ABOUT

ABOUT ME

My journey with food began with a clear realization that the only way of living that has sense and meaning to me is to do something that I totally love with all my heart. The answer was very simple to me – cooking. Since that day I had a very firm decision to drop the job that I didn’t like and start cooking for living. I didn’t know how to yet, but I wanted to reach an audience much bigger than just friends and family. Long story short, that took me to having a business that is now six years old and is known as Two Tablespoons. It took different shapes throughout the years and now exists in the form of two vegetarian/vegan cafes located in New York City. It was build with hard work and dedication of my business partner and mine. We had one mission in mind - serving wholesome, healthy, clean vegetarian and vegan food to public. It is an exciting ongoing journey with its ups and downs, challenges and rewards.

As the business started growing, I started to be less engaged with the cooking part, and getting more engaged with running the business. This is when I decided, that I need to find a new way of realizing my creative power through food. Immediately life gave a chance. I started to get invitations to cook at various retreats.

Cooking for retreats brings me a lot of joy, because aside from cooking I also get to experience people. To see how much joy and pleasure the food brings them, how they share their smiles and conversations over food. That is the part that is as important for me as the cooking process.

I didn’t get any formal education or training in culinary arts or nutrition. That never stopped me. Having spent many years in colleges and universities, I became a believer that often the real authentic knowledge doesn’t come from a certificate. What is more important is the love that one has in the heart, connection to intuition and winner wisdom, believing in one’s powers and of course constant practice and experiments.

I also believe that eating healthy should not become a dogma or a believe system. It is a path of self-inquiry that is individual to each one of us. What may suit for one man’s diet may bring harm to the other. I always keep my mind flexible in the definition of healthy.

I have travelled around the world and collected a lot of ideas and inspiration from colorful ethnic cuisines, which I bring to my cooking. I am very keen on making food that is not only beneficial for the body, but exciting for the senses as well. Food is a multidimensional expression for me, and a multidimensional experience for those who enjoy it. Food is about togetherness, joy, celebration, vitality and life!