April 28, 2025 • 65 mins
This week we are talking di tings with registered nurse, author, entrepreneur, winner of the Food Network's "Outchef'd", and creator behind the social media platform 'That Nurse Can Cook', Helena Faustin.
In this episode we discuss how Helena went from simply sharing recipes from her kitchen to turning her passion for the culinary arts and her Jamaican culture into a thriving global platform and business. We also discuss the power of resilience, the importance of honoring your culture, the balancing act of following your heart, while making sure your mind is always with you (especially when the path ahead feels uncertain), and so much more! This conversation will definitely make you experience introspection, laughter; and serves as a beautiful reminder that what may seem like rejection is often just a redirection toward your destiny.
So grab your tea, coffee, or a glass of wine, and let’s talk di tings!
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.
If you enjoyed the episode, leave us a 5 star rating, share this episode, and follow Let’s Talk Di Tings on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Listen to LTDT on: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6akOR9kAnsbANiszBDcVOL?si=aa70627937124c3e APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-di-tings/id1662696625
In this episode we discuss how Helena went from simply sharing recipes from her kitchen to turning her passion for the culinary arts and her Jamaican culture into a thriving global platform and business. We also discuss the power of resilience, the importance of honoring your culture, the balancing act of following your heart, while making sure your mind is always with you (especially when the path ahead feels uncertain), and so much more! This conversation will definitely make you experience introspection, laughter; and serves as a beautiful reminder that what may seem like rejection is often just a redirection toward your destiny.
So grab your tea, coffee, or a glass of wine, and let’s talk di tings!
.
.
If you enjoyed the episode, leave us a 5 star rating, share this episode, and follow Let’s Talk Di Tings on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
.
.
Listen to LTDT on: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6akOR9kAnsbANiszBDcVOL?si=aa70627937124c3e APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-di-tings/id1662696625
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Helena Fausten is a nurse by training, a storyteller at heart,
and a dynamic force in the culinary world. She is
a founder of That Nurse Can Cook, a platform that
began on social media with just a camera in her
kitchen that has now grown into a global celebration of
her Jamaican heritage and its vibrant cuisine. In this episode,
(00:26):
our conversation goes far beyond food. We explore resilience, cultural identity,
and the often difficult, yet essential practice of following your
heart while never leaving your mind behind, especially when the
rod ahead is uncertain. If you're listening to the podcast
(00:48):
on Apple Podcast, please remember to rate and leave a
comment below. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram
at Let's Talk the Things. Now, grab your tea, coffee,
or a glass of wine and Let's Talk the Tings.
Hello everyone, Welcome back to Let's Talk to Tings, where
(01:11):
we discuss personal growth, travel, music, beauty and wellness while
encouraging you to live fearlessly and fabulously. I'm your host,
Ash and if this is your first time tuning in,
this podcast focuses on engaging in conversations that pull us
(01:32):
inward so we can show up stronger, clearer, and more
aligned in the world. This week we are talking to
tings with a beautiful woman who I think embodies that
exact principle. Content creator, author, registered nurse, and one of
the most powerful forces in the culinary world, Helena Faustin.
(01:57):
Hi Helena, how are you, hi?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Ash? I am doing well?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Great?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
God right.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I love the strength of that. Well, I felt that
in my spirit, So I love that.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yes, well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
For coming to talk the things with.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Me, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Oh, you're welcome, And for you and our first time listeners.
We begin each episode with our listener's favorite segment, and
it's called that no soon safe.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Okay, So so.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
The title alone soon safe. Right, So I'm going to
read messages or social media posts that listeners sent in,
and if you think it sounds crazy or a little
bit concerning, you, just say that no son safe and
explain why briefly. And if you agree, you say you agree,
or that son safe, whatever you want to say to
(02:53):
show agreement, and then explain why. Sounds good, sound all right? Perfect?
All right? So the first person said the secret to
clear skin is not letting anybody's son take your fee idiot.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That's safe. That is very very.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Safe, very safe.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I think you know we've all been there where we
allowed questionable things, you know, in our younger days and
sometimes even in your mature days, you know, because you
could be blinded by love. That saying. It's not a
saying for no reason, but m yeah, I want to
free us all of that. Yeah, let's let's leave that.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yah. I agree, But I also think that it's a
metaphor for life in general. You shouldn't let anybody play.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
A child, not gay men love.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah, you know what I mean. Keep your circle clean,
keep your spirit clean, watch who you associate yourself with,
and you will have clear and shining skin.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So it's really true, you know, because I forgot what
episode it was. I think it was with Kayla. Kayla
was on here, Kayla Greaves. I don't know if you
know her.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah, and she was on here. Of course, you know,
she's a beauty expert. So you were talking about skin
and things like that, and I was like, you know,
people go on these Saphora halls and ten step skincare routine,
but if you're doing all of that and you're surrounded
by people, you're in a relationship where someone's taking you
for a fool. None of that is gonna matter, None
of it. Get your skin is still gonna be horrible
(04:33):
because your body is reacting to stress, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Putting in your body too. And I'm not just speaking
about food or medicine or alcohol. I'm talking about what
you're taking into your spirit and what you're associating yourself
with the type of energy you're surrounded with, and that's
invading and infiltrating your spirit.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Very true, very true. And I think that's that's really
something we don't think about day to day. You know.
I'm glad you said that, Like, it's not just people
and things like that, and the fact that you can
control who you're around. I think growing up, especially in
the diaspora, right, and especially as women, you tend to
(05:23):
especially if it's family or longtime friends, you tend to think, oh,
that's also and so is is miserable all the time.
But some people can come around you and literally drain
the life out of you. Yeah, and that can also
cause skin issues, you know. So yeah, no, I agree,
I think we both we both think that's safe.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Next one the person said these people are hilarious. The
person said, I'm ready to like men for money because
liking them for who they are has cost me terribly.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
That does sound See, I.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Stay a fat all because the money is not going
to make you have a better experienced Ladies, I'm here
to tell you, Yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
All have to surround ourselves with people and individuals who
have morals and guiding principles that align. Yes, yes, money
is nice. Money is nice, you know what I mean.
Money's very very nice. But ultimately, you know, that can
(06:30):
be a downfall too, if you're getting into situations with
people for the wrong reasons. So I'm going to stand
firm on that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, No, I agree, that's not so unsafe at all
because at the end of the day, I personally believe
with anyone, not just in a romantic relationship, but any
relationship you have in your life, that person's character is
what matters. That's what's going to carry your relationship. That's
the foundation of your relationship. That's what will matter when
things go bad, how they will react to that and.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
How they will treat you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You know. So you know, like, even though this person
saying liking them for who they are has cost them.
Maybe you're just liking a person that's not equally yoked
with you.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Right, and you know they are going to be what
you interact with on a daily basis, So you could
literally be miserable every day.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
True, and that matters, very true.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
No, But I mean I wanted nobody wants to be miserable.
I mean, I guess it all boils down to whether
or not you want to be miserable in the mansion.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Right, And that's a that's a saying, right, like do
you want to cry in the Rolls Royce or the Honda?
And the thing is, I don't want to cry at all?
How about that? Why isn't anybody having that conversation?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Because at all?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Right? Like, that's that's the thing. I feel like these
kind of sayings or memes are put up and if
you look at it a little bit deeper, it's like,
why are we even okay with the fact that somebody
is bringing you to tears? Like where it hides? You
know what I mean? Shouldn't really matter? Honda too, Yep, listen,
(08:16):
there's anything wrong with the Honda.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with an.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Oh my gosh, all right, So the next one, the
person said, it is not your job to soothe, to
soothe the people who have mistreated you through the consequences
of mistreating you. I agree, yeah, same, same, yeah, I think.
(08:44):
And I also think like if you've been a person
that's been raised in an environment which a lot of
us are as Caribbean women, to like, you know, let
things go off your back or not really say anything.
You know, you feel badly, you know, and why for
put for boundaries.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Or boundaries exactly? Yeah, yeah, that also comes with growth.
Sometimes you have to stand firm on your beliefs and
where you stand and not budge from It's that thing
you as well. But we also have to and it
goes both ways. Like you know, if somebody sets a
(09:22):
boundary with us, we also have to respect that as well,
even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Absolutely, absolutely, And I think although it's difficult to do,
I agree with this person, like it's not your job
to do that, and it's the person's job to recognize
the person is putting a boundary because they want to
keep me in their life. Yes, I think people don't
understand that because my perspective is if I'm not putting
a boundary with you and I just cut you off
(09:51):
to me, I just don't want your own. But if
I'm saying, hey, when you do this, this bothers me,
and I'm telling you what you should do in order
for me to feel more comfortable around you, that means
I'm trying to allow you the sense to stay in
my life. You know what I mean. And I think
sometimes people on the receiving and don't see it that
way or don't understand.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, but boundaries are good. I think people ultimately like
the boundaries because we need to know, you know, what
the rules are of engagement, and we need to now.
We like to know where we stand with people.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Absolutely. Yes, people may not admit it, but just like
I'm sure with parenting, I'm not a parent yet, but
I'm sure you can attest to your kids may not
admit they like rules and regulations and boundaries, but I'm
sure when they look at other kids they go to
school with that can just do whatever they want, they're
happy that they have it. I may not tell you right, no,
but when they get to be our age, they'll think
(10:47):
about it exactly, exactly, absolutely, Okay, perfect, all right, couple more.
The next person said, I don't like being asked, are
you at home? Please expand so I can know whether
I'm at home or not.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I agree with that. I agree that as a person
that doesn't like to be snuck up on. When you
reach out to me, tell me what you want immediately
so that I can make a decision about I want
to navigate the situation. I really don't like to be
(11:25):
caught off guard because sometimes saying I make big plans
to do absolutely nothing, and once I get set in
those plans, I don't want nobody to come and shake
that up. So, yes, what it is that you want
as soon as you reach out. Unless it's my life,
(11:46):
there's only like maybe two or three people in my
life that are allowed to do that. Like my mother
can text me and say are you home, and she'll
get a response from me right away, right, right, of course,
Samesane my husband's mother, same thing, our sibling, Yeah, same thing.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, yeah, but just random right, But why do you
want to know?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Why do you want to know? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Those open ended questions give me a little bit of anxiety.
I'm not gonna die.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah, Because sometimes we have to get yourself mentally prepared
to entertain guests and sometimes it all depends on your mood.
It depends on you know, whatever you're doing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
That is so true. That is so true. I'm with you.
That one sounds very safe to me, very very safe.
Sound like a seat belt, Yeah, very safe. All right,
So two more. The next one is the person said
confidence isn't vain. It's an investment with guaranteed returns.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That sound very safe. Yeah, that sounds very safe actually,
And that's like the part of the inner work that
we have to do because it shows up in a
lot of areas in our lives and our relationships, the
decisions that we make in our career, and our spirituality
and our health, the things we buy. So confidence is
(13:15):
always always one of those things that are a good investment.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, it has me thinking
about the first one in that confidence m depending on
who you're around, can cause friction because if you're around
persons that are not confident and have a lot of
insecurities and you're confident, you can run into a lot
(13:41):
of situations where you're at odds because a person thinking,
you know, you think all that, or you know, try.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, you don't exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
So that's what I'm saying exactly. It goes to the
first one, right, like who you surround yourself with and
all of that matters because you can have all this confidence,
but if your environment are people that are not confident,
or are insecure, or don't have any kind of idea
of where they're going in life, because we're all figuring
out life like every single day. Don't get me wrong, right,
(14:12):
nobody has it all figured out, right, But you want
to be our own people that are going to, you know,
push you to be your best, that are going to
pour into you. You don't want to be our own
people where you're like, all right, you know what, I
feel so confident now and you're around somebody that's like, hmmm,
must be nice to be confident because I don't feel
like that. But if you feel like that, it's like
(14:33):
everybody wants that type of energy, you know. So I
just thought of it as you were talking, like that's interesting.
It relates to the first one as well, very true
and true. Yeah, yeah, that one's someone safe for sure,
all right. And the final one. A man asked his
gardener why his plants grew so beautifully, and the gardener said,
(14:53):
I don't force them to grow. I remove what stops
them from growing.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Aha. That sounds very safe.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, that sounds.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Very very safe to me because you just need that
space to grow. I think everybody needs space to grow.
And if something is affecting your growth, you got to
get rid of it. Yeah, yeah, rid of it. And
that goes for like relationships, friendships that you've outgrown and
(15:26):
stuff like that. They can really stagger your growth because
I do feel like iron sharpened iron. You know who
you surround yourself with and what they challenge you to do,
how they challenge you to think can really really make
or break your growth. So I like that. I like
that he said that it's so true. It's such a
(15:49):
metaphor for our life.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yep, absolutely, one hundred percent agree. All Right, that was fun.
Now that's really taught the things Helena. Your story, as
I've read and really admired, begins in a place that
many people can relate to, right, like having a plan
and watching it fall apart. Right, So, you applied to
(16:14):
grad school, you had a clear vision of where you
wanted to go in life, and then you got this
rejection letter. Right, So, can you take me back to
that moment, like not just what happened, but what shifted
inside you to make you choose a different path. And
now you're on this path that is obviously your destiny.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well, at the time, I was at a crossroads in
my career, and I was at the point where my
colleagues were going back to school to further their education.
And I'm a nurse. For any of your listeners that
don't know, I'm a registered nurse. I specialize in neonatology.
(16:56):
I've been a nick you nurse for fifteen years now.
And at the time that I was applying to grad school,
I was just of the belief that it was the
next step in my career. Like everybody else went to
grad school, they became a nurse practitioner, and it was
kind of like set in stone that that was what
(17:17):
you just did. So my employer offered a really great
program that was incentivized and backed by their university, and
they were offering to put the cost and I said,
you know what, this actually sounds like a good idea,
And deep down inside I knew that it wasn't really
(17:40):
my passion really, because I said, I am still in
debt from my bachelor's degree, and I know a lot
of people can relate to that. I was saddled with
student loan debt, and I was really the thought that, right,
(18:01):
I was really thought that why am I going to
school to get myself in more debt when I haven't
even come out of the initial debt. So my hospital
had a really good program. You did have to pay
some money, but they were incentivizing it and giving you
some financial backing. So I said, all right, let me
(18:22):
just do it. And I did not go into it
with a full heart, like I said. I was just
doing it because I felt like it was the next
thing to do. And it was crazy because I gathered
my things fiot my application I submitted, I was about
to submit it. I didn't submit the program, but when
(18:42):
I was looking at the requirements, it was saying that, oh,
we require a three point five five GPA. And I
was like, okay, well I have a three point five GPA.
And I said, let me make sure I'm not going
to waste my time because on my transcript really just
said three point five like that's it. It wasn't three
(19:04):
point five five. So I called up the admissions office
and I said, listen, like I have a three point
five gpa and on here it says you need a
three point five to five, And the person on the
phone was like, well, I wouldn't apply if I were you,
because they're very strict on that. Looking back on it,
(19:25):
it sounds absolutely ridiculous because you're really telling me that
five is the difference of whether or not I'm accepted
into the program. The truth is like, if I really
wanted to, I would have given pushback. I would have
(19:45):
taken it further. And that's for your listeners out there.
Don't just take the first no. A lot of the times,
the person that's telling you no is not even the
decision maker. And the person that I was on the
phone with likely was not the decision maker. They were
likely just answering the phone and I heard that and
(20:08):
I kind of used that as an excuse to not
go forward. So it wasn't a rejection. No one rejected me.
I didn't apply, and someone turned me down. I decided
I wasn't going to go further with okay this because
this person on the phone was just like, don't apply,
So it kind of felt like a rejection per se.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Oh okay, my apologies. I misunderstood. I thought they reject
like they and you know you didn't get in yet.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
No realized in the application because the person on the
phone was just like, ye, don't even bother and I.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Was just like that's crazy, yeah, and I was just
like really.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
And in the moment, I was like, wow, this was
like such a rejection because you know, the first time
you get a no, it doesn't feel reject like rejection,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Got you? So you felt I felt rejected it the rejecting.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay, so you're not wrong in that yees, so you're
not necessarily wrong, but it did feel like a rejection
in that moment, and it felt like they were. The
person on the phone was telling me, you know what,
you're not good enough. And because it wasn't in my
spirit to begin with, and I knew that I wasn't
(21:29):
really about pursuing this path, I just took that as
my sign to not even apply again.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Right, you didn't even try to fight it.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Try to fight it. I did not.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I said, well, there's the guy that's that. You know what?
That that woman or a man whoever addsered the phone
might have been working for Jesus, because it might have
been God saying listen, don't it just just to her
GPA isn't good enough, so she's not listening to me.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
So that in that case, that rejection of my protection.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Really I love that it was the redirection.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Yeah, exactly exactly, And you know, looking back on it,
I laugh now because I'm like, girls, you never.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Do that.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
We're just looking for any excuse to say, any excuse,
and it didn't work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And you know, it's so I find it so fascinating
how sometimes what feels like rejection is, as you really said,
is actually the first spark of reinvention, right, And so
I'm curious when you first realize that cooking, which is
something that you're known for, and I'm sure you'll get
into you know how that came about from that point?
(22:53):
Right when you realize, okay, you're not doing nursing anymore, well,
not nursing anymore, but going to do pursue your master,
like something you'd always done instinctively could be the foundation
of something bigger. Like when did you realize, wait, this
could be something big, not just me and my kitchen,
you know, making it and rice and you know what
(23:13):
we all do, not right, right?
Speaker 2 (23:17):
You know, when I first started my Instagram page. It
was upon the advice of a really good friend and
I was just sharing recipes with my close friends and family,
and she said, you know, why don't you start a
separate Instagram page where you just share your recipes with
(23:39):
an audience. And at first it just started out as
like a hobby, something I just did whenever I felt
like it, and then around And that was back in
twenty eighteen. By the time twenty nineteen came and I
started doing a lot more research and I realized, well,
people were actually making life changing living off of social media.
(24:04):
And even back in two nineteen, which seems very recent,
social media is not what it is today, and nineteen
you didn't really hear of people having social media careers
and content creator, you know, making a business out of
(24:30):
what they're doing. It always seemed like it was a hobby.
And when I started following others in my niche and
I saw what they were doing, I said, wow, like,
if I really take this seriously, I can actually build
something meaningful. And then I said, all right, let me,
(24:51):
let me take this serious. And at the point at
that point I was working full time. My kids were
three years old, so they were very little at the time,
and I was like, really of the thought of staying home, Like,
how can I make sure that I can get to
(25:13):
a point where I can stay home with my children
and raise them, because relying on other people to help
you with your children is very humbling. Having to drop
your children off at a daycare and trust strangers with
the safety and well being of your children is a
(25:33):
very humbling experience.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
And I don't even have kids, and that frightened.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yes, Yes, it's very humbling because you're literally at their mercy.
And I prayed on it so much and I said,
you know, Lord, if I just take five steps, will
you help me with the extra five increase whatever I do.
If I put five, can you put ten on it
for me? And I did what I had to do.
(26:01):
I worked really hard, and then the next year was
the pandemic and I had to fight through that, and
there were a lot of obstacles. It was very, very challenging,
but eventually it worked out to the point where I
scaled my hours back at work and in twenty twenty
(26:23):
one I went down to part twenty twenty one. The
end of twenty twenty one, going into twenty twenty two,
I started working part time at my job, and then
in twenty twenty three, I finally went full time as
a content creator. Wow, I love It's a process. You know.
(26:49):
It wasn't opennight. And you know, I was telling someone
that even though you feel passionate about something and you
want to follow your heart art, make sure you take
your mind with you as well.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Hey, listen that you need to put on all say
that follow your heart, so make sure you take your
mind with you as well. Oh my gosh, that is
a word, honestly, like, that's so brilliantly said.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yes, and it's true for I.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Mean, we can just wrap up the podcast.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yes, that's so, follow your heart, but take your mind,
take your mind with you because people say, you know,
I was following my heart. I was following my heart,
but it didn't make sense. And you know, I come
from a Jamaican household, you know, and I was raised
(27:48):
to crave stability and making sure you had your ducks
in a row and making sure you took care of business.
So there was no way I was going to go
follow my heart. And your heart will lead you into a.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Lake just because it looks.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Exactly, So make sure you carry your life best.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yes, which is your mind. I love that. I love that.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So there has to be some sort of strategy, some
sort of stability, because you need to eat, you need
to live, You need to enjoy life too. You don't
want to be miserable because you decided to follow your heart.
And the same comes with relationships. Sometimes when you're thinking
(28:39):
with your heart, you're not really thinking rationally.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
That's how you end up with somebody's son. Exactly. We
keep going back, we keep going keeping, bring it back
to the foundations. Okay, it's so true though, Oh my gosh,
that's so beauty said. It's so true. And there's something
so powerful in how you honored your calling right without
(29:07):
knowing where it was going to take you. But you
just trusted yourself. Even what you said about you know
you're going to take five steps, but asking God to
give you that extra five.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
You don't, right, because that works is dead.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Amen, Very true, Very true. You have to put in
the work as well. And so when you began filming
yourself in the kitchen, right, and as you said, you
are Jamaican and so a lot of what you cook,
I know you cook a variety of dishes, but you
know the majority of what you cook or the foundation
are Jamaican dishes. Did you realize that you were preserving
(29:41):
more than food, because there's really a part of what
you do that's also preserving your culture as well.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Right, And I love this is That's like one of
my favorite questions. I'm so glad you asked me that
because we could actually do a whole podcast on that question,
because I have very well listen to me. And the
reason why I love that question so much is because
(30:08):
it's something that I feel very passionate about, especially with
the changing landscape of content creation.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
And the need to constantly go viral, the need to
get engagement on posts, the likes, the clicks, the shares,
the saves, and what it has morphed into I feel
is a somewhat I want to use the right word.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
We are blurring the lines between preserving our culture and
disrespecting our culture or not really honoring our culture. And
I don't want to call it like a bastardization of
our culture, but in the quest to be innovative, we're
(31:00):
losing some of the founding principles of our culture and
why we cook them. Yes, and it's important for me
to preserve that, and that's why if you go to
my page and that nurse can cook, you'll see that
sometimes I experiment, but I don't do it all the time.
And I feel like in experimenting with our dishes is
(31:22):
important because I'd like to see Caribbean food elevated. I
feel like our food is complex, it's layered, it's full
of flavor, it requires skill, it's very special, and we
don't necessarily get the love that let's say French cuisine does.
(31:43):
Like French cuisine is put on the top, it's you know,
this is the Michelin Star type food. This is the
standard and right, and it's important for us to elevate it.
So we can elevate our cultural dishes by adding a
(32:04):
new twist, adding new interpretations to it. But we also
have to honor and preserve our culture because fifty and
sixty years from now, these are like the history books
people are going to look at and when they see
something like I'm just making something up off of the
top of my head, a plant in fry, doughnut mixed
(32:28):
with an aphi syrup, a bit like you understand, they're
not gonna We have to make sure they know that
this is not our founding principle. This is not a
representation of our culture and our food. It is a
mere iteration of what already exists. But it's important for
(32:50):
us to preserve our culture by honoring those foundational dishes
because there's history behind it.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Absolutely a lot, you said, absolutely, And I love that
you said that Jamaican food is layered. I love that
because it's so true, you know, I when I think
of Jamaican food, I think, you know, it's bold, it's
deeply historical, like you said, it's spiritual, you know, and
every dish tells a story of migration and resistance and adaptation.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
You know.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Our motto is all to many one people. So we
have a melting pot of culture that makes up the
food that we cook and that we create and that
we consume. So with that being said, or with that
in mind, what does Jamaican cuisine mean to you on
a personal level? Right? And not just as a cook,
(33:42):
but as a daughter, as a mother, and just as
a woman.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I love that question. To girl, you are hitting all
the right spots with these questions.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
If you just call me a jamas An opera, you know,
doke my head swag. I have to thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You know. And the reason why I also love this
question is because in my cookbook The Soul of Skanchi,
I share various anecdotal stories that are behind some of
the dishes that we cook. Because for a lot of
dishes in Jamaican cuisine, there's a story, there's a tradition,
(34:27):
there's something tied to it that makes it special. And
I'll give you an example. In the chapter where I
talk about fried fish, I tell a little story. I'll
give you like a little snippet, and it talks about
the tradition of frying fish and having Easter bun on
(34:48):
Good Friday every Yeah, and it's one of my favorite
Jamaican traditions. I love that Jamaican tradition. I think almost
more than sorrow and black cake at Christmas time.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
I will just a hard time. I love a good
sprat book. I don't know my Auntie's rum cake, and.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
I know I just you know, Good Friday it's for me.
I mean, think about the build up, that's true, it's
the tradition. It's going to the fish market on the Friday,
braving those long, those long lives, haggling with the man
over the price, of yeah, coming home, and we're on
a fly fish and bun and cheese diet for the
(35:32):
rest of the weekend. And the culmination of that weekend
is the celebrating the reservation the resurrection of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, and feasting over a meal Easter
Sunday dinner is a big deal. You put your heart
and your soul into that, So that's why it's one
(35:52):
of my favorite traditions. And in the book, I tell
this story about it being one good Friday and I
was in June in high school. I was very young,
of maybe twelve eleven or twelve, and my dad came
out of the house and I was on us playing
outside with my friends and in Brooklyn, we hung out
(36:15):
on the stoop like that was our thing to do.
Find somebody stoop to sit down on, and we just
shoot the breeze. Everyone's cracking jokes. And on that one
particular good Friday, it was unseasonably warm, so we were outside.
It was the start of spring break. And I'm not
quite sure why our door was so loud that day,
(36:40):
but it just seemed like everything was tone up and
the door slammed. My dad walked out and he had
some ista bun and cheese in his hand and it
was like a sandwich. And he took like three steps
down the stairs and took the biggest bite of his
(37:05):
easter bun sangwiche and he was so passionate about it,
and he just like, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I did not think that's where this story was.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
It was just like it was so exaggerated.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Denim outfit with the denim jeans with a denim jacket
and some Cuban heeled shoes with a gold chain, with
a gold chain, this big bite, and I said, oh
my god, if somebody sees this, they're going to make
(37:49):
fun of me. And in the back of my mind,
I was like, please, don't let anybody notice the fact
that he just took the biggest bite of this easter
bun sangwich and like a it come. One of the
loudest kids on the block said, oh my god, whose
daddy is that? No hate Jamaican, and all of the
(38:14):
kids was like, whose dad is that? Who that is that?
And I would I wanted the ground to open up
and swallow. And I just sat there very quiet, and
I was like, just let it past, like, just let
it bast and someone was like.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Your daddy, no, Helena. I just stood there in ambarrassment
and eat.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Their buns, you know, they had to. They laugh about it,
and I just stood there like, oh my goodness, why
he gotta be so Jamaican. Yeah, I was a little embarrassed.
Like in my young immature mind at the age of
eleven or twelve, I was feeling little embarrassed. The me today,
(39:09):
I will walk down Broadway with dare somebody to say
something to me.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Now you have a different mindset. It's like, say something
to me if you're bad, because.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Right, so that ties back.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Into the whole the answer to your question. It's not
just you, it's the tradition, it's the story, it's the connection.
It's the fabric of our culture and what makes us,
you know, carry that identity not only as Jamaicans, as
first generation Americans, And it's one of our guiding principles
(39:53):
when we're trying to impart those lessons onto our children,
to be proud of who you are. This is your
cultural food. And we are in we're in a day
and age where it's important for us to be a
little bit more health conscious and our food kind of
gets labeled that's unhealthy.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
So there is like this push for us to stop
eating our Caribbean food because now, all of a sudden,
the food that our grandparents and our parents grew up
in and they lived till one hundred, now all of
a sudden, it's unhealthy. Don't give your kids porridge in
the morning because it's not good for them. Don't eat
(40:34):
rice and peas, it's not good for you. So it's
important for us to preserve that.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And I agree, I agree, And I love that you
said a couple of things I want to point out.
I love that you said we can still eat our
cultural foods, but maybe we can just alter the way
we cook it, you know, so I use different oils
and you know, maybe use brown rice instead of white
rice sometimes things like that. But we don't have to
(41:02):
completely take it out of our diet because we don't
want to lose who we are as people.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
No, I agree, I agree with you with that. And
then also another thing you said, and it's it's something
in my I was smiling as you were talking because
I've said this for at least the last fifteen years
that I wish I saw more fine dining Jamaican restaurants, right,
and I find that more and more I'm seeing a
(41:32):
couple pop up. But I find that we need to
do a better job of, like you said, preserving that.
And yes, we can alter the you know, the cuisine,
but not to the point where you know how they're
doing with Ouxdale. There's everything.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Right and like and like I said, you can try it,
like you understand what I mean. You it's a yeah,
experiment with the things, just so that we can let
the world know that our cuisine is not a monolith.
We can adapt it to the changing times. But we
also have to be very careful to not lose the
(42:13):
plot of the story.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Absolutely absolutely, And to the to the restaurant point, I
know that there is a restaurant in New York called
Tatiana's there. I don't even listen. Same. Let me tell
you something. I don't even eat curry goat like that, right,
I have a story behind that. That's for another time,
another episode, Okay, But I had stopped eating curry goat
(42:37):
for a very long time. So when I went there
and I saw they had curry golt petties, I was like,
mm hmm, that know, so and safe because I haven't
eaten it in so long. Although it looks good how
it's described, I was like, I don't know. And then
this guy was sitting next to me and him and
his friend got it and it smelled so good, and
he was like, no, you have to try it. So
(42:57):
I was like, Lord, be with me and my stomach.
Let me just try this. And when I tell you,
that was the best patty I have ever had in
my life, I'm not exaggerating, right, it was so good.
But I love the way that they do. No, that's
more of a fusion, but just to give you an example.
And then also recently, Kayla and I ate at a
(43:20):
place called Mango Bay, I think in Brooklyn.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
I'm actually going there today.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
Stop it right now, Yes, as.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Soon as we end this podcast, I'm meeting two of
my best friends at Mango.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
That's serious, yo, man, I've promised you. Every time I
do this podcast, I say something that the other person
either has done was just said to them. It's crazy, Like,
I really feel strongly that God is sending me to people.
I'm just putting that out there again because that is
insane that you're going there.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I mean and it's not a coincidence.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
That's insane.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
Oh my gosh, this interview. As soon as we end
this interview, I have to get ready and we have
a dating stopping to catch up at Mango Bans. And
I was specific about trying that restaurant because I think
it's important for us to support our peace and in
(44:15):
their endeavors. And it's a relatively new.
Speaker 5 (44:18):
Restaurant and I like to support our people and spotlight
them on my platform whenever I get an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
So that's the reason why I was very intentional. And
I do also I hope I'm not cutting no, but
I do want to sneak in there that there's also
a restaurant that I'm interested in trying. It's called Continent.
It's in Williamsburg and it's from out one of our
(44:51):
fellow yardies. And the food it's elevated Jamaican food, you understand.
And it looks amazing, And that's next on my list.
It's a restaurant led by chef scottly Innes. Oh, so
I want to mention that so your listeners know, Like
I've not been there myself, but it looks amazing from
(45:14):
what I can see and I'm anticipating.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
I'll have yeah, because I was bringing it up to
say this is so crazy, like I literally have goosebump.
So I was bringing it up to say that Kayla
chose a restaurant, right, So we ended up going there.
I loved it. We both loved it, and I thought
to myself, oh my gosh, I'm seeing now more of
like fine dining esque, you know, Jamaican restaurants, and I
(45:37):
love it. And so now you're telling me about continent
like this other restaurant. I'm writing this down because I'm like,
I would love to support those type of restaurants so
that they can flourish and there can be more of them.
Because I really agree with what they said that our
cuisine should be elevated because I've never met anyone that
doesn't like some sort of Jamaican food, Like, even if
(45:59):
they're not into I have never met anyone literally that
doesn't like some type of Jamaican food. So I think
it's just the way that we presented. And I love
that you are, you know, so into picking up other
Jamaicans that are doing their thing in the restaurant industry,
because especially in New York. I can imagine it's not
(46:20):
easy because there's so many restaurants, you know, but I
will definitely check out continent the next time i'm there.
As a matter of fact, all three of us should
just make it a little girls night.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Yes we should. And you know I'm down.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
Yes, anything to do with food, you can't go in
And I'm just gonna speak for Kayla to counter in.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Yes, I am always down. You guys know where to
find Yes.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
Yes, for sure, for sure love that. Okay, So I
want to switch gars a little bit right because you
are and you mentioned it throughout our conversation thus far.
But you are a nurse, your content creator, You're an entrepreneur,
you're a wife, you're a mother. How do you navigate
(47:05):
all of those roles without losing the center of who
you are as Helena?
Speaker 2 (47:12):
One thing that I've learned over the years is that
there's no such thing as balance. There's only priorities at
any given moment. So if something requires my immediate attention
and other things have to be shelved momentarily, then that
is what I do. I think that I struggled for
(47:32):
the first couple of years because I was trying to
create some sort of balance. It's impossible. It's impossible, and
I want I freed myself from that expectation because trying
to balance everything was making me miserable, and it was
making me feel like I was failing, when the truth
(47:53):
is I'm only one person. I cannot be in five
different places at once. I mean, unless they figure out
a way for me to clone myself, which would really.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
Be nice, right right, or.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
If you gain more hours in the day or more days. Right,
You see how impossible that is. So what I've learned
to do is prioritize things in the moment and delegate
where I can be that I'm leaving room for error
(48:32):
as well, because I'm a human being. So there are
times where I drop the ball and I say, oh, geez,
I feel like I could have handled that a little
bit better. But now that I'm aware of it, I
make sure that going forward, when presented with another opportunity
to make a decision that requires what I prioritize, I
(48:54):
remember that experience where I dropped the ball and I say,
all right, let me try to do better this time.
And I'm still a work in progress. There are sometimes
I get lost. Yeah, sometimes I get lost in work
and I look up. It's been three hours and I've
been ignoring everything, and I'm like, wait, who was texting me?
(49:16):
Who emailed me? Let me make sure that I'm not
missing out on something. So I'm still a work in progress,
but I'm doing a lot better than I was doing
let's say, two or three years ago.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
I love that. I think that's great, and I think
that for many women listening they agree with you. You
know me included. Balance kind of feels like a myth, yes,
and maybe it is right. But presence, I think is
something different entirely. So for you, like what groaned you?
What like rituals or boundaries do you put in place
(49:52):
to stay connected to yourself, like amidst all the demands?
So I know you prioritize, but do you have any
like rituals you do in the sense of maybe you
do like yoga, you go for a walk or things
like that.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
I am big on energy transfer and making sure that
I am self aware at all times. That's something that
I'm intentional about. If I'm feeling nervous about something, I
find a way to transfer that energy. Because you can't
(50:25):
destroy energy, you can only transfer it. So the way
I transfer energy, I go and walk. I will walk
from Manhattan to Brooklyn if I have to. I'm a walker.
I like to walk. I will go for a walk
for about an hour with my headphones in. Sometimes that
(50:46):
energy transfer looks like me scrubbing my base boards. Sometimes,
if I'm really nervous or anxious about something, I'll start cleaning.
I'll get on this cleaning front lead frenzy. And it's
not necessarily because I'm some sort of clean freak, but
sometimes when I get in those cleaning frenzy, it's helping
(51:09):
me transfer nervous energy. I have a book of prayers
and affirmations that I refer to for every situation that
I'm going through. I have this book. He's on Instagram
at King of Solomon, and he has a book of prayers,
(51:29):
and there's like a prayer for every single situation that
you're faced with, whether you're having a breakdown and a friendship,
whether you're feeling overwhelmed, whether you are faced with a
tough decision. It's a really good book that you can
refer to and there's exercises something to do to deal
(51:51):
with it. And then I'm also making sure that i'm
intentional about being self aware? What have you been watching lately,
what have you been eating lately? Who have you been
talking to? Are you in your head well? What has
been going on that's causing you to feel this way?
Have you been interacting in a way that you feel
(52:13):
is up to your standard? Are you angry? Are you
you know? How are you feeling? Are you happy? Are
you this? So I always make sure that I check
in with myself so that I'm always self aware.
Speaker 1 (52:25):
I love that. I think that's beautiful, and you know,
it goes back to or it aligns with what you
said earlier about being intentional with what you consume, whether
that's with food or energy or whatever the case may be.
I think that's just so important just to live a
fulfilling life, because it's the one look a life God
give us, you know, right, want this life. You spoke
(52:49):
a little briefly about your book, Soul Love Scotchy, which
I love that name, by the way, thank you, which
you released late last year, and I think that it's beautiful,
it's bold, and it so clearly a labor of love. Right. So,
what did it feel for you to hold that book
in your hand for the first time? And was there
a part of you in writing this book that really
(53:11):
discovered something about yourself that you hadn't realized yet.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
You know, the book in my hands was like magic,
because there will never be no one will ever be
able to convince me that taking an idea that you
conceived in your mind, you can't tell me that that's
not a spiritual process. Ideas are just energy that you create.
(53:40):
And able to take something in your mind, pull it
out of your mind and actually create a tangible representation
of that is truly spiritual. So I was overwhelmed with
gratitude for the opportunity. I was overwhelmed with joy. I
was excited for for the world to share in that
(54:03):
fellowship a food, because food is fellowship, you know. And
when people write in and they tell me, hey, I
tried this recipe. I tried your oxtail recipe. I tried
your rice and peace, I tried you know, your party
rice recipe, and you know, I like that. And some
people have told me, oh, your fried dumpling recipes saved
(54:26):
me because I tried to fry dumpling for so many
years and I couldn't get it right. But you know,
once I found a good recipe that worked for me.
Now I'm a pro. So it really does feel spiritual.
Speaker 1 (54:42):
Yeah, I love that so much. And with that, and
you're talking about persons, you know, responsive, being responsive to
your book and to your recipes, it's clear that you've
built something that is connecting not only the Caribbean community,
but it connects generations right and it as women I
think before you. So in general, what would you say
(55:05):
legacy means to you?
Speaker 2 (55:08):
Legacy means leaving an indelible footprint, not just your immediate descendants,
like your children, but also on those that are around you.
What type of footprint do you want to leave in
their heart and in their mind? That's what legacy means
(55:30):
to me.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
I love that thing.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
So before we transition to our final segment, I've been
allowing my guests this season to ask me one question
because you don't get to ask anything the whole time.
So is there anything that you would like to ask me?
Speaker 2 (55:48):
Bojubontan or Beani men? Jeez, that.
Speaker 6 (55:54):
Helena, I purposely put you in a tough spot like,
oh my gosh, okay, let me draw for my Harvard
education to make sure I'm very diplomatic in my response.
Speaker 1 (56:11):
Now, I would like to say that I enjoy both artists.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
Okay, I honestly do.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
I truly do. That's that's one hundred percent the truth,
right for different reasons. If I had to choose, Like
if there was a million dollars on the line and
I had to choose, I would say Bojo Banton, okay.
And the reason is because a lot of his songs
(56:43):
that I like. I know, he has a whole catalog
of songs, and I don't know every single one, but
a lot of his songs that I like or I
love have really deep meaning to them. And I'm the
type of person where, you know, sometimes yeah, sometimes you
like to listen to a little you know, yeah, and
don't put your toe, yeah, you know, but sometimes you need.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
The conscious exactly exactly. Black women are great and you're
brownie and exactly yes.
Speaker 1 (57:14):
And if listen, suppose I am on a long walk
to freedom, I would like to hear that song as
a soundtrack.
Speaker 2 (57:21):
So sometimes you want to feel conscious about the troubles
of the world.
Speaker 1 (57:28):
Yes, exactly exactly, But sometimes I would like to hear
the girls damn sugar. You know, sometimes I need that
as well.
Speaker 2 (57:35):
You need d exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Sometimes time and place you need a little spice, you
need a little you know, and six thirty six fifteen
sometimes you have to switch it up. I like their
music in different ways, right, but I just feel like
there's something about listening to music sometimes that has deep
(58:02):
meaning that it's like you're enjoying the actual music, like
the instrumentation, but there's meaning behind it. And it goes
back to what you said about being aware of what
you're putting into your mind and your spirits and your body.
So yes, sometimes you can listen to songs that are
saying this and that, and you know, maybe you didn't
live the life the person's talking about, but you just
(58:24):
enjoy the music, like you don't have to necessarily agree
with what they're saying. It's just music at the end
of the day. But sometimes you're in a space where
you want to listen to stuff with meaning, and so
I guess I would be choosing Bougeo over Beanie, but
I feel like it's not even really a choice because
I like both both their their catalogs of music for
(58:46):
different reasons.
Speaker 2 (58:47):
Saying exactly, you.
Speaker 1 (58:50):
Cannot trick me because right in the words are quite
very you cannot trick me. That is too funny. I
love that question. No, love it, love it, love it,
love it. For our final segment, I'm going to ask
(59:14):
you seven rapid fire questions, so they're really quick, and
I want you to answer with the first thing that
comes to mind, so like one word or one sentence. Okay,
all right, First question, what is a dish that instantly
brings you peace no matter what chaos is around you?
Speaker 2 (59:34):
To macrel and dumpling?
Speaker 1 (59:38):
Really, Oh my god, I was not expecting that. Whoa
and Jamacon and I have to be fry over dumpling.
Oh but Helena, you're very specific. I love that for you.
Speaker 2 (59:52):
I don't have it very often, and when I make it,
it's just for me and me alone. Nobody else in
this house eats it.
Speaker 1 (59:58):
So if you yeah, got you love it? Love it? Okay.
What's one phrase or proverb from your Jamaican heritage that
you return to often?
Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
It's hard to choose.
Speaker 1 (01:00:14):
I know there's so many good ones, and I don't want.
Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
To cuss on your podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
Yes, don't do that. This is a family friendly, family
friendly show. You can't tell me that when we go
to dinner, when you and Kayla Lincoln. Yeah, here, no,
choose a different one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:32):
Okay, I can make it family I can make it
family friendly because sometimes my mom used to say this,
and she used to say, you see, we're sweet nanny
a girl running belly.
Speaker 1 (01:00:45):
M that's a good one. That's a good one. I
like that one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
The same thing with feature sur yep.
Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
I can't feel in the blank.
Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Yes, yes, but that I take that with me. I
take that with me. I know it makes me cautious,
you know what I mean. Not everything that glitters is gold.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
I love that. I love that. Okay, what is your
favorite reggae song of all time?
Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
Oh? My god, that's so hard.
Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
I know that's hard. I know, I know, I think,
I think remember you that give me the versus Beanie. Yes,
a hard question.
Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
I do reggae song of all time? Okay, First, I'm
going to narrow it down to one of my favorite artists.
I am going to say it's going to be somehow.
I feel like I'm doing the rest of the songs
(01:01:56):
and Injustice, But at this moment today, what I can
pull from the forefront of my mind is going to
be Destiny by bojeubontin.
Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
Nice. That's a good one. That's a good one. Okay.
What's your favorite dancehall song.
Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
I'm going to say the Dawali rhythm is timeless.
Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
Yes, that whole ridden Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
I am going to say the Dawali rhythm is timeless,
so you can't take that rhythm like.
Speaker 1 (01:02:33):
I'm just gonna say it's fair. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair.
I like how you worked around that. You're very smart,
you know. I like how you worked around Yeah. See
three point five GPA. Okay, two more questions. In an
alternate universe where you never became a nurse or a
(01:02:55):
content creator, what would you be doing.
Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
I would be a homicide detective.
Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
What detective?
Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
Homicide detective?
Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
Really interesting? I like crime solving, very interesting, So something
totally different.
Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
Yeah, I would definitely be that.
Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
Got you Okay, very nice, very interesting. Okay. And the
final question, when your children are grown up and they
look back at your life, what is the one thing
you hope that they say about you.
Speaker 2 (01:03:38):
I hope that they say they had a mother who
loved them and cared about them.
Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:03:47):
Yeah, I loved and cared for.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
I love that. And that's so important because that leads
a foundation for the type of treatment they feel that
they deserve, right, So that's very important. I love that,
beautifully said, beautifully said, Well, Helena, thank you so much
for coming to talk the things with me. Thank you
for your vulnerability, your wisdom, and your unwavering commitment to
(01:04:11):
preserving the soul of our Jamaican culture. And I want
everyone listening to remember that sometimes the detour is the path,
sometimes the kitchen is the classroom, and sometimes honoring your
roots is the most radical thing you can do. So,
before we leave, is there anything you'd like to share
(01:04:33):
with my audience.
Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
I would like to say, if you're not following me
on socials, go ahead and follow me on Instagram and
TikTok at that nurse can cook. I have a cook
book called The Soul of Scotchy with forty flavorful recipes
from our culture, Jamaican culture. And there's not only recipes,
(01:04:58):
there are anecdotal stories that tell a story of my
culinary journey. Thank you for having me
Helena Fausten is a nurse by training, a storyteller at heart,
and a dynamic force in the culinary world. She is
a founder of That Nurse Can Cook, a platform that
began on social media with just a camera in her
kitchen that has now grown into a global celebration of
her Jamaican heritage and its vibrant cuisine. In this episode,
(00:26):
our conversation goes far beyond food. We explore resilience, cultural identity,
and the often difficult, yet essential practice of following your
heart while never leaving your mind behind, especially when the
rod ahead is uncertain. If you're listening to the podcast
(00:48):
on Apple Podcast, please remember to rate and leave a
comment below. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram
at Let's Talk the Things. Now, grab your tea, coffee,
or a glass of wine and Let's Talk the Tings.
Hello everyone, Welcome back to Let's Talk to Tings, where
(01:11):
we discuss personal growth, travel, music, beauty and wellness while
encouraging you to live fearlessly and fabulously. I'm your host,
Ash and if this is your first time tuning in,
this podcast focuses on engaging in conversations that pull us
(01:32):
inward so we can show up stronger, clearer, and more
aligned in the world. This week we are talking to
tings with a beautiful woman who I think embodies that
exact principle. Content creator, author, registered nurse, and one of
the most powerful forces in the culinary world, Helena Faustin.
(01:57):
Hi Helena, how are you, hi?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Ash? I am doing well?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Great?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
God right.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I love the strength of that. Well, I felt that
in my spirit, So I love that.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yes, well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
For coming to talk the things with.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Me, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Oh, you're welcome, And for you and our first time listeners.
We begin each episode with our listener's favorite segment, and
it's called that no soon safe.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Okay, So so.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
The title alone soon safe. Right, So I'm going to
read messages or social media posts that listeners sent in,
and if you think it sounds crazy or a little
bit concerning, you, just say that no son safe and
explain why briefly. And if you agree, you say you agree,
or that son safe, whatever you want to say to
(02:53):
show agreement, and then explain why. Sounds good, sound all right? Perfect?
All right? So the first person said the secret to
clear skin is not letting anybody's son take your fee idiot.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That's safe. That is very very.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Safe, very safe.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I think you know we've all been there where we
allowed questionable things, you know, in our younger days and
sometimes even in your mature days, you know, because you
could be blinded by love. That saying. It's not a
saying for no reason, but m yeah, I want to
free us all of that. Yeah, let's let's leave that.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yah. I agree, But I also think that it's a
metaphor for life in general. You shouldn't let anybody play.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
A child, not gay men love.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah, you know what I mean. Keep your circle clean,
keep your spirit clean, watch who you associate yourself with,
and you will have clear and shining skin.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So it's really true, you know, because I forgot what
episode it was. I think it was with Kayla. Kayla
was on here, Kayla Greaves. I don't know if you
know her.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah, and she was on here. Of course, you know,
she's a beauty expert. So you were talking about skin
and things like that, and I was like, you know,
people go on these Saphora halls and ten step skincare routine,
but if you're doing all of that and you're surrounded
by people, you're in a relationship where someone's taking you
for a fool. None of that is gonna matter, None
of it. Get your skin is still gonna be horrible
(04:33):
because your body is reacting to stress, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Putting in your body too. And I'm not just speaking
about food or medicine or alcohol. I'm talking about what
you're taking into your spirit and what you're associating yourself
with the type of energy you're surrounded with, and that's
invading and infiltrating your spirit.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Very true, very true. And I think that's that's really
something we don't think about day to day. You know.
I'm glad you said that, Like, it's not just people
and things like that, and the fact that you can
control who you're around. I think growing up, especially in
the diaspora, right, and especially as women, you tend to
(05:23):
especially if it's family or longtime friends, you tend to think, oh,
that's also and so is is miserable all the time.
But some people can come around you and literally drain
the life out of you. Yeah, and that can also
cause skin issues, you know. So yeah, no, I agree,
I think we both we both think that's safe.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Next one the person said these people are hilarious. The
person said, I'm ready to like men for money because
liking them for who they are has cost me terribly.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
That does sound See, I.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Stay a fat all because the money is not going
to make you have a better experienced Ladies, I'm here
to tell you, Yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
All have to surround ourselves with people and individuals who
have morals and guiding principles that align. Yes, yes, money
is nice. Money is nice, you know what I mean.
Money's very very nice. But ultimately, you know, that can
(06:30):
be a downfall too, if you're getting into situations with
people for the wrong reasons. So I'm going to stand
firm on that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, No, I agree, that's not so unsafe at all
because at the end of the day, I personally believe
with anyone, not just in a romantic relationship, but any
relationship you have in your life, that person's character is
what matters. That's what's going to carry your relationship. That's
the foundation of your relationship. That's what will matter when
things go bad, how they will react to that and.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
How they will treat you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You know. So you know, like, even though this person
saying liking them for who they are has cost them.
Maybe you're just liking a person that's not equally yoked
with you.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Right, and you know they are going to be what
you interact with on a daily basis, So you could
literally be miserable every day.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
True, and that matters, very true.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
No, But I mean I wanted nobody wants to be miserable.
I mean, I guess it all boils down to whether
or not you want to be miserable in the mansion.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Right, And that's a that's a saying, right, like do
you want to cry in the Rolls Royce or the Honda?
And the thing is, I don't want to cry at all?
How about that? Why isn't anybody having that conversation?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Because at all?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Right? Like, that's that's the thing. I feel like these
kind of sayings or memes are put up and if
you look at it a little bit deeper, it's like,
why are we even okay with the fact that somebody
is bringing you to tears? Like where it hides? You
know what I mean? Shouldn't really matter? Honda too, Yep, listen,
(08:16):
there's anything wrong with the Honda.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with an.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Oh my gosh, all right, So the next one, the
person said, it is not your job to soothe, to
soothe the people who have mistreated you through the consequences
of mistreating you. I agree, yeah, same, same, yeah, I think.
(08:44):
And I also think like if you've been a person
that's been raised in an environment which a lot of
us are as Caribbean women, to like, you know, let
things go off your back or not really say anything.
You know, you feel badly, you know, and why for
put for boundaries.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Or boundaries exactly? Yeah, yeah, that also comes with growth.
Sometimes you have to stand firm on your beliefs and
where you stand and not budge from It's that thing
you as well. But we also have to and it
goes both ways. Like you know, if somebody sets a
(09:22):
boundary with us, we also have to respect that as well,
even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Absolutely, absolutely, And I think although it's difficult to do,
I agree with this person, like it's not your job
to do that, and it's the person's job to recognize
the person is putting a boundary because they want to
keep me in their life. Yes, I think people don't
understand that because my perspective is if I'm not putting
a boundary with you and I just cut you off
(09:51):
to me, I just don't want your own. But if
I'm saying, hey, when you do this, this bothers me,
and I'm telling you what you should do in order
for me to feel more comfortable around you, that means
I'm trying to allow you the sense to stay in
my life. You know what I mean. And I think
sometimes people on the receiving and don't see it that
way or don't understand.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, but boundaries are good. I think people ultimately like
the boundaries because we need to know, you know, what
the rules are of engagement, and we need to now.
We like to know where we stand with people.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Absolutely. Yes, people may not admit it, but just like
I'm sure with parenting, I'm not a parent yet, but
I'm sure you can attest to your kids may not
admit they like rules and regulations and boundaries, but I'm
sure when they look at other kids they go to
school with that can just do whatever they want, they're
happy that they have it. I may not tell you right, no,
but when they get to be our age, they'll think
(10:47):
about it exactly, exactly, absolutely, Okay, perfect, all right, couple more.
The next person said, I don't like being asked, are
you at home? Please expand so I can know whether
I'm at home or not.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I agree with that. I agree that as a person
that doesn't like to be snuck up on. When you
reach out to me, tell me what you want immediately
so that I can make a decision about I want
to navigate the situation. I really don't like to be
(11:25):
caught off guard because sometimes saying I make big plans
to do absolutely nothing, and once I get set in
those plans, I don't want nobody to come and shake
that up. So, yes, what it is that you want
as soon as you reach out. Unless it's my life,
(11:46):
there's only like maybe two or three people in my
life that are allowed to do that. Like my mother
can text me and say are you home, and she'll
get a response from me right away, right, right, of course,
Samesane my husband's mother, same thing, our sibling, Yeah, same thing.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, yeah, but just random right, But why do you
want to know?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Why do you want to know? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Those open ended questions give me a little bit of anxiety.
I'm not gonna die.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah, Because sometimes we have to get yourself mentally prepared
to entertain guests and sometimes it all depends on your mood.
It depends on you know, whatever you're doing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
That is so true. That is so true. I'm with you.
That one sounds very safe to me, very very safe.
Sound like a seat belt, Yeah, very safe. All right,
So two more. The next one is the person said
confidence isn't vain. It's an investment with guaranteed returns.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That sound very safe. Yeah, that sounds very safe actually,
And that's like the part of the inner work that
we have to do because it shows up in a
lot of areas in our lives and our relationships, the
decisions that we make in our career, and our spirituality
and our health, the things we buy. So confidence is
(13:15):
always always one of those things that are a good investment.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, it has me thinking
about the first one in that confidence m depending on
who you're around, can cause friction because if you're around
persons that are not confident and have a lot of
insecurities and you're confident, you can run into a lot
(13:41):
of situations where you're at odds because a person thinking,
you know, you think all that, or you know, try.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, you don't exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
So that's what I'm saying exactly. It goes to the
first one, right, like who you surround yourself with and
all of that matters because you can have all this confidence,
but if your environment are people that are not confident,
or are insecure, or don't have any kind of idea
of where they're going in life, because we're all figuring
out life like every single day. Don't get me wrong, right,
(14:12):
nobody has it all figured out, right, But you want
to be our own people that are going to, you know,
push you to be your best, that are going to
pour into you. You don't want to be our own
people where you're like, all right, you know what, I
feel so confident now and you're around somebody that's like, hmmm,
must be nice to be confident because I don't feel
like that. But if you feel like that, it's like
(14:33):
everybody wants that type of energy, you know. So I
just thought of it as you were talking, like that's interesting.
It relates to the first one as well, very true
and true. Yeah, yeah, that one's someone safe for sure,
all right. And the final one. A man asked his
gardener why his plants grew so beautifully, and the gardener said,
(14:53):
I don't force them to grow. I remove what stops
them from growing.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Aha. That sounds very safe.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, that sounds.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Very very safe to me because you just need that
space to grow. I think everybody needs space to grow.
And if something is affecting your growth, you got to
get rid of it. Yeah, yeah, rid of it. And
that goes for like relationships, friendships that you've outgrown and
(15:26):
stuff like that. They can really stagger your growth because
I do feel like iron sharpened iron. You know who
you surround yourself with and what they challenge you to do,
how they challenge you to think can really really make
or break your growth. So I like that. I like
that he said that it's so true. It's such a
(15:49):
metaphor for our life.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yep, absolutely, one hundred percent agree. All Right, that was fun.
Now that's really taught the things Helena. Your story, as
I've read and really admired, begins in a place that
many people can relate to, right, like having a plan
and watching it fall apart. Right, So, you applied to
(16:14):
grad school, you had a clear vision of where you
wanted to go in life, and then you got this
rejection letter. Right, So, can you take me back to
that moment, like not just what happened, but what shifted
inside you to make you choose a different path. And
now you're on this path that is obviously your destiny.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well, at the time, I was at a crossroads in
my career, and I was at the point where my
colleagues were going back to school to further their education.
And I'm a nurse. For any of your listeners that
don't know, I'm a registered nurse. I specialize in neonatology.
(16:56):
I've been a nick you nurse for fifteen years now.
And at the time that I was applying to grad school,
I was just of the belief that it was the
next step in my career. Like everybody else went to
grad school, they became a nurse practitioner, and it was
kind of like set in stone that that was what
(17:17):
you just did. So my employer offered a really great
program that was incentivized and backed by their university, and
they were offering to put the cost and I said,
you know what, this actually sounds like a good idea,
And deep down inside I knew that it wasn't really
(17:40):
my passion really, because I said, I am still in
debt from my bachelor's degree, and I know a lot
of people can relate to that. I was saddled with
student loan debt, and I was really the thought that, right,
(18:01):
I was really thought that why am I going to
school to get myself in more debt when I haven't
even come out of the initial debt. So my hospital
had a really good program. You did have to pay
some money, but they were incentivizing it and giving you
some financial backing. So I said, all right, let me
(18:22):
just do it. And I did not go into it
with a full heart, like I said. I was just
doing it because I felt like it was the next
thing to do. And it was crazy because I gathered
my things fiot my application I submitted, I was about
to submit it. I didn't submit the program, but when
(18:42):
I was looking at the requirements, it was saying that, oh,
we require a three point five five GPA. And I
was like, okay, well I have a three point five GPA.
And I said, let me make sure I'm not going
to waste my time because on my transcript really just
said three point five like that's it. It wasn't three
(19:04):
point five five. So I called up the admissions office
and I said, listen, like I have a three point
five gpa and on here it says you need a
three point five to five, And the person on the
phone was like, well, I wouldn't apply if I were you,
because they're very strict on that. Looking back on it,
(19:25):
it sounds absolutely ridiculous because you're really telling me that
five is the difference of whether or not I'm accepted
into the program. The truth is like, if I really
wanted to, I would have given pushback. I would have
(19:45):
taken it further. And that's for your listeners out there.
Don't just take the first no. A lot of the times,
the person that's telling you no is not even the
decision maker. And the person that I was on the
phone with likely was not the decision maker. They were
likely just answering the phone and I heard that and
(20:08):
I kind of used that as an excuse to not
go forward. So it wasn't a rejection. No one rejected me.
I didn't apply, and someone turned me down. I decided
I wasn't going to go further with okay this because
this person on the phone was just like, don't apply,
So it kind of felt like a rejection per se.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Oh okay, my apologies. I misunderstood. I thought they reject
like they and you know you didn't get in yet.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
No realized in the application because the person on the
phone was just like, ye, don't even bother and I.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Was just like that's crazy, yeah, and I was just
like really.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
And in the moment, I was like, wow, this was
like such a rejection because you know, the first time
you get a no, it doesn't feel reject like rejection,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Got you? So you felt I felt rejected it the rejecting.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay, so you're not wrong in that yees, so you're
not necessarily wrong, but it did feel like a rejection
in that moment, and it felt like they were. The
person on the phone was telling me, you know what,
you're not good enough. And because it wasn't in my
spirit to begin with, and I knew that I wasn't
(21:29):
really about pursuing this path, I just took that as
my sign to not even apply again.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Right, you didn't even try to fight it.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Try to fight it. I did not.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I said, well, there's the guy that's that. You know what?
That that woman or a man whoever addsered the phone
might have been working for Jesus, because it might have
been God saying listen, don't it just just to her
GPA isn't good enough, so she's not listening to me.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
So that in that case, that rejection of my protection.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Really I love that it was the redirection.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Yeah, exactly exactly, And you know, looking back on it,
I laugh now because I'm like, girls, you never.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Do that.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
We're just looking for any excuse to say, any excuse,
and it didn't work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And you know, it's so I find it so fascinating
how sometimes what feels like rejection is, as you really said,
is actually the first spark of reinvention, right, And so
I'm curious when you first realize that cooking, which is
something that you're known for, and I'm sure you'll get
into you know how that came about from that point?
(22:53):
Right when you realize, okay, you're not doing nursing anymore, well,
not nursing anymore, but going to do pursue your master,
like something you'd always done instinctively could be the foundation
of something bigger. Like when did you realize, wait, this
could be something big, not just me and my kitchen,
you know, making it and rice and you know what
(23:13):
we all do, not right, right?
Speaker 2 (23:17):
You know, when I first started my Instagram page. It
was upon the advice of a really good friend and
I was just sharing recipes with my close friends and family,
and she said, you know, why don't you start a
separate Instagram page where you just share your recipes with
(23:39):
an audience. And at first it just started out as
like a hobby, something I just did whenever I felt
like it, and then around And that was back in
twenty eighteen. By the time twenty nineteen came and I
started doing a lot more research and I realized, well,
people were actually making life changing living off of social media.
(24:04):
And even back in two nineteen, which seems very recent,
social media is not what it is today, and nineteen
you didn't really hear of people having social media careers
and content creator, you know, making a business out of
(24:30):
what they're doing. It always seemed like it was a hobby.
And when I started following others in my niche and
I saw what they were doing, I said, wow, like,
if I really take this seriously, I can actually build
something meaningful. And then I said, all right, let me,
(24:51):
let me take this serious. And at the point at
that point I was working full time. My kids were
three years old, so they were very little at the time,
and I was like, really of the thought of staying home, Like,
how can I make sure that I can get to
(25:13):
a point where I can stay home with my children
and raise them, because relying on other people to help
you with your children is very humbling. Having to drop
your children off at a daycare and trust strangers with
the safety and well being of your children is a
(25:33):
very humbling experience.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
And I don't even have kids, and that frightened.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yes, Yes, it's very humbling because you're literally at their mercy.
And I prayed on it so much and I said,
you know, Lord, if I just take five steps, will
you help me with the extra five increase whatever I do.
If I put five, can you put ten on it
for me? And I did what I had to do.
(26:01):
I worked really hard, and then the next year was
the pandemic and I had to fight through that, and
there were a lot of obstacles. It was very, very challenging,
but eventually it worked out to the point where I
scaled my hours back at work and in twenty twenty
(26:23):
one I went down to part twenty twenty one. The
end of twenty twenty one, going into twenty twenty two,
I started working part time at my job, and then
in twenty twenty three, I finally went full time as
a content creator. Wow, I love It's a process. You know.
(26:49):
It wasn't opennight. And you know, I was telling someone
that even though you feel passionate about something and you
want to follow your heart art, make sure you take
your mind with you as well.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Hey, listen that you need to put on all say
that follow your heart, so make sure you take your
mind with you as well. Oh my gosh, that is
a word, honestly, like, that's so brilliantly said.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yes, and it's true for I.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Mean, we can just wrap up the podcast.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yes, that's so, follow your heart, but take your mind,
take your mind with you because people say, you know,
I was following my heart. I was following my heart,
but it didn't make sense. And you know, I come
from a Jamaican household, you know, and I was raised
(27:48):
to crave stability and making sure you had your ducks
in a row and making sure you took care of business.
So there was no way I was going to go
follow my heart. And your heart will lead you into a.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Lake just because it looks.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Exactly, So make sure you carry your life best.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yes, which is your mind. I love that. I love that.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So there has to be some sort of strategy, some
sort of stability, because you need to eat, you need
to live, You need to enjoy life too. You don't
want to be miserable because you decided to follow your heart.
And the same comes with relationships. Sometimes when you're thinking
(28:39):
with your heart, you're not really thinking rationally.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
That's how you end up with somebody's son. Exactly. We
keep going back, we keep going keeping, bring it back
to the foundations. Okay, it's so true though, Oh my gosh,
that's so beauty said. It's so true. And there's something
so powerful in how you honored your calling right without
(29:07):
knowing where it was going to take you. But you
just trusted yourself. Even what you said about you know
you're going to take five steps, but asking God to
give you that extra five.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
You don't, right, because that works is dead.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Amen, Very true, Very true. You have to put in
the work as well. And so when you began filming
yourself in the kitchen, right, and as you said, you
are Jamaican and so a lot of what you cook,
I know you cook a variety of dishes, but you
know the majority of what you cook or the foundation
are Jamaican dishes. Did you realize that you were preserving
(29:41):
more than food, because there's really a part of what
you do that's also preserving your culture as well.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Right, And I love this is That's like one of
my favorite questions. I'm so glad you asked me that
because we could actually do a whole podcast on that question,
because I have very well listen to me. And the
reason why I love that question so much is because
(30:08):
it's something that I feel very passionate about, especially with
the changing landscape of content creation.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
And the need to constantly go viral, the need to
get engagement on posts, the likes, the clicks, the shares,
the saves, and what it has morphed into I feel
is a somewhat I want to use the right word.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
We are blurring the lines between preserving our culture and
disrespecting our culture or not really honoring our culture. And
I don't want to call it like a bastardization of
our culture, but in the quest to be innovative, we're
(31:00):
losing some of the founding principles of our culture and
why we cook them. Yes, and it's important for me
to preserve that, and that's why if you go to
my page and that nurse can cook, you'll see that
sometimes I experiment, but I don't do it all the time.
And I feel like in experimenting with our dishes is
(31:22):
important because I'd like to see Caribbean food elevated. I
feel like our food is complex, it's layered, it's full
of flavor, it requires skill, it's very special, and we
don't necessarily get the love that let's say French cuisine does.
(31:43):
Like French cuisine is put on the top, it's you know,
this is the Michelin Star type food. This is the
standard and right, and it's important for us to elevate it.
So we can elevate our cultural dishes by adding a
(32:04):
new twist, adding new interpretations to it. But we also
have to honor and preserve our culture because fifty and
sixty years from now, these are like the history books
people are going to look at and when they see
something like I'm just making something up off of the
top of my head, a plant in fry, doughnut mixed
(32:28):
with an aphi syrup, a bit like you understand, they're
not gonna We have to make sure they know that
this is not our founding principle. This is not a
representation of our culture and our food. It is a
mere iteration of what already exists. But it's important for
(32:50):
us to preserve our culture by honoring those foundational dishes
because there's history behind it.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Absolutely a lot, you said, absolutely, And I love that
you said that Jamaican food is layered. I love that
because it's so true, you know, I when I think
of Jamaican food, I think, you know, it's bold, it's
deeply historical, like you said, it's spiritual, you know, and
every dish tells a story of migration and resistance and adaptation.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
You know.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Our motto is all to many one people. So we
have a melting pot of culture that makes up the
food that we cook and that we create and that
we consume. So with that being said, or with that
in mind, what does Jamaican cuisine mean to you on
a personal level? Right? And not just as a cook,
(33:42):
but as a daughter, as a mother, and just as
a woman.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I love that question. To girl, you are hitting all
the right spots with these questions.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
If you just call me a jamas An opera, you know,
doke my head swag. I have to thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You know. And the reason why I also love this
question is because in my cookbook The Soul of Skanchi,
I share various anecdotal stories that are behind some of
the dishes that we cook. Because for a lot of
dishes in Jamaican cuisine, there's a story, there's a tradition,
(34:27):
there's something tied to it that makes it special. And
I'll give you an example. In the chapter where I
talk about fried fish, I tell a little story. I'll
give you like a little snippet, and it talks about
the tradition of frying fish and having Easter bun on
(34:48):
Good Friday every Yeah, and it's one of my favorite
Jamaican traditions. I love that Jamaican tradition. I think almost
more than sorrow and black cake at Christmas time.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
I will just a hard time. I love a good
sprat book. I don't know my Auntie's rum cake, and.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
I know I just you know, Good Friday it's for me.
I mean, think about the build up, that's true, it's
the tradition. It's going to the fish market on the Friday,
braving those long, those long lives, haggling with the man
over the price, of yeah, coming home, and we're on
a fly fish and bun and cheese diet for the
(35:32):
rest of the weekend. And the culmination of that weekend
is the celebrating the reservation the resurrection of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, and feasting over a meal Easter
Sunday dinner is a big deal. You put your heart
and your soul into that, So that's why it's one
(35:52):
of my favorite traditions. And in the book, I tell
this story about it being one good Friday and I
was in June in high school. I was very young,
of maybe twelve eleven or twelve, and my dad came
out of the house and I was on us playing
outside with my friends and in Brooklyn, we hung out
(36:15):
on the stoop like that was our thing to do.
Find somebody stoop to sit down on, and we just
shoot the breeze. Everyone's cracking jokes. And on that one
particular good Friday, it was unseasonably warm, so we were outside.
It was the start of spring break. And I'm not
quite sure why our door was so loud that day,
(36:40):
but it just seemed like everything was tone up and
the door slammed. My dad walked out and he had
some ista bun and cheese in his hand and it
was like a sandwich. And he took like three steps
down the stairs and took the biggest bite of his
(37:05):
easter bun sangwiche and he was so passionate about it,
and he just like, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I did not think that's where this story was.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
It was just like it was so exaggerated.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Denim outfit with the denim jeans with a denim jacket
and some Cuban heeled shoes with a gold chain, with
a gold chain, this big bite, and I said, oh
my god, if somebody sees this, they're going to make
(37:49):
fun of me. And in the back of my mind,
I was like, please, don't let anybody notice the fact
that he just took the biggest bite of this easter
bun sangwich and like a it come. One of the
loudest kids on the block said, oh my god, whose
daddy is that? No hate Jamaican, and all of the
(38:14):
kids was like, whose dad is that? Who that is that?
And I would I wanted the ground to open up
and swallow. And I just sat there very quiet, and
I was like, just let it past, like, just let
it bast and someone was like.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Your daddy, no, Helena. I just stood there in ambarrassment
and eat.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Their buns, you know, they had to. They laugh about it,
and I just stood there like, oh my goodness, why
he gotta be so Jamaican. Yeah, I was a little embarrassed.
Like in my young immature mind at the age of
eleven or twelve, I was feeling little embarrassed. The me today,
(39:09):
I will walk down Broadway with dare somebody to say
something to me.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Now you have a different mindset. It's like, say something
to me if you're bad, because.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Right, so that ties back.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Into the whole the answer to your question. It's not
just you, it's the tradition, it's the story, it's the connection.
It's the fabric of our culture and what makes us,
you know, carry that identity not only as Jamaicans, as
first generation Americans, And it's one of our guiding principles
(39:53):
when we're trying to impart those lessons onto our children,
to be proud of who you are. This is your
cultural food. And we are in we're in a day
and age where it's important for us to be a
little bit more health conscious and our food kind of
gets labeled that's unhealthy.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
So there is like this push for us to stop
eating our Caribbean food because now, all of a sudden,
the food that our grandparents and our parents grew up
in and they lived till one hundred, now all of
a sudden, it's unhealthy. Don't give your kids porridge in
the morning because it's not good for them. Don't eat
(40:34):
rice and peas, it's not good for you. So it's
important for us to preserve that.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And I agree, I agree, And I love that you
said a couple of things I want to point out.
I love that you said we can still eat our
cultural foods, but maybe we can just alter the way
we cook it, you know, so I use different oils
and you know, maybe use brown rice instead of white
rice sometimes things like that. But we don't have to
(41:02):
completely take it out of our diet because we don't
want to lose who we are as people.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
No, I agree, I agree with you with that. And
then also another thing you said, and it's it's something
in my I was smiling as you were talking because
I've said this for at least the last fifteen years
that I wish I saw more fine dining Jamaican restaurants, right,
and I find that more and more I'm seeing a
(41:32):
couple pop up. But I find that we need to
do a better job of, like you said, preserving that.
And yes, we can alter the you know, the cuisine,
but not to the point where you know how they're
doing with Ouxdale. There's everything.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Right and like and like I said, you can try it,
like you understand what I mean. You it's a yeah,
experiment with the things, just so that we can let
the world know that our cuisine is not a monolith.
We can adapt it to the changing times. But we
also have to be very careful to not lose the
(42:13):
plot of the story.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Absolutely absolutely, And to the to the restaurant point, I
know that there is a restaurant in New York called
Tatiana's there. I don't even listen. Same. Let me tell
you something. I don't even eat curry goat like that, right,
I have a story behind that. That's for another time,
another episode, Okay, But I had stopped eating curry goat
(42:37):
for a very long time. So when I went there
and I saw they had curry golt petties, I was like,
mm hmm, that know, so and safe because I haven't
eaten it in so long. Although it looks good how
it's described, I was like, I don't know. And then
this guy was sitting next to me and him and
his friend got it and it smelled so good, and
he was like, no, you have to try it. So
(42:57):
I was like, Lord, be with me and my stomach.
Let me just try this. And when I tell you,
that was the best patty I have ever had in
my life, I'm not exaggerating, right, it was so good.
But I love the way that they do. No, that's
more of a fusion, but just to give you an example.
And then also recently, Kayla and I ate at a
(43:20):
place called Mango Bay, I think in Brooklyn.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
I'm actually going there today.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
Stop it right now, Yes, as.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Soon as we end this podcast, I'm meeting two of
my best friends at Mango.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
That's serious, yo, man, I've promised you. Every time I
do this podcast, I say something that the other person
either has done was just said to them. It's crazy, Like,
I really feel strongly that God is sending me to people.
I'm just putting that out there again because that is
insane that you're going there.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I mean and it's not a coincidence.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
That's insane.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
Oh my gosh, this interview. As soon as we end
this interview, I have to get ready and we have
a dating stopping to catch up at Mango Bans. And
I was specific about trying that restaurant because I think
it's important for us to support our peace and in
(44:15):
their endeavors. And it's a relatively new.
Speaker 5 (44:18):
Restaurant and I like to support our people and spotlight
them on my platform whenever I get an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
So that's the reason why I was very intentional. And
I do also I hope I'm not cutting no, but
I do want to sneak in there that there's also
a restaurant that I'm interested in trying. It's called Continent.
It's in Williamsburg and it's from out one of our
(44:51):
fellow yardies. And the food it's elevated Jamaican food, you understand.
And it looks amazing, And that's next on my list.
It's a restaurant led by chef scottly Innes. Oh, so
I want to mention that so your listeners know, Like
I've not been there myself, but it looks amazing from
(45:14):
what I can see and I'm anticipating.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
I'll have yeah, because I was bringing it up to
say this is so crazy, like I literally have goosebump.
So I was bringing it up to say that Kayla
chose a restaurant, right, So we ended up going there.
I loved it. We both loved it, and I thought
to myself, oh my gosh, I'm seeing now more of
like fine dining esque, you know, Jamaican restaurants, and I
(45:37):
love it. And so now you're telling me about continent
like this other restaurant. I'm writing this down because I'm like,
I would love to support those type of restaurants so
that they can flourish and there can be more of them.
Because I really agree with what they said that our
cuisine should be elevated because I've never met anyone that
doesn't like some sort of Jamaican food, Like, even if
(45:59):
they're not into I have never met anyone literally that
doesn't like some type of Jamaican food. So I think
it's just the way that we presented. And I love
that you are, you know, so into picking up other
Jamaicans that are doing their thing in the restaurant industry,
because especially in New York. I can imagine it's not
(46:20):
easy because there's so many restaurants, you know, but I
will definitely check out continent the next time i'm there.
As a matter of fact, all three of us should
just make it a little girls night.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Yes we should. And you know I'm down.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
Yes, anything to do with food, you can't go in
And I'm just gonna speak for Kayla to counter in.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Yes, I am always down. You guys know where to
find Yes.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
Yes, for sure, for sure love that. Okay, So I
want to switch gars a little bit right because you
are and you mentioned it throughout our conversation thus far.
But you are a nurse, your content creator, You're an entrepreneur,
you're a wife, you're a mother. How do you navigate
(47:05):
all of those roles without losing the center of who
you are as Helena?
Speaker 2 (47:12):
One thing that I've learned over the years is that
there's no such thing as balance. There's only priorities at
any given moment. So if something requires my immediate attention
and other things have to be shelved momentarily, then that
is what I do. I think that I struggled for
(47:32):
the first couple of years because I was trying to
create some sort of balance. It's impossible. It's impossible, and
I want I freed myself from that expectation because trying
to balance everything was making me miserable, and it was
making me feel like I was failing, when the truth
(47:53):
is I'm only one person. I cannot be in five
different places at once. I mean, unless they figure out
a way for me to clone myself, which would really.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
Be nice, right right, or.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
If you gain more hours in the day or more days. Right,
You see how impossible that is. So what I've learned
to do is prioritize things in the moment and delegate
where I can be that I'm leaving room for error
(48:32):
as well, because I'm a human being. So there are
times where I drop the ball and I say, oh, geez,
I feel like I could have handled that a little
bit better. But now that I'm aware of it, I
make sure that going forward, when presented with another opportunity
to make a decision that requires what I prioritize, I
(48:54):
remember that experience where I dropped the ball and I say,
all right, let me try to do better this time.
And I'm still a work in progress. There are sometimes
I get lost. Yeah, sometimes I get lost in work
and I look up. It's been three hours and I've
been ignoring everything, and I'm like, wait, who was texting me?
(49:16):
Who emailed me? Let me make sure that I'm not
missing out on something. So I'm still a work in progress,
but I'm doing a lot better than I was doing
let's say, two or three years ago.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
I love that. I think that's great, and I think
that for many women listening they agree with you. You
know me included. Balance kind of feels like a myth, yes,
and maybe it is right. But presence, I think is
something different entirely. So for you, like what groaned you?
What like rituals or boundaries do you put in place
(49:52):
to stay connected to yourself, like amidst all the demands?
So I know you prioritize, but do you have any
like rituals you do in the sense of maybe you
do like yoga, you go for a walk or things
like that.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
I am big on energy transfer and making sure that
I am self aware at all times. That's something that
I'm intentional about. If I'm feeling nervous about something, I
find a way to transfer that energy. Because you can't
(50:25):
destroy energy, you can only transfer it. So the way
I transfer energy, I go and walk. I will walk
from Manhattan to Brooklyn if I have to. I'm a walker.
I like to walk. I will go for a walk
for about an hour with my headphones in. Sometimes that
(50:46):
energy transfer looks like me scrubbing my base boards. Sometimes,
if I'm really nervous or anxious about something, I'll start cleaning.
I'll get on this cleaning front lead frenzy. And it's
not necessarily because I'm some sort of clean freak, but
sometimes when I get in those cleaning frenzy, it's helping
(51:09):
me transfer nervous energy. I have a book of prayers
and affirmations that I refer to for every situation that
I'm going through. I have this book. He's on Instagram
at King of Solomon, and he has a book of prayers,
(51:29):
and there's like a prayer for every single situation that
you're faced with, whether you're having a breakdown and a friendship,
whether you're feeling overwhelmed, whether you are faced with a
tough decision. It's a really good book that you can
refer to and there's exercises something to do to deal
(51:51):
with it. And then I'm also making sure that i'm
intentional about being self aware? What have you been watching lately,
what have you been eating lately? Who have you been
talking to? Are you in your head well? What has
been going on that's causing you to feel this way?
Have you been interacting in a way that you feel
(52:13):
is up to your standard? Are you angry? Are you
you know? How are you feeling? Are you happy? Are
you this? So I always make sure that I check
in with myself so that I'm always self aware.
Speaker 1 (52:25):
I love that. I think that's beautiful, and you know,
it goes back to or it aligns with what you
said earlier about being intentional with what you consume, whether
that's with food or energy or whatever the case may be.
I think that's just so important just to live a
fulfilling life, because it's the one look a life God
give us, you know, right, want this life. You spoke
(52:49):
a little briefly about your book, Soul Love Scotchy, which
I love that name, by the way, thank you, which
you released late last year, and I think that it's beautiful,
it's bold, and it so clearly a labor of love. Right. So,
what did it feel for you to hold that book
in your hand for the first time? And was there
a part of you in writing this book that really
(53:11):
discovered something about yourself that you hadn't realized yet.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
You know, the book in my hands was like magic,
because there will never be no one will ever be
able to convince me that taking an idea that you
conceived in your mind, you can't tell me that that's
not a spiritual process. Ideas are just energy that you create.
(53:40):
And able to take something in your mind, pull it
out of your mind and actually create a tangible representation
of that is truly spiritual. So I was overwhelmed with
gratitude for the opportunity. I was overwhelmed with joy. I
was excited for for the world to share in that
(54:03):
fellowship a food, because food is fellowship, you know. And
when people write in and they tell me, hey, I
tried this recipe. I tried your oxtail recipe. I tried
your rice and peace, I tried you know, your party
rice recipe, and you know, I like that. And some
people have told me, oh, your fried dumpling recipes saved
(54:26):
me because I tried to fry dumpling for so many
years and I couldn't get it right. But you know,
once I found a good recipe that worked for me.
Now I'm a pro. So it really does feel spiritual.
Speaker 1 (54:42):
Yeah, I love that so much. And with that, and
you're talking about persons, you know, responsive, being responsive to
your book and to your recipes, it's clear that you've
built something that is connecting not only the Caribbean community,
but it connects generations right and it as women I
think before you. So in general, what would you say
(55:05):
legacy means to you?
Speaker 2 (55:08):
Legacy means leaving an indelible footprint, not just your immediate descendants,
like your children, but also on those that are around you.
What type of footprint do you want to leave in
their heart and in their mind? That's what legacy means
(55:30):
to me.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
I love that thing.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
So before we transition to our final segment, I've been
allowing my guests this season to ask me one question
because you don't get to ask anything the whole time.
So is there anything that you would like to ask me?
Speaker 2 (55:48):
Bojubontan or Beani men? Jeez, that.
Speaker 6 (55:54):
Helena, I purposely put you in a tough spot like,
oh my gosh, okay, let me draw for my Harvard
education to make sure I'm very diplomatic in my response.
Speaker 1 (56:11):
Now, I would like to say that I enjoy both artists.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
Okay, I honestly do.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
I truly do. That's that's one hundred percent the truth,
right for different reasons. If I had to choose, Like
if there was a million dollars on the line and
I had to choose, I would say Bojo Banton, okay.
And the reason is because a lot of his songs
(56:43):
that I like. I know, he has a whole catalog
of songs, and I don't know every single one, but
a lot of his songs that I like or I
love have really deep meaning to them. And I'm the
type of person where, you know, sometimes yeah, sometimes you
like to listen to a little you know, yeah, and
don't put your toe, yeah, you know, but sometimes you need.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
The conscious exactly exactly. Black women are great and you're
brownie and exactly yes.
Speaker 1 (57:14):
And if listen, suppose I am on a long walk
to freedom, I would like to hear that song as
a soundtrack.
Speaker 2 (57:21):
So sometimes you want to feel conscious about the troubles
of the world.
Speaker 1 (57:28):
Yes, exactly exactly, But sometimes I would like to hear
the girls damn sugar. You know, sometimes I need that
as well.
Speaker 2 (57:35):
You need d exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Sometimes time and place you need a little spice, you
need a little you know, and six thirty six fifteen
sometimes you have to switch it up. I like their
music in different ways, right, but I just feel like
there's something about listening to music sometimes that has deep
(58:02):
meaning that it's like you're enjoying the actual music, like
the instrumentation, but there's meaning behind it. And it goes
back to what you said about being aware of what
you're putting into your mind and your spirits and your body.
So yes, sometimes you can listen to songs that are
saying this and that, and you know, maybe you didn't
live the life the person's talking about, but you just
(58:24):
enjoy the music, like you don't have to necessarily agree
with what they're saying. It's just music at the end
of the day. But sometimes you're in a space where
you want to listen to stuff with meaning, and so
I guess I would be choosing Bougeo over Beanie, but
I feel like it's not even really a choice because
I like both both their their catalogs of music for
(58:46):
different reasons.
Speaker 2 (58:47):
Saying exactly, you.
Speaker 1 (58:50):
Cannot trick me because right in the words are quite
very you cannot trick me. That is too funny. I
love that question. No, love it, love it, love it,
love it. For our final segment, I'm going to ask
(59:14):
you seven rapid fire questions, so they're really quick, and
I want you to answer with the first thing that
comes to mind, so like one word or one sentence. Okay,
all right, First question, what is a dish that instantly
brings you peace no matter what chaos is around you?
Speaker 2 (59:34):
To macrel and dumpling?
Speaker 1 (59:38):
Really, Oh my god, I was not expecting that. Whoa
and Jamacon and I have to be fry over dumpling.
Oh but Helena, you're very specific. I love that for you.
Speaker 2 (59:52):
I don't have it very often, and when I make it,
it's just for me and me alone. Nobody else in
this house eats it.
Speaker 1 (59:58):
So if you yeah, got you love it? Love it? Okay.
What's one phrase or proverb from your Jamaican heritage that
you return to often?
Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
It's hard to choose.
Speaker 1 (01:00:14):
I know there's so many good ones, and I don't want.
Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
To cuss on your podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
Yes, don't do that. This is a family friendly, family
friendly show. You can't tell me that when we go
to dinner, when you and Kayla Lincoln. Yeah, here, no,
choose a different one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:32):
Okay, I can make it family I can make it
family friendly because sometimes my mom used to say this,
and she used to say, you see, we're sweet nanny
a girl running belly.
Speaker 1 (01:00:45):
M that's a good one. That's a good one. I
like that one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
The same thing with feature sur yep.
Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
I can't feel in the blank.
Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Yes, yes, but that I take that with me. I
take that with me. I know it makes me cautious,
you know what I mean. Not everything that glitters is gold.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
I love that. I love that. Okay, what is your
favorite reggae song of all time?
Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
Oh? My god, that's so hard.
Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
I know that's hard. I know, I know, I think,
I think remember you that give me the versus Beanie. Yes,
a hard question.
Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
I do reggae song of all time? Okay, First, I'm
going to narrow it down to one of my favorite artists.
I am going to say it's going to be somehow.
I feel like I'm doing the rest of the songs
(01:01:56):
and Injustice, But at this moment today, what I can
pull from the forefront of my mind is going to
be Destiny by bojeubontin.
Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
Nice. That's a good one. That's a good one. Okay.
What's your favorite dancehall song.
Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
I'm going to say the Dawali rhythm is timeless.
Speaker 1 (01:02:22):
Yes, that whole ridden Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
I am going to say the Dawali rhythm is timeless,
so you can't take that rhythm like.
Speaker 1 (01:02:33):
I'm just gonna say it's fair. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair.
I like how you worked around that. You're very smart,
you know. I like how you worked around Yeah. See
three point five GPA. Okay, two more questions. In an
alternate universe where you never became a nurse or a
(01:02:55):
content creator, what would you be doing.
Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
I would be a homicide detective.
Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
What detective?
Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
Homicide detective?
Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
Really interesting? I like crime solving, very interesting, So something
totally different.
Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
Yeah, I would definitely be that.
Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
Got you Okay, very nice, very interesting. Okay. And the
final question, when your children are grown up and they
look back at your life, what is the one thing
you hope that they say about you.
Speaker 2 (01:03:38):
I hope that they say they had a mother who
loved them and cared about them.
Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:03:47):
Yeah, I loved and cared for.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
I love that. And that's so important because that leads
a foundation for the type of treatment they feel that
they deserve, right, So that's very important. I love that,
beautifully said, beautifully said, Well, Helena, thank you so much
for coming to talk the things with me. Thank you
for your vulnerability, your wisdom, and your unwavering commitment to
(01:04:11):
preserving the soul of our Jamaican culture. And I want
everyone listening to remember that sometimes the detour is the path,
sometimes the kitchen is the classroom, and sometimes honoring your
roots is the most radical thing you can do. So,
before we leave, is there anything you'd like to share
(01:04:33):
with my audience.
Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
I would like to say, if you're not following me
on socials, go ahead and follow me on Instagram and
TikTok at that nurse can cook. I have a cook
book called The Soul of Scotchy with forty flavorful recipes
from our culture, Jamaican culture. And there's not only recipes,
(01:04:58):
there are anecdotal stories that tell a story of my
culinary journey. Thank you for having me
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