Say hello to the wonderfully talented Martha Holmberg (Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, The Bar Book, and Modern Sauces). Martha is a lot of things: food editor, James Beard award-winning author, recipe developer, teacher, and an avid fan of the cannabis industry.

Today, we’ve invited Martha, our friend and Feast Sugar High collaborator, to answer five questions for our first installment of In Our Feelings.

What is your role in the culinary world and how are you creative in it?
I can’t seem to decide what I want to be when I grow up, so I do a lot of things in my industry. But most of my work is as a cookbook writer. I get double creative opportunities in that role because I not only get to play with language, but I get to develop recipes — think about something lovely to eat and then make it in my kitchen and translate it to the page.
I also love working with photographers and taking my own photographs. I’ve been lucky enough to work on projects in which I help the creative team make beautiful and tasty images.

What is a key turning point in your creative career?
I’ve had a few watershed moments in my career, moments when I realized I wanted to go left instead of right. They are always moments in which I decide to choose more creativity, less ​“business.” I’m experiencing this right now – last month I quit my very good job as CEO of a food association in order to focus only on cooking, writing, shooting photos. And gardening. And entertaining. And drinking wine. And exploring. And…

Who do you look to for inspiration? Brands? People?
A daily inspiration comes from my boyfriend. He’s creative and smart and all of that (and handsome, of course), but he’s also a person who gets things done. When he decides to make something happen, stand back. I need that type of laser-focus, because I tend to be easily distracted!

I’ve also had the privilege of working with the team at noma restaurant in Copenhagen (widely considered one of the best and most innovative restaurants in the world). I tested and edited recipes on their new fermentation book, and spent a couple of weeks in Copenhagen on the photo shoot. What I learned there is that in order to be totally free to create, you need to work really, really hard on your chops. Learn your techniques, learn how to focus, and then let your spirit take over. And think big!

What flavors continue to inspire you? (ie: you keep coming back to basil)
I’m predictable in this regard: I’ll always choose caramel over chocolate, mint over basil, and black licorice is always the right answer.

What brought you to cannabis? (a friend, an experience you were seeking, an ailment you would like relief for)
My journey with cannabis has always been about joy and wonder. Seeking to see things in a new way, find the mystery and beauty in the mundane. So maybe it’s relief from…the ordinary.