the conversation over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @eleanorfordfood

This week sees the end of the Breast cancer awareness month, and to mark that important initiative I am sharing a very special episode with you today. It features Rachelle Poitras who is a holistic breast health expert. I absolutely love Rachelle's insight and just the very idea of holistic breast health which hasn't really crossed my mind, it struck a cord with me straight away. Truly holistic in her outlook on breast health Rachelle considers all aspects from lifestyle to mind set and nutrition. In this episode we discuss our relationship to our breasts and what breast health really means. We look at how we are socialised as women based on our breast size, we consider the emotional and spiritual aspect of our connection to our chests, and we look in-depth into hormone health and nutrition. We discuss how we can nourish and nurture ourselves inside and out with tips on supplements, foods, breast masks and tinctures and Rachelle also shares a beautiful practise of a breast massage. The most amazing thing that I took away from this conversation is a realisation that by taking care of our breast in a truly holistic way we take care of our body, mind and spirit. They really are an amazing portal to our wellbeing as women. Find out more about Rachelle's work on https://www.hermetanoia.com and join the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkika and @her_metanoia Some sources Rachelle mentions on the podcast Dr Gabor Mate Susun Weed @thelymphaticmessage Renegade Beauty Women's bodies, women's wisdom Breast cancer, breast health

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based food creative and a mother of two young boys. Her food celebrates simple ingredients and seasonal produce and is influenced by her Maltese upbringing and time living in Italy. She teaches sell-out cooking workshops and pasta master classes and is a regular contributor to Australian and international publications. In this episode we talk about the role of food in her life and what values around womanhood and motherhood were passed on to her through the family recipes. Julia shares her birth stories and how food was her zone of comfort and certainty in the hazy postpartum days. We discuss the importance of maternal mental care, and the realities of parenting and being a freelance creative. Julia shares some beautiful insights into her family life - from farmers market trips, to last minute tidy ups with a baby in a sling before a photoshoot. Honest, real and full of beautiful energy, this episode also features so really delicious recipe ideas! You can find Julia's delicious ricotta gnocchi recipe on my website and do visit Julia's Instagram and website for more of her gorgeous food. 

Join me and the amazing Chetna Makan for a conversation about family food, the role of home and being a creative mom in a digital age! Chetna who charmed the hell out of us all as a contestant on the Great British Bake Off went on to create an illustrious career as a cookbook author and creator of her own award winning YouTube channel “Food with Chetna”. Full of warmth, honest insight and super delicious recipe ideas, this episode is a wonderful example of how modern mothers can reclaim the kitchen as a space for their own creativity! Follow the conversation over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @chetnamakan And visit www.alissatimoshkina.com to find out more about the MotherFood cooking course and to discover recipes featured on this podcast!

Welcome to the first episode of MotherFood Season 2. I am so honoured to open this new chapter with a conversation with the legendary Sheila Dillon, presenter of the Food Programme on BBC Radio 4, and a powerful and inspiring voice in the food industry.  In this conversation as well as talking about Sheila's career we talk about the lesser known aspects of her life - her experience of motherhood, womanhood and her childhood memories. I took away so many meaningful messages from our conversation and hope you will find Sheila's story as inspiring as I did.  Please join the conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @thesheiladillon You can find out more about MotherFood cooking course on my website and join the first live online course launching in November.  

Welcome to Season 2 of MotherFood Conversations that nourish the modern mother I am your host, Alissa Timoshkina Chef || food writer || author || curator || and a mother passionate about maternal empowerment through food and conversation. In this season we meet women who forged inspiring carers in food, nutrition and wellness, while also embracing lives as mothers. We talk about what it means to be a woman, a mother and a creative. We share intimate moments of our complex journey, with all the intricacies of our relationships to our bodies our partners and our children. And of course there's a lot of talking about the food! I passionately believe that when women's voices come together to share stories some magical transformation takes place. So, let's talk! Join the conversation over on Instagram @alissatoshkina and visit my website alissatimoshkina.com to find out more about the MotherFood cooking course!

Welcome to the season finale where we discuss an essential topic of how to empower ourselves professionally and creatively as women. For this episode I have invited Kim Barnard, a coach for mothers, who helps them make sense of their new identity and embrace the idea of a working mother. We discuss how do we work and live as women in a patriarchal world, how do we embrace our unique physical, emotional and social features and needs, and carve a new path in a world where archetypal masculine values are still appreciated the most. Kim shares so many wonderful insights to inspires us to reclaim the workspace and our creativity as women. Join in the conversation over on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @a_mothers_space In this episode I also reveal the news of my new project - The MotherFood cooking course for parents to be where we learn how to nourish the new family with tips, recipe ideas and nutrient-rich dishes! To find out more about the course visit alissatimoshkina.com

Motherhood is a celebration of the body - of its power, strength, beauty and wisdom. And in this bonus series we explore the body and our connection to it through different themes. We've discussed sexuality in episode 18, and today we delve into another fascinating topic related to the body's cyclical nature. The phases of our monthly cycles are almost mystically mirrored by the phases of the moon, and also symboclially connected to the four seasons. So in this session I talk to Merilyn Keskula founder of the Mylky Moon Lab, an elegant initiative celebrating the cyclical nature of womanhood, working with women's body cycles as well as the moon cycles and the seasonal cycles, as a means of empowerment and support. Everything in life moves through cycles of contraction and expansion, planets move in circular orbits, nature moves through the cycles of seasons, and so do our bodies, and female bodies in particular. There is so much advocacy and awareness of seasonal living and eating, so I feel very passionate about bringing this focus into the beautiful realm of a woman's body, and exploring and supporting its complexity and magnificence through life style, mind set and, of course, nourishment. I very much hope this episode inspires new conversations and can't wait to hear from you ✨

Season One has come to an end and I'd love to treat you to a little bonus material, focusing on dedicated topics so central to our experience of motherhood and womanhood. Today we delve into the complex realm of sexuality with holistic sex coach O.Lesya. Her own journey of healing has inspired her to start a new career helping women to reconnect to their sexuality and experience pleasure on their own unique terms. In this episode we talk about sexuality and motherhood, the paradox of the Madonna / Whore complex, how to practice intimacy and sensuality with our partners, how to reclaim pleasure in our daily lives to ourselves, how to accept and nurture our bodies and very importantly we talk about sexuality and our children. How to provide a healthy start for our children sexual and sensual life - how to nurture and respect their sexuality and their bodies. This episode is full of extraordinary insight that opens up the limiting mainstream framework to help us fully embody our our sensual and sexual selves. Please join in this very important conversation with us over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @magiyachuvstv To explore this subject further O.Lesya offers some useful references during the show: Lacey Haynes Evyan Whitney Naomi Wolf Sexposivite family

My guest today is a woman with the most amazing job in the world (in my humble opinion). Rachael Hollinger is a postpartum chef and doula, who looks after mothers in the most challenging times of their parenting life, often referred to as the 4th trimester. Rachael's own difficult postpartum became a pivoting point inspiring her to employ her skills as a chef to help mothers experience a healthier and gentler postpartum period. This conversation is full of eye and heart opening insight, amazing practical tips for self-care through nourishment, mind set and daily practises, as well as some really comforting messages which I hope will resonate with so many mamas out there. This conversation left me feeling so grateful on behalf of all mothers for the work of post partum doulas and also wishing that one day every mother will have the opportunity to benefit from that amazing support. Rachael shares her recipe for the oxytocin chocolate bar today on my blog, so head over to AlissaTimoshkina.com to enjoy it

Today my guest is Marianna Leivaditaki, head chef of Morito Hackney, author of Agean cookbook and first time mama. We delve into Marianna's childhood spent in her parents' restaurant in Crete, pay tribute to her amazing late mother, discuss how Mariana juggles parenthood and a busy career, look at life of a new family, and celebrate the pleasure of eating, cooking and feeding! Join in the conversation over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @mleivaditaki

In this episode celebrating World Breast Feeding Week, I talk to Amy Vanharen, founder of Pumpspotting, a community-driven breastfeeding and digital health platform. Amy's own story as a two-time breastfeeder is a source of inspiration and empowerment to so many women, while her initiative which includes a digital app, that she defines as ‘facebook, meets yelp, meet boob', a traveling breastfeeding van, and a special support scheme for workspaces, is a vital contribution to mothers' health and social integration. We talk about the difficulty we faced at different stages of breastfeeding, how to make pumping an empowering experience and how essential it is for women to support one another. Amy's advice to all the women who are thinking of starting a new professional journey while also learning to mother is one of the most inspiring things I've ever heard. It rang so true and resonated so deeply with me! So I hope it will make you feel your own magic powers a little! Join in the conversation and share with us your feeding stories over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina @pumpspotting and @avanharen

In this episode maternal nutritionist and anti-diet dietitian Heidi Sze shares her insight as a professional looking after women pre, during and after pregnancy, and as a mama of two young children. Heidi and I cover in-depth such essential topics as the nature of cravings and aversions, what and how to eat during labour, how to support yourself during the fourth trimester, food for breast health as well as how to practice intuitive eating and living and being gentle on your body. Packed full of fascinating insight, this episode really gets to the core of what mother food is about! You can find more info about Heidi on her blog Apples under my Bed, and I highly recommend her book “Nurturing your new life”, where she shares life style advice along with delightful and nourishing recipes. Join the conversation over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @heidiapples

Today my guest is Munira Mahmoud, a woman with a very fascinating life story. Originally from Uganda, Munira experienced the loneliness of motherhood here in the UK which was a stark contrast to the ancient traditions she grew up around back home, where home cooked food was an essential part of maternal care. Munira's own struggle with early motherhood inspired an idea to create Kina Mama, a social enterprise which would offer support to new mothers through food and sisterhood, just like she saw back home. 
The real turning point in Munira's life was the Grenfell tower fire in June 2017, which she survived together with her husband and their two children. So in the aftermath of the fire, she came together with several fellow survivors, to start cooking food from their native countries at their local Mosque. This was the start of the Hubb Community Kitchen, which became a real heartbeat of their community, providing a sense of home to so many. Their work got noticed by Megan Markle and led to the creation of the Together Cookbook, which features Munira's story and recipes. It was the conversation with the Duchess that inspired Munira to pursue her initial idea of setting up a support system for new mothers which soon became, Kina Mama. Join in the conversation on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @muniraeats

In this heart-warning and moving episode I have the pleasure of talking to Julie Jones, an extraordinary pastry artist, chef and food writer, who speaks candidly about her career change and the challenges of being a young mother. We speak about the power of food to heal and to connect generations, about Julie's love for her mother who passed away not so long ago, and about how women have the unique capacity to embrace and adapt to the ever-changing life circumstances. Julie's story is a true inspiration and her award-winning Instagram feed is nothing short of mesmerising! Join in the conversation with us @alissatimoshkina and @julie_jonesuk

In this episode I have the absolute joy of talking to the uber charming Ping Coombes, Champion of the MasterChef series 2014. Our conversation is loaded with references to delicious, nourishing and flavourful foods that Ping grew up with and that she makes for her family. We discuss Chinese postpartum traditions and how Ping's mom offered her the best nourishment, as Ping recovered from her labours. She talks openly about the challenges of being a mother while running a busy freelance career in food, and inspires us all with her ability to reinvent herself creatively while staying true to her love of food. To find out more about Ping's amazing food visit her website www.pingcoombes.com, her cookbook Malaysia is available from all major bookstores, and make sure to join the conversation with us over on instagram @alissatimoshkina and @pingcoombes  Ping's recipe for the amazing Hakka noodles is available on my website 

To celebrate Father's Day this episode is dedicated to the experience of parenthood from a dad's perspective, featuring eco chef, food writer, sustainability campaigner and restauranteur, Tom Hunt. We talk about baby weaning, batch cooking, family meals as well as how to practice sustainable living as parents. Tom offers plenty of insight and offers practical advice as well as shares some cooking ideas for affordable nourishing meals. Join in the conversation on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @cheftomhunt Find out more about Tom and his work on tomsfeast.com

This week I have the joy of speaking to a dear friend Olia Hercules who will be known to many of you as the author of best selling cookbooks, Mamushka and Kaukasis. Her 3rd book Summer Kitchens is being released at the end of June. In this episode we talk about the different phases of parenting from being a single mum to being a happily married mother of two. Olia shares her inspiring birth stories as well as some delicious family friendly recipes! Honest, heartfelt and empowering, Olia's story is an amazing example of modern motherhood. Join in the conversation over on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @oliahercules

In this episode Shivi and I talk about food heritage and how a career in the food industry is becoming more family-friendly. Shivi shares her internal struggles of juggling motherhood and launching a new career  in food and shares some of her delicious recipe ideas and cooking tips with our listeners. We discuss an important issue of women having the choice  to opt for an elective C-section, the beauty of breastfeeding and how to raise adventurous little foodies (spoiler: lead by example!). Make sure to check out Shivi's new book The Ice Kitchen, as well as her debut work Caribbean Modern, and join in the conversation over on instagram with us @Alissatimoshkina and @Shiviramoutar

My guest today is Lara Lee, Australian-Indonesian chef, caterer, author of Coconut & Sambal, and a new mom to baby Jonah. It was a heartfelt and honest conversation where Lara shared her experiences of coping with a miscarriage, of how food and family helped her heal, of her wonderful pregnancy with her baby boy, and her intense but elating 50 hours of labour! We talk about food heritage and identity, the challenges of breastfeeding and the fun of baby weaning. Lara also shares her incredible recipe which I bet you would crave to cook as soon as you finish listening to the podcast! Please share your thoughts and join in the conversation over on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @laraleefood You can find Lara's exclusive recipe from her brilliant new cookbook over on my website alissatimoshkina.com/blog 

In this episode Anja shares her wisdom about parenting, breastfeeding and giving birth (yes, it does get easier after you've done it once!) nurturing her children with simplest yet best quality food, embracing her role as a mother and expressing her love for her own mum. She shares some delicious pancakes recipes and reminds us not to strive for perfection but put compassion and kindness at the helm. Let us know what you think over on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @anjadunk

Join me and my next guest, food writer, author of 3 cookbooks and mum of two, Emiko Davies. We spoke about her passion for Italian art & food, her mixed Japanese-Australian (food) heritage, Italy's food history and postpartum traditions, as well as of Emiko's new family lifestyle in quarantine and what it was like to write a cookbook during nap times. Emiko also shares some of her favourite family recipes. Let us know what you think on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @emikodavies

In this episode I talk to Alex Head, a new mama and founder of London's leading events and catering company, Social Pantry. Alex is a true pioneer in her field, creating new socially engaged approaches in the food industry. We talked about how she managed to run such a busy company while pregnant, doing a live sky news appearance with a baby bump and how she manages to look after her baby girl while also moving her company through a major restructuring during the pandemic. Alex shares her birth story and has some brilliant advice for working moms. Join in the conversation on Instagram with us @alissatimoshkina and @alexhead_sp

Tune into the new episode of the MotherFood podcast where I have the pleasure of speaking to Aran Goyoaga, pastry chef, food writer, stylist and photographer, about her journey into food and motherhood. We speak openly about our relationship with the food of our childhood, the wonders and challenges of pregnancy, overcoming an eating disorder, and finding a healing power of cooking and sharing food with your own family. Aran, one of the first 'official' instagram members, talks humbly about how she follows her intuition, never striving too hard for success or accolades, and how all elements of her life seem to exist in an organic harmony, not forcing a distinction between family life and her work. Tell us what you thought of this episode by joining the conversation on Instagram @alissatimoshkina and @canelleetvanille

A heartfelt catch up between two friends rather than a formal interview this episode sees Alissa chat to Polish born food writer and soon to be mom of two, Zuza Zak, about her journey into motherhood. They talk about Zuza's own childhood and what values about parenting and food has been instilled in her, how she managed to overcome her experience of miscarriages and the trauma of an emergency C section. Zuza shares her outlook and advice on cooking for a family and instilling a respect for the food from a young age. The episode also covers topics like self care, social norms of breastfeeding and finding mental and physical space to connect to the self. There are plenty of giggles and toddler chatter on the background too. You can find Zuza and Alissa on Instagram @zuzazakcooks and @alissatimoshkina We'd love to hear from you!

In this episode Alissa shares her own story of how food and motherhood seemed to exist in her life in an almost inseparable, mystical way. Her conflicting ideas about womanhood being defined by motherhood, of how her cultural and family background shaped her relationship to food and fertility, of her new role as a mother and as a professional paving a career in food. It is an honest conversation about the joys and the struggles of postpartum, of how it is possible to find your way back to cooking and feeding and of whether we as modern mothers need to separate our careers from our personal lives. Alissa speaks to Kim Barnard, a mom and a coach for entrepreneur mothers. Follow Alissa on Instagram @alissatimoshkina

A podcast dedicated to mothers who turned a traditional role of feeding into a professional success. I am your host Alissa Timoshkina (event planner, supper club host, cook, food writer & first time mama) In this podcast we will meet women who forged inspiring careers in food while also embracing life as mothers. We cover topics from life / work balance and self nurture, to pregnancy diets, breast-feeding, baby weaning, family meal planning, and a lot more. MotherFood is a space for heartfelt discussions filled with recipes, food memories, practical tips and honest insights into the lives of modern mothers.