Kristen Kish focuses on the harmony of how food makes her feel, interview
From her celebrated restaurant Arlo Grey to her Emmy nominated hosting role on Top Chef, Kristen Kish is surrounded by delicious, eclectic, and enticing food choices. While that bounty of food deliciousness is a feast, Chef Kristen understands that the abundant options can be a little cacophonous. With a few simple choices, she has been able to find some harmony within that food extravaganza.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to Chef Kristen Kish through her partnership with Iberogast. Anyone who is glued to her social media feeds appreciates that the chef is continuously on the go. From food festivals to filming, it seems that her busy travel schedule keeps her trekking from place to place.
While all those adventures offer an opportunity to explore the culinary finds both close and far from home, the reality is that all that food variety is not for the weak. For Chef Kristen, with a little help from her wife, has found that harmonious food choices impact how she feels.
Chef Kristen said, “my job, in a lot of ways, is to try things and to eat. It is also something that I like to do in my free time as well. When I’m at home, it is really quite simple. My wife has taught me over the years that we’ve been together what it means to take care of your gut. I realized that she was right. Fried foods every single day aren’t good for me. She’s put me into the space of taking care of myself in general.”
Even though there are moments when she sneaks candy and snacks on set, Chef Kristen takes an approach that is different from others. She explained, “it’s the harmony of making things come together. I’ve come to this place in my life that I realize how food makes be feel in general. Not what it is doing to be me long term, but how I feel right after I eat something. I’ve learned a lot about what plants and herbs can do for your gut. No one is saying that it will solve all your problems. I don’t even use the word balance, because it is impossible to balance. But, I try to find harmony and do good things for me. Anything that I can add into my daily life and be conscious of what I am eating, how I am taking care of my body, is important to me.”
For Chef Kristen, that harmony focuses on making manageable choices throughout her day. As she explained, she and her wife often incorporate herbal teas, digestifs, and other bitters into her food choices because they make her feel more at harmony.
Specifically she said, “I think that a lot of things that we choose to do daily are beneficial because we do them daily. The one and done is not going to fix it. Incorporating modes of health and wellness into our daily lives are ultimately good for the long run.”
Whether it is the ritual of drinking a tea with a few drops of Iberogast or understanding how the food we eat makes us feel, it is the overall connection between food and culture that resonates long after the plates are cleared from the table. For Chef Kristen, the well-rounded meal takes into consider the figurative and literal interpretation of the complete experience. From the emotional connection to the physical impact, it is more than just throwing ingredients into the mix and hoping for the best.
As Chef Kristen explained, “everything is a balance and it is a harmony to incorporate variety. Whether it is interest and intrigue or feeling emotionally connected to a dish, those are the moments that I’ve experienced with great meals. It does not have to be Michelin star, gourmet food. Those connections happen when my mom or grandmother cooked for me. It is the definition of comfort and why we all gravitate towards comfort food.”
Food can nourish, comfort, or otherwise support our body, mind, and soul. The reality is the old phrase of we are what we eat might be interpreted in different ways, but it is always on the table. Choosing to embrace that harmony in food choices is something that Chef Kristen Kish does and it might be a mindset that more people should adopt.