A história.

I left my hometown of Rio when I was 17 to go to college in Vermont. Eager to flee the nest and build my own, I never moved back. My visits dissipated, and eventually, all that was left was a second language I barely used and an occasional encounter with a Coxinha. 

In March 2022 my dad passed away in his new country of residence, France. In a story longer than the modern day has the attention span for, it was left for me to deliver his ashes, by hand, to his cemetery of choice in Rio de Janeiro. It had been 15 years since I had been home. What felt like a tall ask, turned out to be his greatest gift to me. 

On the heels of becoming a mother of two and going through the isolation of a global pandemic, being with people who knew my soul, in a city that held my story, brought me to my knees. The result was two visits to Rio, 3 months apart, that were dedicated equally to sorting bureaucracy as they were to reconnecting with family, friends, and my own identity.  

As part of wanting to eat more Brazilian food, but in a way that was adapted to my current age, needs, and family, I started working with a Brazilian nutritionist. She built my lunch menu around a classic Brazilian plate composition (o prato feito) and I experienced dramatic shifts in my weight, energy levels, and immunity as a result. The details of how I found my healthiest self at 40 by eating our beloved rice and beans everyday are explored in the Perfect Plate series.

The Rio Kitchen is a love letter to Rio and everything my home city teaches me about living well. Here you will find an aggregation of stories, nourishing Brazilian-inspired recipes, and lifestyle inspiration with a side of Bossa. Sejam Bem Vindos.