In the Kitchen With @candidlyvivian

Location: Sydney, Australia

Works as: Data Scientist

Cooking style: Comfort-first, weekday-easy, high-protein

From Data Strategy to Spicy Rigatoni

By day, Vivian works in tech, analysing data, building strategy and navigating the fast-moving world of AI. By night, she’s in her Sydney kitchen, making high-protein comfort food with a comfort TV show playing softly in the background.

Her cooking style is practical, nourishing and quietly indulgent, built for busy women who want meals that work as hard as they do.

We stepped into Vivian’s kitchen to talk career, routine, protein pasta and the one pan she reaches for every single week.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a data scientist working in tech, and outside of my 9–5 I create content online about my career journey and what it’s like being a woman in STEM.

My workdays are hectic, constant meetings, analysis, upskilling in AI and thinking about data strategy. It’s very fast-paced and mentally demanding.

But outside of that, I’m actually a massive homebody. I’m an avid coffee and Pilates lover, and I genuinely love trying out new recipes in my kitchen.

With such full-on days, we were curious how cooking fits into that rhythm.

What role does cooking play in your everyday life?

Cooking is how I reset. I’ll put on a comfort TV show in the background and just get prepping.

My workdays require a lot of thinking, so cooking gives me something physical and calming to focus on. It’s my way of slowing down.

I’m also really intentional about fuelling my body properly. I prioritise high-protein, nutritious meals that actually keep me energised instead of crashing halfway through the afternoon.

So what does that look like in practice?

How would you describe your weekday cooking style?

Health-focused, quick and high-protein, but still comforting.

I don’t have time for complicated weekday recipes. I need meals that are under 30 minutes, ideally one-pot, high in protein, and genuinely delicious.

I love taking comfort food and giving it a protein upgrade. There’s no way I’m giving up pasta, I’m just upgrading it.

Balancing that with a demanding corporate role (and a social life) takes intention.

You balance a demanding corporate role with creativity and a social life, how do you make it all work?

I really don’t. I just aggressively schedule my life 😂

I block out time for everything, write endless to-do lists, say no more than I say yes… and I sleep a lot. Rest is non-negotiable.

Efficiency clearly matters, in both work and the kitchen.

What makes a recipe a “repeat” in your kitchen?

If it’s delicious, under 30 minutes, uses minimal dishes, and doesn’t require a last-minute grocery run, it’s a repeat.

Simple as that.

Which brings us to the dish she’s cooking with us today.

What are you cooking with us?

Spicy Rigatoni Pasta, high-protein edition. It’s my spin on the spicy gin rigatoni I had at Bistro George and fell in love with.

This is my ultimate “I want comfort food but I also want to eat healthy” meal.

It’s a creamy tomato rigatoni, but instead of heavy cream, I blend cottage cheese into the sauce. It adds protein, creaminess and a slight tang that makes the tomato flavour pop.

It feels indulgent, but it’s secretly doing something good for you. That’s my favourite kind of meal.

And of course, every great weeknight ritual has its hero piece.

Which Crumble piece are you using, and why does it work so well for your style of cooking?

I’m using the 28cm Deep Fry Pan in Broccoli Green, and if I had to choose one pan to survive a busy work week, it would be this one.

It’s deep enough for proper one-pan meals, risottos, congee, saucy pastas, even little one-pot bakes, but still feels lightweight and easy to use.

For my spicy rigatoni, it’s perfect because I can build the entire dish in one pan. I sauté the garlic, simmer the tomato base, fold through the blended cottage cheese, and toss the rigatoni straight in without worrying about overflow or sticking.

The ceramic coating genuinely delivers on non-stick. I cook almost every day, and nothing clings, even tomato sauce. Clean-up is quick, even on chaotic weeknights. And if I’m really tired? It can go straight into the dishwasher.

We had to ask for one last piece of wisdom.

What’s one cooking tip you swear by for busy weeks?

Sneak veggies or protein into everything.

You don’t need a full kitchen overhaul, just small upgrades to meals you already love.

And finally, what does “home cooking” mean to you right now?

Home cooking feels like slowing down.

It’s comfort after a long day. A small ritual that’s entirely mine.

In a world that moves quickly, Vivian’s kitchen isn’t about perfection, it’s about practicality, nourishment and quiet comfort.

From high-protein pasta to one-pan weeknight resets, her approach reminds us that cooking doesn’t need to be complicated to feel meaningful.

Sometimes all it takes is 30 minutes, a comfort show in the background, and a pan that just works.