Food, Travel, and Midlife Reinvention with Cookbook Author Amanda Haas

What happens when you spend your life teaching others how to cook — and finally give yourself permission to start living?That's exactly where Amanda Haas finds herself. A cookbook author (four books in, with a fifth on the way), former culinary director at Williams-Sonoma, and founder of the Substack community House of Hass, Amanda has spent decades helping people fall in love with cooking. Now she's channeling that same energy into something bigger: a whole new chapter of her own life.In this episode, we talk about the food memories that shaped her, why she always comes back to Italian and Mexican cuisine, and what it really means to cook with confidence (hint: it has nothing to do with being perfect). We also get into her move back to San Francisco, the neighborhood spots she loves, and why she believes the city has never been more alive.And then there's the midlife conversation — the one I think so many of us need to have. Amanda is refreshingly honest about what this season of life actually offers: clarity, freedom, and the radical permission to finally chase your own desires instead of everyone else's.Follow Amanda on Instagram: @amandahaascooks and find her recipes, live cooking shows, and community on Substack at Amanda Haas.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to The Gomes Guide on Substack for more travel inspiration, tips, and stories. You can also follow on Instagram at: @thegomesguide.And if you love the podcast, I'd be so grateful if you left a review — it really helps others discover the show.Support the show