Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hello and welcome to Storyteller in Depth, a podcast where we go behind the scenes to learn more about the Story Arts Centre's, people, places, and things. I'm your host Pat Quigley and in today's episode we have Hannah Sunderanii, a 2014 PR grad, cookbook author, blogger, and content creator who will share the behind the scenes of her career and brand two spoons and how a lifestyle change she has made has led her to accomplish some incredible feats stick around.
Speaker 1 00:00:37 Thank
Speaker 0 00:00:38 You Hannah, so much for being on the podcast today.
Speaker 2 00:00:41 Oh, thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 0 00:00:44 Yeah. So just to get started and just to kind of get things kicked off, can you just in like talk a little bit about yourself and like who, who is Hannah?
Speaker 2 00:00:53 Well, so Hannah <laugh>, that's a very good question, <laugh>. So I guess when I think, like, who is Hannah? For me it's almost like, who is two spoons? Cuz like Hannah is like, I'm like a mom, I'm a wife, like I'm a dog owner and stuff like that. But I think when we're talking about like what I do professionally, I kind of go by two spoons, which is funny cuz a lot of my friends even call me two spoons now. <laugh> and Twos Spoons is a blog that I started, um, about six years ago now. Um, it stemmed from my trip abroad to France. Um, my husband and I decided to move to France and it's where I decided to go vegan. Um, and when we went abroad I was like, you know what, I've always loved to cook and I've always wanted to go vegan. And we don't really think of those two things going hand in hand.
Speaker 2 00:01:43 Like <laugh> eating vegan in France, <laugh>, it's like a world of like charcuterie and cheese. And so I was like, you know what, I'm gonna blog about this and, and blog about my experience and blog about the recipes that I'm making. And that's kind of how Teaspoons Unfolded. Um, it's a blog where I share all of my favorite plant-based recipes that don't compromise on taste. And it's really, you know, France is really where it flourished. And then I brought it back to Canada. Um, I ended up writing the Teaspoons Cookbook with Penguin Random House, which was an amazing experience. So that's out now an available. And then I also have a Teaspoons app, so you can kind of go into the up and you can build your own shopping list, save all your favorite recipes, and also it has a meal planner. So when we're thinking about like two spoons, it's kind of like this branch of like plant-based recipes and I'm, and Hannah's kind of the face of it. <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:02:39 Awesome. That's great. I mean, that's a great explanation of who you are and, and everything you're doing, which is incredible. So, but what ignited your passion for cooking specifically in plant-based food though? Like why, why that?
Speaker 2 00:02:51 Yeah, so that's another really good question. So my story about kind of transitioning to a plant-based diet is kind of long and a little bit convoluted, but I'll try and make it as simple as possible. So, um, before going to Centennial College, I actually went to McMaster University for my undergrad. And, um, while I was there, um, I was, uh, I had, I was dating a guy, my boyfriend at the time, and he actually passed away, uh, from cancer. And it was obviously like a really hard time in my life, a really challenging experience, um, to go through, especially at such a young age. Like, it's not something we expect to happen when you're so young. Um, and I feel like, you know, when we're going through stress, it always kind of manifests itself in its own ways and for me, it really played an impact on my body and my overall health.
Speaker 2 00:03:42 And so I started developing like a lot of like, digestive issues and it made it really hard to go to class, like sitting in like a two or three hour lecture. Like it was so anxiety written for me. Like, I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna survive this. I went to go talk to some specialists. I saw two GI specialists and they basically diagnosed me with IBS and was like, this, you're just gonna have to live like this <laugh>, which was really tough. Um, again, also being so young, I was like, oh my gosh, like I have the rest of my life ahead of me and like, I feel like I can't even function day to day. So I decided to kind of take matters into my own hand and, um, start like healing myself through the process of eating. So I did like an elimination diet and I gave up dairy.
Speaker 2 00:04:25 I gave up gluten, caffeine and refined sugars. Um, and it made a huge difference, like honestly within like a week, I mean, it took a long time to kind of get back to where I was, but those major issues within a week, it was kind of unbelievable. I couldn't believe the impact that food, that food in your diet could have on your health. And so that kind of opened up this like, new world of cooking and it wasn't entirely plant-based, but it was very plant forward at the time, having no dairy and things like that. And at the time almond milk was like really hard to find. Like we're talking about like 10, 12 years ago, like now it's so available, but at the time I used to have to go to like special grocery stores or like check the special aisle and there was like one brand that you could choose from and it wasn't very good.
Speaker 2 00:05:11 So I actually started kind of making things myself, like making my own milks and stuff like that. And um, and I started sharing them with my friends at university and they loved them and they were like, you know, you should like, you know, share these online. And it was something that I always kind of mulled over. And I think when I moved to France, it was kind of the push that I needed. I loved cooking and I loved cooking in this new way and sharing these recipes. Um, and it was the push that I needed to kind of step out of my comfort zone, like we were moving abroad. I was like, everything is changing. Like maybe this is also a career change for me as well. Um, so that's kind of when I decided to kind of really dive into a vegan diet. It's something I'd wanted to do for a long time just for like, from a health perspective. Um, and it felt like a good opportunity when we moved abroad to France.
Speaker 0 00:05:58 That's, that's amazing. Like, that's, that's obviously a huge life change for you. And like, what were some of the biggest lessons that you took away from like being in France?
Speaker 2 00:06:07 Oh, so I mean, I really feel like it honed my skills as a cook. I think prior to moving to France, I, I loved cooking and I had a passion for it. And I do think that I was a pretty good cook, especially for like being like 20, I think I was 25, 26 at the time. Um, and so I feel like I was a good cook, but moving to France just kind of escalated it to a new level. The culture and the passion behind food, it is so rooted into their culture and into tradition. So like, you're not, you don't even need to be like a studied chef to be into food there. Everyone is into food like <laugh>, everyone you meet all your friends, like they're gonna be into food, they're gonna be like going to the markets. Like it's such a big part of their culture.
Speaker 2 00:06:53 And so I actually learned so much just from living there and like going to the markets and you would talk to the vendors that would be selling you fresh fruits and veg and they would be telling you like how to chop the veg, how to cook it, like, and so they, they had so much knowledge about the food that it's something that I don't think we really experience because, uh, here in Canada, because most of our grocery shopping is done like at grocery stores. So there isn't kind of that, um, person to person interaction with people who really understand the vegetables that they've grown and like how to make them taste amazing. So that was pretty incredible. And then also while I was there, I really got to see kind of the vegan movement unfold. Like we all know that like veganism has really flourished in the past like five, six years.
Speaker 2 00:07:39 And while I was in France, like it was ver it was very, very small when I first moved there. And like slowly and surely there would be like a few vegan restaurants popping up here and there. And so whenever anything opened, like I would be the first person to buck in and go. And I actually made friends with a lot at the restaurant owners and we would chat about, and because I was a blogger, like they, they knew as well I was sharing on Instagram, their restaurants. And so we would become friends and we would chat about food and like I would text them and be like, where are you finding coconut yogurt? And they would be like, oh yeah, they have it at like this one shop. Like, you have to go down like ru gik and like find it or like whatever. And so, um, it was, it was really fun. Um, and I feel like it really kind of honed in my skills as a cook living at Braham France that I don't think I would've gotten had I not had that experience.
Speaker 0 00:08:30 Cool. And you were talking about like how you would get from the vendors, like different tips and tricks and stuff like that mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like what was the best piece of cooking advice you ever received? Like from these guys or just in general?
Speaker 2 00:08:43 So it's a very good question. I feel like with cooking avo advice, it wasn't so much like a, this is the way that you need to cook something or this is the way, way, like, this is how you roast. Like, nothing like that. But it was more like allowing the dishes to speak for themselves, like allowing the actual produce to speak for itself. So I think like, um, even when it comes to like vegan cooking, I think people think that, you know, you really kind of have to do this like major transformation. It's like you're thinking of like Princess Diaries where she like, is like, you know, like the silly nerd to like the beautiful princess. And it's like, no, like it does it like let, let it kind of be its own thing and bring out the best of what it actually is. And so I feel like when I was there, the focus so much was on like the actual vegetable itself and how to make it taste like the best.
Speaker 2 00:09:41 So like whether it was like adding like a subtle oil or like a little bit of salt and pepper or like mild spices. And that's another thing in France too is like with their spices and stuff, like they're not really into like these overpowering flavors and like partly because their fruits and vegetables taste so amazing as is like the soil there is just so rich that it makes amazing tasting fruits and vegetables. And so they really like to kind of let it stand on its own. Um, and it's something that I kept in mind when I was creating my cookbook. Um, I really wanted to make plant-based eating and vegan eating feel doable and feel accessible. And so you won't find like very strange, weird ingredients that you might expect when you think of like vegan cooking where you're like, where am I even gonna find <laugh> this ingredient?
Speaker 2 00:10:31 Because AI couldn't find it in France, it wasn't available, and b I want to teach that. Like, vegetables can taste amazing. It's just like learning like little tips and tricks to how to kind of enhance their, their already delicious flavor. Um, and so I would say that is my biggest tip that I got from France is really letting food speak for itself and not trying to kind of emulate a new ver like a, an entirely different version of what it actually is, because what it is is really good. We just need to know how to make it taste as good as it can be.
Speaker 0 00:11:08 Exactly. Yeah. And I mean, talking about your cookbook, which is an amazing feat in itself, can you talk a little bit about the experience of creating that cookbook?
Speaker 2 00:11:18 Yeah, so actually creating that cookbook is really interesting because I think, you know, we think like, oh, you know, this person wrote a cookbook and now it's out and, and you don't really know kind of all the background on how long it takes to kind of go through that process. And I'd love to share kind of what that process is like. So, um, when I moved back from France, I, um, I had had this, I'd kind of written like when we were moving back to Canada, I'd kind of written almost like a vision board of like where I wanted my business to go. Um, because again, it was a huge transition coming back. So, um, it was, to me it felt like another opportunity to kind of explore like what I wanted. And on my, um, list, I had like a five year plan and on my list was a cookbook and I sort of thought like, you know, this might happen like later down the road.
Speaker 2 00:12:10 Um, but when I moved back I actually got in touch with an agent and I got my cookbook offer within six months of moving home, which was like such a dream come true. Like, I was like, how is this even happening? Like, this is so exciting. Um, so, uh, what had happened is I had reached out to a friend who was also in this sphere and I had said, you know, I'm thinking about making this cookbook. Um, I know that you've talked to an agent in the past, um, and I just wanted to know if you'd be open to making a connection. And she was like, she's in, she's such a great friend. Um, and very, this is one thing that I think is just such an important thing to note is like it's, we, you're never in competition with people who are in the same field as you.
Speaker 2 00:12:52 Like we can pick each other up and we can lift each other up. And I, I like to do that too in my sphere. So like, if anyone ever has questions, I'd love to be like, you know, a sounding board or whatever because we're all here to help each other out. And it like, it doesn't take away from like your success <laugh> and this is what my friend did for me here. And so she actually gave me the agent that she worked with when she was thinking of coming out with a cookbook. Um, I reached out to her and I kind of told her, you know, this idea that I had in mind for a cookbook, which was to, uh, write a cookbook about my experience of living in France and have these like kind of French themed vegan recipes. And she thought that it was like a great idea.
Speaker 2 00:13:31 She was like, I really think that we have something here. So, um, what I suggest you do is you write a proposal. So a proposal is kind of like an overview of what your cookbook is gonna look like. You've got your entire list of recipes, like your entire table of contents, um, your introduction of like who you are, like basically when you open a cookbook, you kind of see that at the beginning it's kind of a layout of what to expect in a cookbook, um, as well as 10 sample recipes. And so I went away, I created the 10 sample recipes with like the photos and really kind of perfected those. And then we submitted it to, um, the publishing houses and they kind of like bid on it. So you get like phone calls being like, so-and-so's interested, like, this person's interested and you're kind of like, you're, it's an exciting but also nerve wracking time.
Speaker 2 00:14:17 Um, so you're kind of like, oh my gosh. Like, okay, so like, you know, should we have a call with this person? So you're kind of jumping on calls and they're kind of, it's almost like they're like not selling to you in a way, but they're like, this is what you could expect if you work from us. Um, and then you kind of narrow it down and then they start offering you like, or they start telling you like, you know, what your advance will be. And so from there you kind of narrow it down to the number one that you pick and you go back and you negotiate on like what your advance is gonna be. Um, and then once we solidified that it was gonna be with Penguin, um, I had two years to create the cookbook, so that's actually a really long time <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:14:56 Um, and I don't think people know that it's like such a long process writing a cookbook. Um, but another thing that's interesting is for me, myself, I actually had six months to create all the recipes with all the photos and then it go, it sits with Penguin for a year and a half. Um, and they kind of do that editing, we go back and forth. Um, like there's probably three versions of the cookbook, like you're writing and rewriting. Um, and then by the third it's usually done and then there's a bit of like a lull for a couple months and then right before launch, maybe three months before launch, you get back in touch with them and you start talking about like the PR plan and stuff like that. So hopefully that wasn't like too long, but I feel like it's kind of interesting cuz it's an insight that people don't see so <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:15:37 Oh, for sure. Yeah. I mean it's super, super interesting. I've always like, I've, I've wanted to like maybe dabble in that myself and like just like a family cookbook or something like that, like family recipes and things like that and knowing just the process to how how much goes into it is, is
Speaker 2 00:15:53 Crazy's literally crazy? Yeah, it's a cute, it's like a, I always say like, my cookbook was my first baby, like <laugh>, it literally is like this thing that you nurture and tend to you and it just like grows and develops into like its own thing and it's like such a cherished thing. Um, and so, and you live, you like sit with it for two years, like it's two years of your life just like tin tinkering away at this thing that then becomes like a tangible thing that you hold in your hands. So it is like, like a very special thing if you're, if it's something that you're interested in doing in your career.
Speaker 0 00:16:27 Oh, for sure. Yeah. And I, I mean I don't how many recipes are in the book in total?
Speaker 2 00:16:32 Yeah, so the book is just over a hundred recipes, so it's a lot of content creating as well as like in my field of work, um, when I was writing the cookbook, it's not like I could just like go away and like write a cookbook and be like, okay, bye world. Like I still had to be updating my blog and updating like my social channels and stuff like that. So, um, it was a very, very busy time. <laugh> Oh, sure. Uh, to say the least. Yeah. But you know, it was also like one of these things that I was doing that I was like, this is, this is such a gift and I feel so fortunate to like be in this position. And so even at times, like some and, and c recipes don't always work out the first time either. So like I've got a recipe in my cookbook for like a vegan croissant.
Speaker 2 00:17:19 Um, and that took a really long time to recipe develop. I think there was like six or seven tries before I perfected it. So it's like a lot of back and forth. And I remember like, there would be nights where Mitch and I, like all we would be eating is just like baked goods, like <laugh> like dinner, there would be no dinner, it would just be like, okay, like there's cookies and there's crosol and there's like macaron and like that's it. Like <laugh>, there's just sugar <laugh>. So, but that's doesn't sound so bad. N no, it's, you know what, it's not not that bad. At the end of the day, you still get to eat like somewhat delicious food. I mean it doesn't always work out, so sometimes you have to eat like some interesting things, but it, it was fortunately my dad doesn't live too far from me and he's always open to eating whatever. So <laugh>, he ate all my food scraps.
Speaker 0 00:18:04 That's good. Do you have a favorite recipe in the cookbook?
Speaker 2 00:18:09 Oh my gosh. So I, I feel like there's so many that I love. Um, so it's hard to narrow down and it really depends on the time of year. Like right now we're looking at the winter time, so I would say like my mushroom forgan with buttery mashed potatoes is just so perfect for winter. Like it is just so cozy and it's like a simple stew. Like you can throw it together in 20 minutes, but it just feels so gourmet. Like it's a perfect thing to make on a Friday night. Like you're throwing in like red wine and bay leaf and thyme. It just has so much flavor. And then you serve it on like these like fluffy buttery mashed potatoes and like who doesn't love potatoes like <laugh>. So I would say that's definitely one of my favorites. And then in the summer, like I love my salady uas, it's like a chickpea salady uas that's really like bright and fresh and refreshing and like crunchy.
Speaker 2 00:19:01 Um, it's got like capers and olives in there, so it's got like this really nice briny flavor. And then I've got, um, this lemon Dijon vinegarette, which is like so drinkable, like it's just so tasty that stressed on top. And I honestly like use that lemon vinegarette on everything in the summertime. Like it's even good on like, we talk about potatoes, like it's even good on like roasted potatoes. Um, so I always kind of have a side of that, uh, dressing. So like that feels really like summary and fresh because it's like very citrus based. Um, so yeah, those are definitely my favorite. And then for dessert, um, there's a really simple dessert for um, a muo chak and it's actually made with tofu, which sounds like so crazy. It's like what? You're using tofu in a dessert, but like I, like I have to tell you how to try this recipe.
Speaker 2 00:19:51 It uses like soft or silk and tofu and we add in so much chocolate and the silk and tofu is almost like a puddingy consistency and it's quite bland in flavor, so it really allows you to add, it really adopts whatever flavor you add to it, in this case the chocolate. Um, and so it's just so rich and decadent and you would never know that it was made of tofu. Like it's just like the wildest thing and everyone I serve, it's actually the recipe when we moved to France that I created that convinced my husband that we could do vegan because when I first said like, because I do all the cooking in my house and when I was like, I wanna go vegan, he was like, oh, like this is gonna affect my life too. I'm not sure. I'm like, signed up for this. And then I remember making that muso chaka and we were having it at dinner and he was like, if you are making food like this, then yes, like I am in <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:20:43 Oh, that's in Incre. Yeah, I know. I wow. <laugh> sorry I lost my train of, I was just thinking about all the different things. Like I wanna, I wanna learn so much about these different recipes cuz like, I I I don't consider myself vegan or plant-based or by any means uhhuh <affirmative>. And like, I I always love that kind of cooking, right? Yeah. And, and just seeing that there's so many different ways to create things. Like there's been a love of food in my life for, for the entire time that I've been alive. You can
Speaker 2 00:21:12 Remember.
Speaker 0 00:21:12 Yeah. Um, have, have, have you always had like a, a passion for food?
Speaker 2 00:21:16 Yes, always. Like I was, I loved food. Like I was the sibling that loved to eat and um, like my first word apparently was chocolate <laugh>, which like is just so funny that like, of course that was my first word. Um, but the funny thing is, is like growing up like, uh, like I was such a meat eater. Like I, my favorite food was ribs. Like I remember like for my birthday, my parents would be like, where do you wanna go eat? Because we always got to pick on our birthday, like what we wanted to eat or where, and I always wanted to go to like swish and have like their ribs <laugh>. So it's like funny how like it transitioned over to like this vegan diet. But I think a lot of it just kind of stemmed with like my health and, um, you know, how I felt after I transitioned over to this type of eating.
Speaker 2 00:22:07 Um, and also realizing that like I, I didn't really need to compromise on taste. Like, yes, I don't eat meat-based dishes, but I can make everything taste so delicious. And like even my mushroom bogan like that is a rendition of a beef bogan. But I think what people don't realize is that it's not actually the meat itself that they're loving, it's the way that it's flavored. And so by adding things like the bay leaf and the thyme and the red wine and then bringing in umami flavors from things like tamari and miso paste and stuff that like maybe is a little bit different to what we were used to cooking with, but very simple techniques and very simple ingredients can really enhance that richness and boldness. That is what we love in a borgan, y'all. And so I kind of, you know, discovering that through my diet that I can actually still eat all the things that I love on a plant-based diet without compromise on taste. It's just knowing how to add in that flavor to really make those dishes stand out and to really make those ingredients pop.
Speaker 0 00:23:14 Right. Exactly. That's, it seems so easy, right? And
Speaker 2 00:23:18 <laugh> it is, it honestly is, and it, it is easy when you lay it out like that. And I think people find it overwhelming when they're like, oh my god, like vegan diet, like how, how would I even eat on a vegan diet? But it's just no, it's just that like learning, you know, those, those small little changes.
Speaker 0 00:23:36 And that's just what I was gonna, I was gonna ask is like what tips can you offer people who are just getting started with a plant-based diet
Speaker 2 00:23:42 And plant-based cooking? Yeah. Yeah, that's a great question. And it's one that I get a lot and like I said, my number one tip is that you really don't have to change drastically how you eat. It's just these minor substitutions. And I think the best tip that I get, um, that I give people is to type in like your favorite dish that you love to make. So like, say that it's like a bolognese sauce, like, like, uh, a beef bolognese that you, like a beef, uh, tomato sauce that you put on pasta. It's a really simple dish that I think like a lot of people would feel competent making. Um, and they're like getting their protein and you know, they get teed pasta, which everyone loves, and it's like yummy car <laugh>. Um, so take that recipe and type it into Google and then add vegan to the beginning and see what comes up on your Google search.
Speaker 2 00:24:35 And you'll notice that like there really isn't that much difference to how you're making it. Like maybe it's taking that plant that ground that, uh, ground beef and substituting it with brown lentils, or maybe you wanna try experimenting with plant-based ground, um, you know, just see what's out there. And I think that, um, people will be surprised by the number of ingredients they actually have in their pantry. Um, and the simple substitutions, like there's really not like that much difference from what you are eating. It's just minor substitutions here and there, um, and things that are often really like health focused forward. So like, you know, transitioning like beef to lentils is like, you know, that's like really, like that's a healthy substitution that, you know, you, you might actually, you know, feel really good after eating it. Like it might actually make you feel a little bit lighter and, um, you know, make you feel like you have a little bit more energy and maybe you won't have that like three o'clock lull if you're eating the leftovers for lunch.
Speaker 2 00:25:35 So I think just kind of experimenting with those favorite recipes, putting them into Google with the word vegan in front and just kind of dabbling here and there. Like start with like three, like I once heard that people, um, in their general level of cooking, um, have 10 recipes in their cookbook, like in their mind, like that they always rely on, that's the, that's the average 10 recipes doesn't seem that overwhelming. So like, start with two and three, then try four and just build up over the year, the next two years, three years. And then you'll have a roster of these recipes that you love, that you feel like you can do and that you didn't have to, you know, put too much effort into making that taste delicious.
Speaker 0 00:26:19 Oh, for sure. Yeah. Like my, my fiance actually, we were wanting to make meatloaf one night, but we didn't have any ground beef. So she, we had lentils. Yeah. And we made a, a lentil meatloaf or a lentil loaf I guess. And I was a little skeptical at first. I was like, I don't know how this is gonna turn out. I, I'm not huge on lentils. But then we had it and I was like, wow, this is really, really good. And you couldn't tell the difference between the two. And just like, like you were talking before where, you know, the, the flavor is the same that you're, you're used to Yeah. But the product is different, which is Yeah. Really, really interesting.
Speaker 2 00:26:51 Yeah, totally. I love a lentil meatloaf. I actually have one, I, uh, created a Christmas dinner menu, um, back in December that was entirely vegan. And my main meat dish was a, like a, it was a mushroom lentil loaf. And it's crazy, like the consistency and everything and the amount of flavor that you can add into it, like, it's like you take like a humble lentil <laugh> and you turn it into this amazing thing.
Speaker 0 00:27:17 Mm-hmm. <affirmative> had I not been, you know, around for when it was being made, I would've completely thought it was a meat loaf, not a, a rental loaf, which is so true.
Speaker 2 00:27:25 That's, that's literally my favorite compliment that I get because a lot of my, a lot of my group network is not vegan. Like a lot of my friends and family members are not. Um, and I think originally that was the reason why I was kind of nervous to go vegan. Like prior to moving to France, I was like, oh, I'm gonna be like the inconvenience at the table if I like, you know, like I'm now vegan. Like I already feel like I'm difficult because I like don't eat meat like I was vegetarian. Um, so I was like, I'm already difficult cause I don't eat meat. Um, and so when I moved to France, I was like, you know what? It's just me and my husband who cooked, so like, let, like I can do this now. But moving home and being back with my friends and family, they, they're over all the time and I'm cooking and they're often cooking my recipes now from my blog and my cookbook. And my favorite compliment that I hear from people who eat meat is when they eat one of my dishes and they say like, I didn't even miss the meat. Like, this tastes so good and so much like the real thing. Like I, I would have never even known <laugh> and I'm like, that is the best compliment as a cook, as a vegan cook. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:28:31 Oh, I'm sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:28:32 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:28:33 Um, so you are a graduate of Centennial College. That's
Speaker 2 00:28:39 Right. What
Speaker 0 00:28:39 Initially, what initially drew you to pursue the post-grad program at Centennial?
Speaker 2 00:28:43 Yeah, so I, so after, so I studied communications in school, um, and after that I was interested in going into PR and the, the, I was living in Toronto and the program at Centennial was really good. I was kind of dabbling between that and another, uh, school, which, uh, is called Hamburg, um, for their pr. And I ended up picking Centennial. Um, I just, when I went, there's so many reasons why <laugh>, I thought that the program sounded so great. I thought that the professors felt very approachable and very incested in their students. Um, at the time the like, um, the like professor, the coordinator, uh, professor was Barry, wait, um, I don't know if he's still there, but he was amazing. Um, and he kind of like led the communications and PR program for Centennial and did an amazing job. Um, he pulled together teachers from really great backgrounds.
Speaker 2 00:29:47 So I felt like, you know, this is a way that I can really learn from people who are experts in their field and also kind of like get a foot in the door because I think at the end of the day when you're thinking about like your post-grad, you're like, how am I going to even get a step through into my field of work? And so feeling like, you know, you have these teachers with such an amazing background who are so invested in your success, just felt really good for me. And then I also loved the campus. Um, I just, I loved the school. It felt very warm and inviting and I loved the location because it's in Toronto. Um, and so it was like a stream of different things that was making me feel like it was the right decision. And, uh, when I did my program there, um, I just feel like I learned so much.
Speaker 2 00:30:37 So, um, it's, it's interesting now because, so after my PR program, I actually went into pr I was working at an agency called Edelman in their healthcare program. And um, and I actually also did my internship at SickKids when I was at Centennial. So I was kind of like kind of going in like a health sphere, um, which was also kind of on brand considering all the like health issues that I had. Um, but I found that even with my blogging, which I ended up transitioning to when I moved to France, the program helped me so much in terms of being able to write, to be able to talk, to press, to be able to know like the what is the most important when I'm like creating blog posts. Um, and the confidence in public speaking. Like there were so many pro um, uh, lectures from Centennial that really helped me feel like I was able to build the confidence and the success that I've had today in twos spoons.
Speaker 2 00:31:37 So even though I didn't start twos spoons right away, um, I just feel like a, it was helpful in my PR profession while I was there, but also really, really helpful in me starting my own business. And one of the things too, while I was in at Centennial in the PR program is one of the things they said is like, you should have a blog, like you should be <laugh>, you know, presenting yourself, um, to publicly in a way that, you know, you have like great control over and um, gives people an insight to who you are so that when you are applying to jobs they kind of like have an idea. And I think it was like a really good, um, it was a really good lesson for me to take away. So actually while I was at Centennial, I did have a food blogging, it was called Happy Tummy Healthy Body at the time, <laugh>. And it was somewhere that I was just kind of learning about blogging. Like it was a really great way for me to kind of learn and experiment with photography before I did it as my own career. So it was a hobby at the time, time that they encouraged us all to do. And I think even that really helped with the success for when I did Launch Twos boons, I kind of already had an idea of how recipe writing worked and how photography worked and stuff like that.
Speaker 0 00:32:53 So did that also kind of help lead you to the YouTube channel as well? Cuz you've got a quite a successful YouTube channel Yeah. Around teaspoons and around all that. So can you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2 00:33:03 Yeah, so my YouTube channel is actually something that I recently launched. It's called Vegan Afternoons with Teaspoons. And I just launched that like four months ago. Um, so after my cookbook came out, YouTube is something that I really wanted to dabble in for a while now. And it was just too challenging when I was writing my cookbook because as I mentioned before, it's like, it's a beast. It's a lot of work. And so once my cookbook came out, I was kind of looking onto the next thing and I was like, you know what? Like I really wanna get into YouTube, uh, my own YouTube channel where I'm like making episodes where I'm really teaching you how to cook. Like instead of these like quick TikTok or quick reels where you kind of see like a 30 minute snippet, I wanna take that and build it out so that like you can really follow this along as a cooking show and really learn how to cook.
Speaker 2 00:33:54 Um, and so that's kind of where my passion for vegan afternoons with two spoons came from. And I had so much fun building it. We're actually in the middle of filming season two. Um, and we're trying to pull together these themes for things that people have a lot of questions about, like, um, how to make like meaty dishes on a vegan diet. So like sharing like three recipes that, um, you know, take these different ingredients and you can make different meaty dishes or like how to eat, like, I wanna eat a salad, but like, like I'm too hungry. Like I want a protein pack salad that I can have for lunch that, you know, it keeps me full, keeps me satiated and like makes me feel like, you know, I ate something healthy, ate something good. And so there's like a whole episode that's devoted to like four protein packed salads.
Speaker 2 00:34:44 Like one of them has like 23 grams of plant protein. So, um, it's been fun kind of dabbling in that. And that's where I came out with my Christmas dinner menu that I was talking about prior. Um, so like a full vegan Christmas dinner, there's like seven different recipes and I kind of go through the process of like what you would make first, uh, what can be prepared in advance and then like, you know, what you should prepare right before so people really have an idea of what it's like to cook. Um, cuz I think sometimes it can be a little bit, um, like a intimidating, but maybe also a little bit of like a misconception when we're thinking of like TikTok and reels because things are happening like at such a rapid pace, um, that I kind of wanna bring back, like what it looks like behind the scenes and like, and we create the reels and we create the toss to kind of give the overall look of like, this is how it's gonna look like at the end, but you can also trust that I'm gonna walk you through all the steps, um, to get there.
Speaker 0 00:35:38 That's awesome. So if people want to subscribe and be follow up to date with that, where would they go again?
Speaker 2 00:35:44 Yeah, so you could go to, uh, you could just go to YouTube, type in two spoons, and my YouTube channel is called Vegan Afternoon with two spoons. Um, you can also just go into YouTube and then put that like slash and then at two spoons and I'll come up. Um, but yeah, that's where you'll find me.
Speaker 0 00:36:03 Cool. So you've also got an app and you're continuing your blog and you've wrote Nicole book and you're creating video and social media content. What has your experience been like as a creator in this industry and what advice would you give to someone looking for to follow a similar path as you
Speaker 2 00:36:21 Oh my gosh, this is such a good question. And honestly, I I really wish that we had more time because I feel like this could be its own podcast on its own. I feel like it's, I feel like it's so hard. Um, and I know when I kind of tapped into the industry, like people were telling me like, blogging is done. Like you, if you didn't get into it five years ago, then you know, you're, you're never gonna get your foot in the door. And I'm so glad that I never listened to that because it would've deterred me away and I never would've tried. Um, and so my first advice to someone is like, don't if someone tells you that something is over, do not listen to them. Like trust your gut and trust that like you have a talent and you have something new to bring.
Speaker 2 00:37:07 Um, that kind of takes me to my next point is it definitely is saturated. So think about what you provide that's different from what's currently out there. Um, for example, my cookbook that was focused on my experience in France and French cooking, um, that revolves around plant-based eating. There is a lot of cookbooks out there about vegan eating and how to eat vegan in like 20 minutes or 30 minutes or whatever. Um, and they're great cookbooks, but the thing that sets my cookbook different is my experience of living in France and creating these French-based recipes, which you don't usually think of as being vegan and veganize them. So kind of think about like, what is your angle? Like what makes you different from the current competition that's out there? What's gonna make me stand out? And then the next thing I'll say is you do not need to be an expert in every single avenue.
Speaker 2 00:38:03 Um, pick the one that resonates with you and grow that, um, and make that your main focus. So for me, that was my blog. Um, that's my baby. That's where all of my recipes are housed. That's where I send out newsletters, like I gained like a community there. And then I use things like TikTok and uh, Instagram as promotion back to my blog so that I have control over where things are being housed because I feel like with Instagram and TikTok, like we are kind of victims to their algorithms and, um, and it can feel quite like, um, like a competition almost like you're co like it's a comparison platform. So yes, it's a great platform and I'm so happy that you know that I have it to promote my recipes, but it's always great to have something that you can fall back on that is yours, like a blog, um, that you have complete control over and that is kind of your hub that is pulling people back to, um, that you're using other channels to pull people back to.
Speaker 2 00:39:10 So that would kind of be my advice. Um, and then third advice is don't be afraid to ask people who are in the field for advice. <laugh>. So like I, I mean, I'm not a professional cook. I, um, don't have any kind of professional photography experience. Everything I did, I learned on my own. And a lot of the things I learned was through getting together with people with similar interests and experimenting like, oh, how does this camera work? Like what do we do if we put it over the light here? What do you know, like, and kind of, you know, having this back and forth conversation to kind of build your own talent and kind of build your own skills. So don't be afraid to ask people who are already kind of in the space, like, where are you housing your blog? Like what, like, how does this look like? Like I'm thinking of building with this platform. Like, what do you think? And obviously do your own research because like no one's gonna hold your hand, of course. Um, you have to, you have to be committed, but don't be afraid to ask questions from time to time because it really will, like people are there to help you.
Speaker 0 00:40:15 For sure. And that's some amazing advice that you can give to just about anybody who wants to kind of follow this path that you are on and, and just general life advice, you know, it's, it's, it's awesome. So thank you so much. And, and speaking of advice, uh, do you have any advice about is succeeding in your postgrad program and the Postgrad program at Centennial?
Speaker 2 00:40:36 So I would say make the most of your time there. Um, kind of similar to what I was saying before, utilize your teachers, ask them questions like set up lunches or coffee chats with people who are in the spirit, whether they're like, um, people who are two or three years older than you who have like, you know, maybe they've done an internship program and they've gotten their foot in the door and now they've been offered a full-time position. Um, I think sometimes we think like, I need to speak to the senior person, <laugh> at a company, but you really don't like talk to people who are working there to get an idea of what it's like, how they got their foot in the door. Um, and yeah, utilize your teachers, um, participate in the extracurriculars because all of this stuff adds to your resume. I think it's hard when we're so young, like you, you only have so much life experience and you only have so much that, that you can bring to your resume.
Speaker 2 00:41:34 So things like having a blog, like I put that on my resume, like I put Happy tummy, healthy Body on my resume. Um, and I did a lot of volunteer while I was in at Centennial, like, there's so many volunteer opportunities, like, it, it's amazing the amount of volunteer opportunities that you can offer. And I remember like when I was at Centennial, there was this thing called like PR Student of the Year and I actually ended up getting that award from in, in conjunction with all the other like, um, you know, PR programs, like the HUMS and all those. And they picked like me at Centennial because I was like really getting in there. Like, I was like, I wanna volunteer here, I wanna offer like this ser my services here. Like I wanna be doing all these things. And so I think, um, really kind of taking that opportunity and then ha and like Barry, wait, who I was talking about before wrote this like glowing reference for me when I said that I wanted to put myself up for the PR student of the year.
Speaker 2 00:42:35 And so building those connections with your teachers and really showing them that like, you are driven and you wanna learn and you're like so eager, like it does go a long way. Um, so I would say just like make the most of it, it's such a special time and you're gonna make such great friends and these are people that you are going to be friends with later on when you start your career. Like even now when I like being two spoons, like I am talking to people who went to Centennial. Like I just had an interview with someone from the Toronto Star who she did her undergrad as a journalist at Centennial. So it's like you are going to be talking to these people <laugh> for the rest of your life and it's such a great program, so make the most of it and, um, utilize it as best as you can.
Speaker 0 00:43:22 Awesome. Well thank you so much Hannah, for, for spending some time with me today to talk about everything, two spoons and yourself and the cookbook, and it just, it's so cool. So thank you so much for being on.
Speaker 2 00:43:32 Thanks, pat. This was so fun being here. I'm just so honored and I hope that, you know, there was some takeaways that I could offer while I was here. <laugh>,
Speaker 0 00:43:52 What an incredible story. Thank you so much Hannah, for sharing your knowledge and experience about your career and living a vegan lifestyle. If you wanna find out more about Hannah, you can visit her blog topos.ca where you can access links to her app, cookbook, and of course, the delicious recipes that she posts. You can also find her on
[email protected]. At the end of every episode, we like to pose a question that will make you reflect or go in depth about what we discussed on the podcast Today for this episode, we have more of a quest for you. As Hannah mentioned in the podcast, Google your favourite meal to make and add vegan to your search. Tweet us or reply to our Instagram post about this episode and let us know what you're searching for. And if you try it out, let's get a vegan recipe train going on in the comments. Thanks again, Hannah, for joining us and until next time, I'm Pac Wigley and this is Storyteller In-Depth.
