Petrina Peart - Chef
When you were little , what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was little, I wanted to be a writer. Later, a journalist, just anything to do with creative writing. Now, I want to write a non-traditional cookbook.
What is the first thing you do when you start your work day?
The first thing I do every day is take some time to myself. I check in with me. If I am good, everything I do will be good as well.
What do you cook on Sunday at your own house?
Something hearty and comforting like lentil Bolognese over pasta, or a nice thick curry stew over rice.
What do you feel is the biggest sign of weakness in another person?
I think the biggest sign of weakness in a person is how they view another person’s success. How well they hold space for someone else’s joy, even if theirs is low. This and a lack of empathy.
Give me some good deed ideas?
In every city or town, there is a place where the homeless people like to hang out or camp. Whenever you find yourself with extra food, water, supplies etc. Take a ride in your car and go bless someone’s day. It may not make a difference to the entire homeless population, but to that person, on that day, you made a difference.
(P.S. be prepared to cry)
What was in your mailbox today?
Isomalt. It’s for sugar garnishes.
What is your next carrier step / plan? Next goal you would like to meet?
My next goal is to have my own culinary studio and test kitchen.
How have you changed in the last two years?
I’ve become more unapologetically self-focused. I realized that I was giving more to the world than I ever gave myself. I needed to change that, to re-balance. So, one day in January (2022) I looked down at the calendar and marked a year reminder. I am giving myself one year of the same amount of time, energy, effort, and determination I would’ve given to anyone else (especially a job). I’m all in on me.
I don’t think I could quantify a worst job. I mean, when I was in the Air Force, there were days we spent filling sandbags. I mean that exactly how it sounds. Filling bags of sand in the middle of summer, in the middle east, in long sleeve ABU/BDUs. Those were pretty bad. There were days in the kitchen where my only job was peeling and cutting a 50lb bag of onion or peeling a 50lb bag of potato. Filling 500 cream puffs! Lol, those all sound horrible to say now.
But I think my worst work experience have always been putting in time, effort, and energy into a company that never really appreciated it or that undervalued my work to keep me.
Any advice on getting a good nights sleep?
Eat an orange. Maybe an hour before bed. You can still brush your teeth etc. The limonene (plant terpene) found in citrus is known to reduce stress, and aid in better quality sleep. The whole act of
peeling the orange by hand; the essential oils bursting and spraying from its peel to your skin/pores and permeates while you eat the fruit. I used to hate eating oranges this way, I found it too overpowering. But now that I understand why, I prefer to eat my oranges like this, and at night. It works for me!
How did you spend your last birthday?
I spent my last birthday (36) in the library attending a webinar on marketing strategies. It sounds boring but it was self-improvement, which is another form of self-care. It was quiet and lovely.
Petrina Peart is a chef and a creator of Luxury Dining Experiences, she was most recently featured on Beat Bobby Flay Episode 07.07.2022 follow her on @gaiyasharvest + @petrina_peart + https://gaiyasharvest.com
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