I grew up on a small farm in the Rhodope Mountains,Bulgaria, where mornings smelled like warm milk, dough rising under embroidered towels, and the quiet breath of pine trees.

Food was never just food. It was ritual, story, medicine, and home.

My Culinary Path

I have over 20 years of experience as a chef – from restaurant kitchens to private clients, intimate dinners, and international retreats – always chasing the first truth I learned as a child: nourishment is a form of love.

Culinary school taught me technique, but life has its own alchemy.

At some point, I realized that cooking alone was not enough. I wanted to understand the emotional landscapes behind what we eat – the nervous system, the memories, the wounds, the longings. I wanted to know why certain foods soothe us, why others ignite us, and how a single dish can bring a person back to themselves.

So, I later became a certified nutrition coach and began exploring nutrition from a biopsychosocial perspective — where food, psychology, culture, and childhood experience meet.

And then a storyteller. Or, perhaps, I’ve always been one.

And then – without planning it –  a healer of sorts.