- Using cashew nuts to make creams for sauces, desserts, and raw cheeses (revealing that cashew sauce is the first recipe in the book). I already made a record of the Chad Sarno cashew cheese recipe from the book.
- VitaMix blender: “the most important tool after a good knife” (also recommended what kind of VitaMix to buy!).
- The secret to cooking meat with analog tempeh (braising it for a long time).
“The Conscious Cook”: First vegan cookbook with general appeal
Website design By BotEap.comBeing vegan in Tokyo can often make one feel isolated in the world’s most populous city, but this past weekend my partner and I counted ourselves as a very lucky minority to meet the acclaimed vegan chef and cookbook author. “The Conscious Cook”, Tal Ronnen.
Website design By BotEap.comWhile Japan is known to originate the predominantly vegetarian macrobiotic diet, and “macrobi“Restaurants are ubiquitous here, veganism is extremely rare in Japan. As a result, our vegan cooking school and vegan recipes website appeared near the top of Chef Tal’s web search prior to his recent visit. to Tokyo.
Website design By BotEap.comWe knew that Tal had cooked for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day vegan cleanse and attended the wedding of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, but not her fondness for Japan, inherited from her Australian father who had lived in Japan for 3 years. Tal said Japanese food was his favorite and asked for our recommendation for Shojin Ryoori (traditional Buddhist temple food).
Website design By BotEap.comWithout wanting to disappoint Tal, we consulted the Michelin Guide that led us to Atago-Daigo, a 2-star restaurant where we enjoyed a most elegant and delicately prepared bento. Highlights included sashimi made from hearts of palm (a shoe for Awabigiant clam), tempura with puffed rice seedlings, sweet potato necks simmered in white soy sauce and matsutake mushrooms in a clear broth.
Website design By BotEap.comI observed that although Tal did not finish everything, he seemed to savor the food he ate with every cell of his being, fitting perfectly with the nickname “Conscious Cook.” Tal said that he does not eat much while working either, because he is very focused on the act of creating.
Website design By BotEap.comWhile we would have loved to get a taste of Tal’s cooking firsthand, he presented my partner with a copy of his attractive cookbook (# 3 in the New York Times bestseller, the highest ranking for any cookbook), with the inscription “Keep spreading the vegan lifestyle in Japan”.
Website design By BotEap.comOn the private tatami overlooking a serene Zen garden, Tal guided us through his book, which contains not only dozens of delicious plant-based recipes (accompanied by beautiful photos that Tal designed himself) and techniques, but also serves as a tribute to other chefs and partners you have worked with during your culinary career.
Website design By BotEap.comChef Tal, who graduated from a traditional culinary academy and conducts vegetarian workshops at Le Cordon Bleu, also shared his thoughts on the importance, even for vegan chefs, of having a solid foundation in French cooking techniques.
Website design By BotEap.comAmong other valuable tips from Tal: