Healthy cooking with Laura Unrefined
The recipe for a life of well-being.
Find out in this interview how Laura, behind Laura Sin Refinar, transformed her passion for cooking and a health diagnosis into her ikigai. We explore her journey towards a life dedicated to healthy cooking, her creative process and how her home reflects her essence. Get ready for a dose of inspiration that will lead you to rethink your habits and the space you inhabit.
"I love my work and I know I could never stop creating".
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation come from?
It all stems many years ago from literature and the magical realism of García Márquez. I always loved reading and writing my own stories, but when I was in high school and I read Gabo for the first time, I was so taken by him that I felt that this is what I wanted to do, to tell stories and let people immerse themselves in my world, making the extraordinary into the everyday and the seemingly insignificant into something unique. I searched for my own language and I found it through art and colour.
What do you find most satisfying about your work?
The most satisfying thing is undoubtedly feeling that I help, that I serve other people who rely on me to improve their habits, their diet, their health... it's really nice. It generates a back and forth energy in which these people feel grateful for what I bring to them, and in me the gratitude is infinite for the light they give me and that makes me feel valued.
What is your creative process like, what are your sources of inspiration, any particular music while working?
At night I usually have ideas, inspiration... I write them down so I can develop them later. I usually make the recipe first, and once I have the video edited, when I watch it I get ideas and thoughts that I develop and adapt as I go along.
The inspiration is varied: ancestral remedies, health, nature, emotions, my loved ones, grandmothers' cooking... Life.
When I record my videos I don't play music, as I take the sounds of cooking; when I make bread and pastries in the bakery I do listen to music. Lately I mostly listen to relaxing, healing music... but I also love dance music.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order! ;D
How difficult! My colour has always been red, but today I'm sticking to white and ecru.
Classic book "Hamlet", and the present "Lemon Poppyseed Bread". I have never considered choosing just one book, film or record... I adore all three arts, each one more...
I grew up with Disney animation (I'm left with "Beauty and the Beast") and "Moulin Rouge".
Album... "History", "Invincible"... actually anything by Michael Jackson, my spirit guide.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
I've been thinking about this question for a while and there's no way... I think I'd like to have our house next to Sin Refinar, on my father's farm; but that's not a good you pick up in a shop and take it with you... is a travel voucher any good?
A great plan at home always includes...
In winter "chocolate or pancakes, film, sofa and blanket" and in summer I guess garden and barbecue!
Do you have a signature dish?
I think my boy loves my zarzuela, and the kids love the "Christmas" roast chicken (it tastes different to them). I think casseroles and squaring healthy doughs are my forte.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
Without a doubt Paseo Independencia, Calle Alfonso, Plaza Salamero... those central streets saw me grow up, and I feel a very, very particular energy when I walk them. Also the Aljafería palace, nobody knows how many hours Jacko and I spent walking there...
From abroad I'd choose Florence, I was very impressed, but if I'm going to live there I prefer Sardinia... It's charming.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
Our society will continue to get sick until it understands that it is not about patching up symptoms but about going to the root of the problems, and that root is in basic habits. Stress and emotion management, sport, sleep, nutrition, nature. We live with our backs to nature and we try to fix everything from a pharmacocentric point of view. There are a lot of people who live between lorazepam, omeprazole and ibuprofen...
I'm a maniac... I like odd numbers and I always upload videos at 7:57 pm. I love writing, philosophising... I think Unrefined allows me to unleash everything I love to do: reading and studying about evolutionary habits, epigenetics, herbs, ayurveda, yoga, psychology... devising healthy recipes, elixirs and remedies, recording videos with a sweet and calm aesthetic.
Bonus Track:
Discover the secret to longevity and well-being with this Golden Milk paste, an Ayurvedic gem that harnesses the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immune-boosting, digestive and antioxidant properties of turmeric, among others. Prepared in paste form for your daily convenience, this recipe allows you to enjoy your elixir without rushing, while maintaining a slow lifestyle. It keeps perfectly in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, and you only need a teaspoon to prepare your Golden Milk every day. Ideal to start the morning with energy or to relax in the evening with a touch of valerian or lemon balm.
Note:
This Golden Milk paste is a wonderful addition to your wellness routine, offering you a moment of peace and health every day. I hope this recipe brings you as much comfort as it did me from the first sip.
