Haver 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 reflections and a powerful exercise to boost your well-being. Ready to discover how food can be a universal language of kindness?

We Talk About

💫The Soul of Hospitality: Love, Kindness, and Gratitude
🇯🇵Hospitality in Japan: Omotenashi
🇳🇿Hospitality in New Zealand: Manaakitanga
🍴Reflecting on Our Own Kitchen Tables
🙏🏼The Power of a Gratitude Letter

HELPFUL LINKS

✍️ Take the VIA Character Strength Survey
🧳 Download my free Travel Planning Tool

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

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 illustrate how mindfulness and character strengths can guide us through both joyful and challenging moments.

We talk about:

🧭 How character strengths like humility and zest can deepen our travel experiences
🐾 Why mindfulness + strengths can turn reactive moments into intentional ones
⚡ Paula’s go-to tools for navigating “hot buttons” and cultural differences

Whether you're planning your next trip or reflecting on your last, this episode is a reminder that the best tools for connection—and growth—are already within you.


HELPFUL LINKS

✍️Take the VIA Character Strength Survey

🧳 Sign up for the In My Kitchen Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

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 life's adventures with joy and intention.

⚡How to Discover your Character Strengths

🛑Managing “Hot Buttons” and Strengths

HELPFUL LINKS

✍️Take the VIA Character Strength Survey

🧳 Sign Up For our Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

What 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 adventures are anything but ordinary. But beneath the fun is a deeper message: that food is a universal language, and community, not convenience, is what really nourishes us.
We talk about:

🌎 How selling everything led to a nomadic, food-filled life with a toddler
🍽️ Why tinned baby eels, fish juice, and Anthony Bourdain changed his view of food
💬 What it means to truly live in a place—beyond tourism, with real locals

Whether you're craving off-the-grid food stories or dreaming of a lifestyle less ordinary, this episode is a reminder to pause, savour, and rethink what truly fills you up.

HELPFUL LINKS

📸 Follow Michael on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok
🎧 Tune into Michael's podcast No Fixed Address
🧳 Download my free Travel Planning Tool

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

What 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 resilience, community, and unwavering pride.

We talk about:
🇺🇦 Ukraine’s food renaissance—and how chefs are modernizing traditional dishes
🪖 What it’s like to cook for 50 soldiers near the frontline, explosions in the distance
📚 How Anna’s first cookbook BUDMO! became a fundraising tool before it even launched

Whether you're a food lover, cultural explorer, or just looking to understand the world through a more human lens, this episode will move you. Anna’s story reminds us that even in war, food can nourish both body and soul.

FEATURED RECIPE: UKRAINIAN RED BORSCHT
Click here for Anna's original recipe!

HELPFUL LINKS

📘 Check out Anna's first cookbook BUDMO!
✨ Visit Anna's website to learn more about her projects
📸 Follow Anna on Instagram
🧳 Download my free Travel Planning Tool

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

What 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 and Andalusian cultures, and how her work connects history, religion, and recipes in surprising and eye-opening ways.

You’ll hear reflections on:
📚 The real history of Sephardic Jews and how their food evolved post-1492
🥖 The cultural and spiritual meaning behind matzah and unleavened bread
🧾 Why Inquisition trials are an unlikely but powerful source of food history

Whether you’re a food lover, history buff, or curious traveler, this episode will leave you inspired to see meals — and menus — through a deeper, more meaningful lens.

HELPFUL LINKS

📘 Get Hélène’s cookbook Matzah and Flour
📕 Check out her first book: Sephardi: Cooking the History
📸 Follow Hélène on Instagram
🧳 Download my free Travel Planning Tool

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

What 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 she’s filling with handwritten family favorites, including her grandmother’s special Put Together Cake
❤️ How resilience, gratitude, and connection helped her navigate loss

Whether you're drawn to heritage cooking, family stories, or meaningful travel, Selena’s journey is a heartfelt reminder of how food connects us to those who came before.

HELPFUL LINKS

🧳 Get my free Travel Planning Tool
🐴 Check out Selena's company, GP Cottonwood Stables

📝 Recipe for Selena's Great Grandmother's Put Together Cake

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!

Did 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 shapes our emotional and social health
🧠 A curious connection between happiness and our nervous system
🍽️ The real reason gathering for a meal matters

Whether you're dining with family, inviting a neighbor over for lunch, or just planning to break bread with a friend, this episode is your reminder that connection doesn’t require perfection — just presence.

HELPFUL LINKS
🧳 Get my free Travel Planning Tool
📘 Read the World Happiness Report 2025
🎙️ Listen to the No Fixed Address episode on Cartagena

SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW

If you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you.

Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.

SAY HELLO

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:

• DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula
• Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
• Click to text me directly. Include your email address and I'll share my free travel planning tool!