[[MUSIC]]

I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF MARU MOLINA.

SHE JOINS US FROM EL SALVADOR…..

WHERE SHE’S CURRENTLY CHEF-OWNER OF COCINA DE JARDIN…

A NATURE DRIVEN CONCEPT…

I’LL OPEN OUR CONVERSATION….BY ASKING YOU TO REACH INTO YOUR MEMORY….

HERE…. “HAVE YOU EATEN YET ?”....IS FOCUSED MORE ON THE GREETING…IT’S A CHECK-IN OF SORTS….

WE ARE TWO MINDS…. ABOUT TO TAKE A TRIP INTO YOUR LIFE….

SO THIS IS AN OPENING… FOR US TO CONNECT…THROUGH FOOD….

THIS CAN BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE….THE HOPE IS WHATEVER MEAL YOU CHOOSE TO TALK ABOUT…. IS MEANINGFUL….THAT IT BRINGS UP A  MEMORY…..OR EMOTION….

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF A MEAL…HAPPENS LONG AFTER THE ACTUAL EVENT….THOSE MEMORIES CAN BE POWERFUL….AND WE LIKE TO HONOR AND EMBRACE THAT  CONCEPT HERE….CHEF MOLINA…. I’LL LET YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE….

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]]

MESSAGES FROM NATURE

I’M GOING TO OPEN OUR CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW THAT YOU GAVE…

YOU SAID QUOTE 

“I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF US AS COOKS TO RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM NATURE…… TO TRANSLATE AND COMMUNICATE THEM THROUGH OUR FOOD…. AND WITH INTENTION. 

IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HONOR NATURE IN EVERYTHING I COOK….

AND IT IS MY INSTINCT TO DO SO BY TREATING EACH INGREDIENT WITH GRATITUDE…. AND ADMIRATION”…. 

PLEASE EXPAND ON THIS THOUGHT ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]]

ADVICE

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE THAT YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]]

TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]]

IDENTITY

IF YOU COULD NOT BE A CHEF ANYMORE BECAUSE OF AGE OR SICKNESS OR SOMETHING ELSE…DO YOU WORRY THAT IT WOULD BE A BIG IDENTITY SHIFT FOR YOU?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

EVENTS

WHAT TURN OF EVENTS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?  

WHAT TOOK YOUR LIFE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, FOR BETTER OR WORSE?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

EVOLUTION

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT GROWING OLDER IS THE PATH OF EVOLUTION…IF YOU CHOOSE TO EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY…

IT’S NOT EASY BREAKING OUT OF ROUTINE AND COMFORT ZONES…

FOR THOSE LISTENING THAT ARE MAYBE THINKING ABOUT DIVING INTO THE UNKNOWN….BUT ONE SIDE OF THEIR BRAIN IS SECOND GUESSING THAT PATH…

WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT EITHER YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN THAT YOU’D LIKE TO PASS ON…

OR SOMETHING YOU’VE LEARNED… THAT YOU THINK MIGHT HELP THEM TAKE THAT LEAP…. AND SWITCH THINGS UP IN LIFE…

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

LIVING

INSTEAD OF ASKING, IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH? THE TRUE QUESTION TO ASK ONESELF IS, ARE WE LIVING BEFORE DEATH? ….WHAT’S THE FIRST THOUGHT TO COME TO YOUR MIND WHEN HEARING THAT QUESTION ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

YOUNGER SELF

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

HABITS

I FIND IT FASCINATING TO HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE’S DAILY HABITS…                             A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF…

USUALLY I WALK AWAY WITH A TIP THAT I ADD INTO MY LIFE….AND THAT TIP COULD SEEM BORING TO YOU…..BUT ENDS UP LEADING TO A POSITIVE CHANGE FOR ME….AND FOR OUR LISTENERS…. 

SO WHAT’S A USUAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU ?.....FROM THE MOMENT YOU WAKE UP ….UNTIL YOUR HEAD HITS THE PILLOW THAT NIGHT….

GENERALLY SPEAKING…..HOW ARE YOU FLOWING THROUGH LIFE?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

SERVICE 

REFLECTING ON YOUR CAREER…IS THERE ONE SERVICE THAT STICKS OUT …THAT BROUGHT YOU A DEEP SENSE OF JOY ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

TRIP

WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP….. OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…OR...IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

CULTURE

WHEN IT COMES TO COCINA DE JARDIN…AND HOW YOU’RE RUNNING THE KITCHEN THERE….WHAT’S ONE THING THAT YOU LOVE OR ADMIRE ABOUT THE CULTURE…THAT YOU FEEL GOES UNNOTICED OR MAYBE  ISN’T TALKED ABOUT AS MUCH ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU TAP INTO INSPIRATION …..AND KEEP THAT ENERGY FLOWING THROUGH YOUR LIFE ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

DEATH

DEATH IS A TOPIC THAT WE OFTEN AVOID OPENLY DISCUSSING IN OUR SOCIETY…YET IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FACE AT SOME POINT IN LIFE….

PERSONALLY, HAVING HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEATH PRODUCES AN AWARENESS ABOUT THE PRESENT MOMENT…SPARKS AN APPRECIATION FOR LIFE….AND HELPS ME LIVE FULLY…

DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS OR INSIGHTS ABOUT DEATH…. FROM YOUR UPBRINGING…..OR LIVED EXPERIENCE….THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT GUIDED YOU IN SOME WAY  ?…IT COULD BE A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A STRANGER….A CONVERSATION THAT LED TO AN OPPORTUNITY….THAT YOU COULD NOT HAVE ARRANGED….EVEN IF YOU TRIED….THERE’S A WIDE SPECTRUM HERE…..NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS…

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

TAKEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…..THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING WE JUST TOUCHED ON…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY...

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

[[CHEF MARU MOLINA DISCUSSES]] 

OUTRO

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

[[MUSIC]]