Krystel Leal is a nomad … A digital nomad!
I’ve met her at the beginning of this project when Glow Chef was still just an idea. I chose the verb “to meet” because, since then, I’ve learned a lot about this new way of working and we’ve become close. But I was also lucky enough to have met her in person!
Graduated in journalism in Paris, Krystel quickly realized she wanted to do something different with her life, not only in content but also in form. And today she’s a web expert – design, programming, marketing … you name it.
And she works from the heart of Silicon Valley – just because … well, they do have a bridge just like ours in the photo!
Her thought leadership abilities and the ingrained notion of online community is evident in all her initiatives. In 2016, she created the Nomadismo Digital Portugal platform, which quickly grew in size and influence, and has now launched a personal blog called Sou Nómada, where she shares her own experience as a digital nomad.
You have to visit both websites, at least to get acquainted with what it means to be a millennial and to glimpse the future of the working world.
What Is Your Favorite Meal?
Breakfast! I am one to like taking it slow, reading the latest posts on my blogs and favorite sites and catching up on the news of the day.
My favorite breakfast is straightforward: oatmeal with fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are my favorites) and a glass of juice (orange or berry juice).
What Is Your Favorite Dish?
That’s a difficult question. However, much for living for more than six years outside of Portugal, I have a passion for cod. Above all, I am a fan of cod with cream and “à Brás.”
Which Dish Do You Cook The Best?
Although very curious, I am a zero in the kitchen. I confess that I do not like cooking and spending time in the kitchen. That’s why I enjoy Glow Chef’s recipes so much because they are very fast and very easy.
However, there is a dessert that I enjoy doing (and eating) and that my friends and family ask me many times – it must turn out all right! – which is what we call “sweet sawdust.”
And Which Dish Never Works?
Rice. Whenever I cook something that involves rice, it tends to go wrong.
Which Three Ingredients Would You Take To A Desert Island?
Sweet potatoes, oats and Maria cookies (do cookies count as an ingredient?).
Where Do You Like Shopping The Most?
Since I’ve come to the United States, one of the places I love to get lost in and that gives me the rare urge to cook, it’s Whole Foods Market. I try to eat food without chemicals, and the most natural possible, and this store is a little paradise to find the best products!
What’s Your Favorite Piece Of Kitchen Equipment?
A good knife, especially for cutting vegetables.
What Do You Always Have In The Refrigerator?
Fruit. Whether it’s grapes, oranges, kiwis or raspberries, I always have fruit in the fridge.
Tea Or Coffee?
Coffee … I drink more than I should!
What’s Your Favorite Cookbook?
I’m not a cookbook reader, but one of my favorite books gets its inspiration from the unique you find in the kitchen: it’s Joanne Harris’ “Aroma of Spices.”
Although not a cookbook, the whole reading of the book transports us to a kitchen filled with smells, aromas, and flavors. Impossible not to get hungry after this reading!
Do You Have A Favorite Restaurant? Which One?
Tago’s (in Almada). A fusion of Japanese inspiration in which you also find Portuguese flavors. It’s at the farm where I got married, so maybe I have a special connection with it. For sushi fans but faithful to our very Portuguese flavors, it’s an experience you cannot miss.
The Best Music To Cook It Is …
The John Coltrane’s greatest hits or, in Portuguese, António Zambujo.
