A summer spent cooking on the road around beautiful B.C. culminated five years later in a labour of love for Victoria-raised personal chef Mikaela Reuben.
Now based in Vancouver, Reuben debuts her cookbook Eat to Love from Penguin Random House on June 3.
“While it seemed like a fun adventure at the time it turned out to be more challenging than expected – we lived out of suitcases on very little sleep, brought a kitchen worth of tools and equipment wherever we went, hauled hundreds of pounds of groceries, and shot in many unconventional yet beautiful locations," she said on social media, describing the trip as “rogue and a little bit feral.”
“We encountered broken stoves, ferry delays, exhaustion and lots of learning curves – but in the end created something that I am so proud of and cannot wait to share with the world.”
For 15 years, Reuben has cooked for private celebrity clients and athletes, including Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, Karlie Kloss, Maya Gabeira, Owen Wilson, Hugh Jackman, Woody Harrelson, Ben Stiller, and Brie Larson. Mikaela also consults in different culinary capacities for wellness retreats, lifestyle brands and doctors.
The book takes a holistic approach to create healthy and flavourful meals to meet each person’s unique needs and dietary preferences.
It features nutrient-dense recipes that can be adapted to any diet: simple, whole-food, plant-forward, and gluten-free recipes offer maximum nutrition without compromising flavour. Recipes are clearly labelled when they are vegan, dairy-free, or grain-free.
Eat to Love also features recipes for everyday life. The accessible and easy-to-follow recipes are meant to mix and match, and she shares countless suggestions to create tasty, balanced meals.
Out June 3, Eat for Love is available for preorder at mikaelareuben.com.
