Now a relatable and creative cook with her own vegan YouTube channel, Rachel Brownstein had her last hurrah with meat on Christmas Day in 2017. While she was once a committed carnivore – who, admittedly, does still miss meat at times – as a conscientious person with concerns over animal welfare, she got to a point where she would feel guilty after eating bacon sandwiches – and knew she had to stop. Her videos are playful, and she doesn’t pretend to be perfect; she makes mistakes when she’s cooking, and wants people to know that that’s all part of the process. Her hope is that her videos will inspire people who are curious about eating more plant-based meals, and she can offer hints and tips for those thinking of going vegan.
Her channel, Auntie Rachel’s Chaotic Kitchen, was born out of a need to keep herself motivated when coronavirus restrictions impacted her work as a public speaker. She started it up back in October, and has already posted a wide range of videos that chronicle her warts-and-all cooking adventures. From delicious biscuits to homemade vegan deli meat, she doesn’t shy away from difficult recipes. But, as therapeutic as the channel has been for her, it has not been without its challenges. Rachel has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a chronic pain disorder that affects her joints, which the physicality of cooking and filming often exacerbates.
She doesn’t let that stop her, though. Particularly with Veganuary just around the corner, she is hoping that her videos will ignite a passion for plant-based food in her viewers. She explains that: “I keep it very playful and I show all my mistakes. I don’t practice anything so people are watching me experiment and seeing the genuine results.” And that’s exactly what makes her videos so fun and, most of all, motivating. She shares her disasters as well as her successes, to let people know that if she can do it, they can too.
To find out more about Rachel and her work, visit http://www.racheltalksreality.com/. To check out her cooking videos, go to https://www.youtube.com/c/AuntieRachelsChaoticKitchen.