Healthy meals from the heart
“Through my own health journey I educated myself on food and nutrition and came to see food as medicine,”
GROWING up in Melbourne, Emmy Feingold always loved cooking, but it was preparing meals for the needy during the COVID lockdowns that convinced her to plan for a career in the food industry.
At the time she was helping her sister, Rebecca Feingold, who had purchased Goldy’s Tavern in Collingwood in February 2020, but was running a takeaway shop from the pub while remodelling and waiting out the lockdown.
“We received food donations and I started making meals to give to people experiencing food insecurity in the area,” Emmy told The AJN.
“It was my first experience in a commercial kitchen – I really loved it and it made me realise I wanted to cook for people.”
Goldy’s Tavern opened its doors in November 2020 and last year was named Pub of the Year.
While Emmy continued to develop her cooking business after COVID, it took until a few months ago to launch The Sweet Potato Kitchen – based in Collingwood – full time.
People can order online and have a wide range of delicious organic meals delivered each week.
“I use locally and ethically sourced organic produce to ensure that my food has premium flavour and is made from meticulously selected high-quality ingredients. It’s healthy, healing and full of vitality,” she said.
“All the food I make is 100 per cent gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free.”
The Sweet Potato Kitchen website features a variety of dishes as well as meal bundles.
“One of my popular lines is the ‘Love’ bundle, to send food to people who need comforting, whether they have lost a loved one or are unwell or going through a tough time,” she explained.
“Flowers and chocolates are lovely, but a gift of nourishment is better!”
Emmy said her meals enable busy people to enjoy quality and healthy food.
“Many people don’t have time to source and cook nourishing meals while doing everything else in their lives,” she said.
All of Emmy’s foods are available to order frozen and are delivered weekly.
“Knowing that a healthy organic meal can be quickly heated in the oven or microwave when life gets busy and overwhelming is such a relief,” she noted.
Emmy said that over the years she suffered from painful gut health battles, but had overcome them by eating home-cooked, wholesome organic food.
“Through my own health journey I educated myself on food and nutrition and came to see food as medicine,” she said.
Emmy’s love of food started around the family dining table enjoying her mother’s and grandmother’s cooking.
“My grandmother was a great cook and an inspiration – there were times that she would host parties for 170 people at home,” she recalled.
“She put the same love and care into every family dinner that we had together. As a result, all of us show love through food. It’s our love language.”
Asked why her business is named after a sweet potato, Emmy explained, “I love sweet potatoes. They are humble and sweet and they make me happy. I can’t say the name without smiling!”
Her menu includes several sweet potato meals including a shepherd’s pie made with slow-cooked grass-fed beef mince and topped with a decadent coconut cream and sweet potato mash.
Among the most popular dishes on the menu – which changes depending on seasonal availability of produce – is sesame crusted ocean trout on a bed of cauliflower rice, Harissa roasted chicken with smashed olives and apricots, and a Moroccan lamb tagine.
For more information: thesweetpotatokitchen.com.au
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