Have you ever had an Insta-crush on someone? Where you are friends on social media but have never actually met in real life?

Due to the nature of blogging I have QUITE a few of these, and food blogger, Stephanie Kordan, of The Sensual Foodie was one of them.

Major Instagram crush. I mean, look at this:

Bridging the Gap

So, when Stephanie asked if I would be interested in taking part in this year’s Bridging The Gap Campaign which partners millennial bloggers with mid-life bloggers for reciprocal mentorship I JUMPED at the chance to hang with this beauty in person! Over 200 influencers are involved in this powerful campaign which breaks down age barriers and proves that we can all learn from each other and are #strongertogether. I am excited to learn some easy recipes and food photography tips from Stephanie! I make a mean cheese platter but I’m not the biggest cook…

Stephanie has an INCREDIBLE food blog, The Sensual Foodie, featuring plant-based and Vegan recipes. She encourages her readers to live their lives with all senses, and while she is a gorgeous, glowing example of the benefits of a plant-based diet, she doesn’t discriminate. She feels the more plants you incorporate into your life, the better, but understands that not everyone will want to go 100% vegan.

Stephanie has been featured as a food critic on MasterChef, Season 7, as one of 17 top food critics in the nation to judge the final four contestants. She is also appearing as a Food Critic on a new Gordan Ramsay show premiering in the next few months!

Her incredible talent shines through in her blog photos and recipes- here’s a sneak peek of some of her creations:

 The second we began to plan our meet-up our similarities became apparent. I mentioned one of my fav Venice brunch spots, The Butcher’s Daughter, and not only was it one of Stephanie’s favorites as well but she used to live and have her studio just down the street! See, I knew it. #besties

So we show up to brunch and we’re both STARVING and get right down to the business of ordering… THE SAME THING. We both went for the Fig and Cashew Ricotta Tartine {I subbed Buratta in place of Cashew Ricotta on mine}. It was to die- highly recommend.

But the REAL deliciousness started as Stephanie shared her beautiful journey with me…

You guys… how GORGEOUS is she?!

If I have to sum Stephanie up in one word it is STRONG.

This woman has been. through. it.

As in: stripper, to single mother, to abusive relationship survivor, to giving, giving, giving… losing her self-identity and then coming out on TOP.

She is SUCH an inspiration.

Everything that Stephanie has, she has earned HERSELF through hard work and determination, maintaining her grace and style throughout it all. And boy does she ever have STYLE!

She rocks a vintage dress like nobody’s business. She even wore a hot pink dress and high-heels for her appearance on MasterChef:

“I had to walk the two-story high catwalk in high heels! The metal grating catwalk was a challenge on two accounts: due to my fear of heights and my heels, I had to walk on the balls of my feet and lift my heels so they didn’t get stuck in the grating. Then I had to suck my tummy in to walk sideways in front of 20+ cameras while walking in heels on a metal catwalk two stories up. I also had to look straight ahead and act like a total boss. On camera. In a hot pink dress. 

The mic was in between my décolletage. My heart was beating SO strong and loud, and I had to answer Gordon Ramsay.

Did that. #girlboss”

I mean, really. She is truly one of the most interesting women I have ever met.

Stephanie has always been a creative soul– attending art school in NYC as a teenager and then culinary school in place of traditional college- followed by several years in the ULTIMATE hub of culture- New Orleans. All of her passions converged in NOLA – her soul’s need for art, writing and cooking was not only met but exceeded.

But life gets in the way sometimes, and for years her creativity was stomped on and stripped away. One day she looked around and realized that she was not living the life of passion she longed for- so she launched her blog, The Sensual Foodie, as a creative outlet.

Her blog allowed her to once more express her passions of cooking, photography and writing; completely transforming her life and allowing her to feel deep, resounding pleasure again.

She is once again living a life she loves and now is encouraging others to dig into their passions and live their lives with ZEST and all senses.

Bridging the Gap: Things Stephanie and I Share

1. Love for meaningful conversation, especially over a delicious meal
2. A passion for vintage-inspired style
3. Belief in manifestation and souls – that life happens FOR us not TO us
4. Knowing that our life’s hardest journeys can be our greatest lessons
5. Going all-in on everything. Living life with all our senses and being present for the abundance life has to offer
6. Belief in creating and living the life of our dreams. That life is nothing without passion and creativity.
7. Delighting in avocados, tea and champagne.

Stephanie’s Favorite Foods and LA Restaurants

“My absolute favorite food? Where to begin? Anything Asian/vegan… Thai, Japanese, and Chinese mainly. My most favorite restaurant is Vege Paradise in the San Gabriel Valley. They serve Chinese banquet style cuisine done entirely Buddhist vegan. So far, my most favorite dishes are: vege “kidney” (it’s really mushroom) and basil, the sizzling tofu with crispy bean curd, vege fish, and any of their clay pot dishes with herbal broth.

Oh, and I’m totally obsessed with this little place in Woodland Hills called Chennai Tiffins. It’s vegetarian Indian food done southern style. It’s all about the dosas! Their main restaurant is in the Little India neighborhood of Artesia. Have you ever had huge dosas the size of a little league baseball bat? They are hot crispy Indian crepes filled with spiced potatoes and all sorts of other fillings. Chutneys, raita, curries, and real chai tea is served.

Fresh on my mind is a Sichuan restaurant in Arcadia called Chengdu Impression. Eddie and I went over the past weekend on a dinner date. The meal was heavenly! I had black sesame noodles: freshly made noodles dressed in black sesame paste, served with sliced cucumber and veggies. The food is true Sichuan style, so you’ll notice a slow tongue numbing burn from the peppercorns and chilis. Yes, even the black sesame noodles had that Sichuan flair for heat.

Then they served stir fry cauliflower in dry chili. It has so many whole garlic cloves that permeated the sauce, plus the chilis and aromatic peppercorns. Wow. That was simply the best cauliflower I’ve had, and I make really good roasted & curried cauliflower at home. After all of the hot Sichuan chili peppers and peppercorns, to cleanse your palate, a cold jelly noodle soup is served to finish. We were also served a buttery Chardonnay and jasmine tea.”

Stephanie’s Favorite Dining Experiences (Hint: They’re Good!)

 Stephanie’s Inspirations