Diala Canelo - Plant-Forward and Pescatarian Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel

From the vibrant markets of Santo Domingo where I was born and grew up, to countless memories preparing and enjoying farm-to-table Sunday dinners, Dialas Kitchen was born from my deep and never-ending love for food and family. When I was twenty-one I moved to Montreal to study nutrition and dietetics. With its diverse and multicultural food scene, that city became the place where my passion for cooking blossomed. I loved visiting the Atwater Market in the fall and picking up fresh maple syrup to add to butternut squash soup, and in the summer months, the Jean-Talon Market was my go-to for fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Since then, farmers markets have been a constant source of inspiration.

Beginning my Canadian food journey in Montreal was a natural way to build on my heritage and learn to develop globally inspired vegetarian and pescatarian dishes. After university, I moved to Toronto with my husband at the time and our daughter Isabella. Once relocated, I decided to become a flight attendant to fully realize the dream I had of travelling the world. I was content with my career, but I felt that something was missing. My interest in cooking, especially baking, had started to deepen in a way that I couldnt ignore. My goal became to study at Le Cordon Bleu to become a pastry chef.

In 2010, I moved to Mexico City to attend that renowned pastry school. My time there was one of the most important parts of my baking career, and it opened my senses to the beauty of the French classics. To me, learning and perfecting the techniques specific to French bread and pastry is a fundamental part of the art of baking.

When I wasnt in class, I was out exploring food markets. I lived for those daily trips to pick up fresh produce and cheese. All the flavours, colours, and textures of the produce define the soul of Mexico for me. Being able to experience the vibrancy of this cuisine in its original country showed me something very special. Mexican food is very much about the community and using native ingredients to create an experience that connects people. Being inspired in this way, while also working day and night perfecting a totally different style of cuisine, took me to a place where I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: create recipes that highlight my passion for cooking with simple ingredients, while always making room for luscious, classically inspired desserts.

My passion for photography also ignited in Mexico as a way to document the pastries and breads that I was making in class. Friends and family saw my photos and begged me to share my recipes, and as a result, Dialas Kitchen came to life.

Once I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, I knew it was time to return to the place I now consider home, Canada. I moved back to Toronto and set out to explore its incredibly diverse food scene. Along with my travels around the world, my time here has refined my style of globally infused, timeless recipes and delicious baking from scratch. Sharing my creations allows me to deeply connect with people and fuels the passion for my blog and photography. I aim to tell stories with my recipes and to inspire others to cook at home.

I was raised in a home where healthy meals were a way of life. Everything was made from scratch, and plant-based meals were the norm, as my dad has been a vegetarian for many years. He is also a doctor who practises both traditional and alternative medicine. He taught me the importance of healthy eating and of being aware of the effect food has on our bodies. Meanwhile, my mom comes from a farming family and studied agricultural engineering. From her I learned to love fresh produce and to love spending hours in the kitchen, carefully selecting fresh ingredients and preparing simple yet flavourful meals that satisfy body and soul.

If there is something that has most influenced the way I eat, it has to be the balance my family brought to the table. We had vegetables with lunch and dinner and fresh fruit with every breakfast. But there were also pizza nights most Fridays, ice cream on hot Sunday afternoons, and sometimes a slice of fudgy chocolate cake after piano lessonsone of my favourite childhood memories. To this day I aim to eat and live in a balanced way: I choose local, in-season fruits and vegetables whenever possible, listen to my body, work out several times a week, and have a treat (or two).

The importance of listening to your body cannot be overstated. By doing so, you become aware of whats best for you. After years of being strictly vegetarian, I began craving seafood when I was pregnant with Isabellamussels, to be exact. Since then, I have eaten fish and seafood three times a week, in addition to tons of vegetables and grains.

Growing up in Dominican Republic, a country that preserves its culture and tradition through food, has given me a deep appreciation for the dishes Ive tried in my many travels. Food is not only about ingredients put together to recreate a dish. It is about the emotions a dish can evoke and the sense of community that forms when you share food with other people. This has made me realize that the way to a countrys soul is through its dishes. And the way to a persons heart really is through food and the memories made while sharing a meal with loved ones.