Barbara-jo McIntosh on Hospitality, Reinvention and Finding Home in France

What if the most meaningful journeys in life aren't about finding a new place, but about creating a place where others feel they belong?

Barbara-jo McIntosh is a cookbook author, culinary entrepreneur, bookseller, and one of Canada's most respected voices in food and hospitality. After building an extraordinary career in Vancouver's culinary world, including founding the beloved Barbara-jo's Books to Cooks, she began a new chapter in rural France, where she now welcomes guests into her beautiful home, Les Maison des Mots, in the medieval village of La Charité-sur-Loire.

In this episode, Barbara-jo shares the experiences that shaped her lifelong passion for hospitality, the courage to reinvent herself throughout her career, and why she believes it's never too late to begin again. Together, we also explore French culture, entertaining traditions, and the simple pleasures that make life around the table so meaningful.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why hospitality is about making people feel genuinely welcome rather than creating the perfect experience.

• How Barbara-jo built an extraordinary career by following curiosity, embracing change, and continually reinventing herself.

• The French traditions around food, entertaining, and everyday living that continue to inspire her life in La Charité-sur-Loire.

FEATURED RECIPE: BARBARA-JO’S COURGETTE FLAN
Click here for Barbara-jo’s original recipe!

HELPFUL LINKS

• Podcast Companion Page (recipe, reflections, resources and prompts for your own everyday life)

• Barbara-jo's website: Maison des Mots

• Barbara-jo's Substack: Diner Chez Moi

• Barbara-jo on Instagram

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Say hello!

In My Kitchen creates connections one dish at a time, by exploring culture through food. I do this through our Culture & Connection Club, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.

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