In conversation with San Francisco’s and the U.S.’s first (and only) three-Michelin-star woman chef
Words by KELLY ATTERTON
Where do you live?
Sonoma.
Where do you feel most Zen?
At home, looking out at the ocean.
Favorite park/hike?
I love this hike near my Los Angeles home in Laurel Canyon. It’s near the big city but feels like such a relaxing retreat. I spend a lot of time there meditating.
Favorite relaxing getaway?
Ojai Valley Inn. They have the most beautiful grounds, an amazing spa, delicious food and culinary events.
Favorite comfort food?
Literally anything my mom makes. My favorites are vegetable Parmentier and anything with produce picked fresh from the garden, especially tomatoes.
Favorite health-food fix?
I love shopping at Erewhon. I can pick up lots of essentials—oat milk, matcha, green juice.
Do you follow a diet?
Not really but I try to be mindful of what I put in my body. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan and I still eat meat sometimes, but I take time to learn where all of my food comes from. What I try to think about is that food is medicine and whatever we put in our bodies affects us inside and out.
Favorite beverage?
Matcha latte with oat milk from anywhere! No matter where I am, I need one every morning.
Where do you take visiting friends?
My farm in Sonoma. It is such a beautiful place full of sunshine, flowers, bees and my chickens. We grow a lot of produce there for my restaurants in San Francisco. I usually fire up our grill and make a quick lunch to enjoy under our 100-year-old oak tree.
Favorite skincare?
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum and Triple Lipid Restore Cream.
Hair products?
Living Proof Full Dry Volume and Texture Spray. It’s great for messy volume.
What do you wear to relax?
My Adidas sweatpants and sneakers. You can find me in them most days.
Favorite guru/healer?
Thích Nhât Hanh. I follow his writings on wellness and peace.
What’s your mantra?
“I am not better than anyone, and no one is better than me.”
Favorite home items?
I can never have enough candles. Some of my favorites are from Vancouver Candle Co. Scents of red currant, rose and balsam.
Favorite flowers?
I love white flowers of any kind because my dad painted a beautiful bouquet of white flowers once. I have the art hanging in the dining room at Atelier Crenn.
What book are you reading?
Take One Fish by Josh Niland. There is so much knowledge in this book, I read it over and over again.
Feature image: Photography by JORDAN WISE
This story originally appeared in the Fashionable Living 2022 issue of C Magazine.
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