[[MUSIC]]

I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA.

HE JOINS US FROM MONTREAL…

WHERE HE’S CURRENTLY THE EXECUTIVE CHEF & CO-OWNER OF ALMA…WHERE HE DELIVERS HIS TAKE ON MODERN MEXICAN CUISINE WITH A FOCUS ON HEIRLOOM CORN, LOCAL INGREDIENTS AND CATALAN WINE …

HE ALSO OWNS TERRAZA LUZ…..A SEASONAL BACK-ALLEY TAQUERIA…

AND HAS TWO NEW PROJECTS UNDERWAY... 

ONE IS CALLED BAR LUZ, A SLIGHTLY MORE CASUAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT 

....THE OTHER IS MOLINO LUZ...WHICH IS A COMPANY FOCUSED ON THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF HEIRLOOM CORN MASA AND TORTILLAS...

THIS CREATES A TRIFECTA OF THE LUZ BRAND....TOGETHER WITH ALMA CREATING A MECCA FOR HEIRLOOM CORN....ALL IN THE SAME 2 BUILDINGS...

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’RE 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 LOPEZ LUNA…. I’LL LET YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE….

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

ALMA

IN SPANISH ALMA MEANS SOUL…

I LOVE THE NAME…

I’M ASSUMING THERE’S MEANING BEHIND ALMA FOR YOU….HOW DID YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO NAME YOUR RESTAURANT ALMA ?

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

YOUNGER SELF

YOU WERE BORN IN MEXICO…YOU’RE A FIRST-GENERATION IMMIGRANT…YOU LEFT YOUR HOMETOWN AT 16 YEARS OLD…. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

TRAILBLAZER

YOU’RE CONSIDERED A TRAILBLAZER WHEN IT COMES TO ELEVATED MEXICAN GASTRONOMY IN CANADA…YOU UTILIZE HIGH QUALITY HEIRLOOM CORN WHILE INTEGRATING LOCAL INGREDIENTS….YOU’RE GROWING AND EXPANDING RAPIDLY IN YOUR CAREER…WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT STAND OUT TO YOU OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ?  

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

AND WITH HIGHLIGHTS THERE’S ALSO HURDLES….WHAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR YOU ON THIS JOURNEY ?

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

ADVICE

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

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

TRUE

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

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

SERVICE 

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

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

CULTURE

WHEN IT COMES TO ALMA…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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

INSPIRATION

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

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

OVERVIEW EFFECT

THE OVERVIEW EFFECT IS A SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS THAT ASTRONAUTS EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY SEE EARTH FROM SPACE. 

IT'S A STATE OF AWE THAT CAN LEAD TO A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE PLANET….. AND A SENSE OF CONNECTION TO HUMANITY.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO THIS…SOMETHING THAT SPARKED A DEEP AND PROFOUND SENSE OF AWE ? 

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?...….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ? ……IT COULD BE TRAVELING….CHANGING YOUR DAILY HABITS….SLOWING DOWN IN LIFE….A WORK RELATED PROJECT…WHATEVER YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO….

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 ?......AND THIS IS EXPANSIVE…..IT COULD BE PHYSICAL DEATH….OR THE MANY LITTLE DEATHS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR LIFETIME…EACH TIME SOMETHING ENDS; A BREAKUP, LEAVING A JOB….DEATH HAS MANY FORMS….

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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 JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

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

[[CHEF JUAN LOPEZ LUNA]]

OUTRO

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

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