Soul Food with Tania Ganassini

LISTEN ON

Featuring

Tania Ganassini

Chef, Entrepreneur, Top Chef Contestant

Bio

Tania is a Niagara-based chef, recipe developer, speaker, and entrepreneur. She specializes in plant-based cooking, drawing inspiration from travel and the abundance of beautiful produce grown in the Niagara region. She has been cooking professionally for 14 years, and received a formal education in both French and Italian Culinary Arts. Tania credits her time training in Italy for shaping much of her current food philosophy. She has worked at top Toronto restaurants, including Jamie Kennedy's Gilead Cafe, Canoe, and Cafe Boulud at the Four Seasons. In 2017, Tania and her business partner Amanda Ali, launched Staff Meal Niagara: a plant-based, nutrition-focused meal delivery program and catering company.

Never one to shy away from competition or television appearances, Tania has been a contestant on Top Chef Canada and Chopped Canada. She has appeared as a guest expert on The Marilyn Denis Show, and was an episodic co-host of the LCBO Food and Drink web series 5 Stops.

Tania resides in Niagara on the lake with her husband John, who is also a chef. She now focuses on teaching workshops, public speaking, and sharing her recipes online. She works alongside her sister Dani (a Certified Holistic Nutritionist) to provide actionable and approachable food and nutrition content through their soon-to-launch YouTube channel and website. Tania believes in food that nourishes and heals the body from within, focusing on whole, nutrient-dense plant foods, sourced as locally and sustainably as possible. Her mission is to help people find healing, joy, and connection through food that is good for the planet and all of its inhabitants.

About this episode

This episode was just a love-fest between soul sisters! Though I’ve only been acquainted with Tania for a few short months, there is definitely a deep connection between us and I feel incredibly grateful that we have been able to get to know each other during a transformational period for us both. Tania shares so many insights in this episode about chef life- including training in Italy and working at a Michelin star restaurant, her creative culinary entrepreneurial endeavours, as well as her personal spiritual and wellness practices and evolution! I told her while recording that I feel like she’s lived a hundred lives and when you listen to today’s episode, you’ll understand why!

Key takeaways

Changing your direction, career or simply your mind is a natural part of our human experience and evolution – being able to pivot is a skill!
If you’re trying to work on alignment with your purpose, start by keeping one promise to yourself every day
Strive for progress, not perfection. If you’re called to try plant-based eating, give yourself time to re-learn how to structure your plate and change your behaviour. Every little bit helps our health and our planet.

Links

Learn more about Tania's sister, Dani

About your host

Natalie Cooper

Founder of MindYourOwn.life

Natalie is a soul on a mission to empower you to take your healing – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual – into your own hands.

As a self-healer, living fully- medication and symptom-free, with chronic autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s & Multiple Sclerosis), Natalie believes in the power of mindfulness, intention and self-care to create the health, happiness and experiences you desire in your life.

Natalie started ‘Mind Your Own’ to share her experiences while navigating her path to wellness and to show you that anything is possible when you live mindfully.

Natalie’s healing journey has led her to experience practices that have been instrumental in strengthening her belief in the power of mindfulness. She feels her purpose is to share her experiences with others who are interested in becoming active participants in their healing. Natalie is a certified Meditation Instructor, EFT Instructor, Reiki Practitioner, Labour Doula and Childbirth Educator, living near Toronto, Canada.