Soul Food Salon, San Francisco, CA (2026)

08/04/2026

Hello to all my friends, those who are new here and those who have been following along for a while! 💚

I wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes look at what I’ve been working on and something I’m so excited to finally bring to you all… 📖

This photo is from my cookbook photoshoot — yay!! 🎉 It was such a special moment, and I can’t wait to share this collection of recipes with you in a whole new format.

Imagine having a beautiful cookbook to display in your kitchen 🏡, filled with inspiring, plant-rich recipes you can flip through whenever you’re looking for your next meal idea.

This book is centered around seasonal, plant-rich recipes, celebrating the ingredients that are naturally available throughout the year and making it easier to bring more variety and color to your plate 🌈.

As many of you know, I love encouraging the 30 Plants Per Week approach, 🌱 a simple goal of enjoying 30 different plant foods each week to help increase the diversity of plants in your diet.

Every plant brings its own unique nutrients and beneficial compounds 🌿, and research suggests that eating a wide variety of plant foods can help support a more diverse gut microbiome, which plays an important role in overall health and wellness.

Every recipe in my new cookbook will share how many plant points you can contribute to your goal of 30 Plants Per Week, making it easier to hit the target.

I can’t wait to share more behind the scenes, sneak peeks, and of course… the recipes with you soon!

Thank you for being here and sharing this journey with me.

10/21/2021

Join SOUL Food Salon & Linda Shiue, MD, Chef
Cooking in the Spicebox Kitchen
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
11–1pm PT

Linda Shiue (The Doctor's Spicebox - Thrive Kitchen Cooking Classes) is a practicing physician, chef and founder of Thrive Kitchen at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, a popular vegetable-forward teaching kitchen to inspire people to cook for health. She believes that the best medicine is prevention. Her cooking classes showcase seasonal produce, lavishly flavored with spices and fresh herbs. Her food writing has been published widely and she has been interviewed frequently on television and in print.

After she took her first French cooking class at age seven, it took almost 40 more years before she finally went to culinary school at the San Francisco Cooking School. In between, she studied anthropology and medicine at Brown, with fieldwork in rural Sichuan, China, and in uber-urban Singapore, continued her medical training at the University of California, San Francisco, and learned about plant-based nutrition at Cornell University.
She has been known to play spin-the-globe to choose travel destinations. An enthusiastic eater, she inspires strangers to copy her order and restaurant chefs to send her a little something special.
In addition to practicing medicine and running Thrive Kitchen, she is the mother of two teenage daughters in San Francisco. Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable Forward Recipes is her first cookbook.

At the salon:
Learn about Linda Shiue's journey to practicing culinary medicine and founding a teaching kitchen for patients and her approach to healthy cooking, which focuses on flavor first. You'll learn about her debut cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen, which combines her training in medicine with her love of cooking and offers spice-filled recipes inspired by her travels. Dr. Shiue will be demonstrating a few recipes from Spicebox Kitchen.
RSVP here to attend: https://www.soulfoodsalon.com/events

09/21/2021

SOUL Food Salon is thrilled to host Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 11am PT. The salon is titled: Metabolical- How Processed Food Kills. Sign up to attend this event through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q07Aw7MdSP2HR8DRGCmtSg
It’s free.

Dr. Lustig is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF. He is a neuroendocrinologist, with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry.

Dr. Lustig graduated from MIT in 1976, and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980. He also received his Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) degree at University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2013.

He is the author of the popular books Fat Chance (2012), The Hacking of the American Mind (2017), and the just released book Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine. His 90-minute lecture- Sugar: The Bitter Truth has been viewed over 14 million times on YouTube.

He is the Chief Science Officer of the non-profit Eat REAL, he is on the Advisory Board of the Center for Humane Technology, Simplex Health, and Levels Health, and he is the Chief Medical Officer of BioLumen Technologies, Foogal, Perfact, and Kalin Health.

At the salon:
Dr. Lustig will delve into what is healthy in our food supply and what is not. He will arm us with ways to avoid the unhealthy options.

Remember register to attend this free event through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q07Aw7MdSP2HR8DRGCmtSg

12/12/2020

Did you know that if you laughed for 1 minute you burn the same number of calories as spending 10 minutes on a rowing machine?? Crazy, right!⠀
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This little tidbit about one of the many benefits of laughter was shared in our recent salon ‘Finding Joy and Humor During a Pandemic’ with David Baum, PhD, DMin.⠀
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Click the link in our bio to watch the salon. It will be time well spent. You will leave uplifted with lots of joy and laughter, I promise!⠀
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David shares some tangible suggestions on how to incorporate more joy and humor into your life, such as: ⠀
• Give 4 hugs/day (and this can include you!). ⠀
• At the end of the day, write down a few bullet points of what brought you joy that day. This helps end the day on a positive note.⠀
• Just connect- joyful people have lots of social connections.⠀
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You need to watch this salon video NOW! David also shares a few magic tricks!⠀
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12/10/2020

To all the cooks out there… this post is for you!⠀
Our newest SOULFUL Insight, Cookware Safety Considerations by Christina Badaracco, MPH, RD addresses the safest pieces of cookware to use and what care they require to keep them safe.⠀
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What cookware materials are safest to use?⠀
Cast iron and stainless steel are generally very durable and safe to use both on the stovetop or in the oven (unless they have a handle made of plastic or wood). Glass and ceramic are well-suited for use in the oven or microwave. Stone can also be used in the oven. Silicone is increasingly being used in kitchens to provide a nonstick surface useful for lining baking sheets & comprising muffin cups, spatulas & even dishwasher-safe reusable bags.⠀
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What materials are of potential concern?⠀
Nonstick pans are popular for their easy cleaning and reduced need for cooking oil. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, has been used for nonstick coatings since the mid-1900s. However, one of the molecules formerly used to make Teflon, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been associated with certain types of cancer, infertility and cardiovascular disease. We now know that toxins (such as PFOA) are released when these nonstick pans are used for cooking above 500°F as well as when the coating starts to scratch or peel. ⠀
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While it is a durable material, copper can leach into acidic foods when cooking, potentially causing copper poisoning. ⠀
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Aluminum is also widely used in food packaging as well as cooking. However, it is very reactive with acid and dissolves most easily when pots and pans are worn or pitted. Longer cooking and storage times also lead to more leaching into food. If using aluminum for tools such as baking sheets or grill pans, choose pieces that are anodized, or hardened through a process to reduce reactivity, or clad in a non-reactive material, such as stainless steel.⠀
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Is it safe to use plastics in the kitchen?⠀
Avoid using plastics in the microwave. Plastics leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA (and its successor BPS) and phthalates into our food.⠀
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To read the full post, click the link in our bio.

12/07/2020

This granola is perfection in a bowl! ⠀
I have been tweaking this recipe for awhile now. Finally, I think it is really awesome and I wanted to share it with you! ⠀
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It is filled with rolled oats (a whole grain) and many nuts and seeds- full of plants, 8 to be exact, excluding whatever fresh fruit you include! It is wonderfully crunchy and sweet, yet not too sweet. This is my breakfast every day. I add seasonal fruit and I am in food heaven!⠀
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Not only are there an abundance of plants in this recipe there is also cinnamon.⠀
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Cinnamon is the featured ingredient this week that and are presenting.⠀
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Cinnamon is not only super tasty it is has wonderful health benefits which include: ⠀
• anti-clotting actions⠀
• aids in blood sugar control⠀
• has anti-microbial activity⠀
• improves colon health and protects against heart disease ⠀
• is a traditional warming medicine.⠀
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Use cinnamon in a recipe this week and tag me!⠀
Enjoy!⠀
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12/06/2020

Believe it or not I created this! ⠀
And it brings me so much joy!⠀
I’ve been tinkering around with art projects with a few friends lately and it has been fun, creative and quite joyful.⠀
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What are you doing to bring joy and humor into your life during these stressful times? ⠀
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SOUL Food Salon is hosting a virtual salon with David Baum PhD, DMin⠀
Finding Joy & Humor During a Pandemic⠀
Wednesday, December 9, 2020⠀
11am PT⠀
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Register through the link in our bio, it’s free!⠀
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At the salon:⠀
If we look hard enough, and try a few simple things, we can elevate our humor, sense of well being and yes joy when everything around us seems in chaos and despair. At this salon, David will explore ways to bring joy and humor into your life even during a pandemic. Based on the latest research and models you will learn how to build a “joyful practice” to help take you through the winter months. ⠀
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About David:⠀
For more than 30 years, David has facilitated big conversations that create big change. With two doctorates—the first finding horizontal connections as a social psychologist and the second looking for vertical ones in divinity—he seeks the overlap. His why is always the same: to create connection without dots.⠀
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Join us for this wonderful opportunity to learn from the wise and witty David Baum!⠀
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11/27/2020

It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle!⠀
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Aim to incorporate more of these behaviors in your daily life. Not only will you live a more balanced life you will feel more alive and fulfilled.⠀⠀
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• Sleep- Prioritize sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours and keep in mind the quality is just as important as the quantity.⠀⠀
• Stress reduction- Through journaling, laughter, expressing gratitude, getting outside in nature.⠀⠀
• Drink plenty of water- Keep a water bottle full at all times. ⠀⠀
• Eat healthy- Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. ⠀
• Move your body most days of the week. This will help keep you and your immune system strong, as well as aid in stress reduction.⠀⠀
• Social Connection- Reach out to friends and family for love and support. Whether it be a phone call, text or social distanced meeting. Loving connection is important.⠀
• Learn something new- Keeps the brain active and healthy.⠀
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Here’s to a healthy way of life!⠀
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11/18/2020

Join us!⠀
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Tomorrow, November 19, SOUL Food Salon is featuring Shauna Shapiro, PhD (), The Power of Mindfulness and Compassion.⠀
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Dr. Shapiro is a professor of psychology at Santa Clara University, clinical psychologist, best-selling author and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion. ⠀
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All of us have the capacity to change. Science proves it. No matter what your past, no matter what your current circumstances, it is never too late to rewire your brain for greater calm, clarity, and joy. At this salon, Dr. Shapiro will offer cutting edge science and ancient practices to provide you with a powerful road map for transforming your life. ⠀
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Register through the link in our bio, it’s free!⠀
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11/15/2020

It’s getting cold in California which translates to soup season!⠀
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This curried, lentil, tomato coconut soup is AMAZING, from chef !⠀
It is also one of the easiest and quickest soups to prepare.⠀
High on taste, nutrients, plants and yumm!⠀
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For more plant based inspired recipes follow ⠀
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Soul Food Salon

08/04/2026

10/21/2021

09/21/2021

12/12/2020

12/10/2020

12/07/2020

12/06/2020

11/27/2020

11/18/2020

11/15/2020

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