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FOOD

The Vegan
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conscious
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Israeli-born chef Tal Ronnen
brings his healthy — and delicious
cuisine to VegFest.

"There's a whole
world out there of
vegan cooking that's
rich and delicious, like
your favorite meat
meals — but with
no cholesterol and no
animal anything."

- Tal Ronnen

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

T

he chef who cooked exclusively
for Oprah Winfrey during her
three weeks of a vegan eating
cleanse, will showcase some taste inno-
vations during VegFest, the plant-based
expo of palate offerings and culinary
presentations.
Tal Ronnen, Israeli-born author of
The Conscious Cook (William Morrow;
$29.99; 2009), will discuss and demon-
strate a recipe from his book at noon
Sunday, March 27, at the Suburban
Collection Showplace in Novi.
Vegetarian specialties from some two
dozen local restaurants will be featured

alongside national brand samples as
talks are given by Dr. Joel Kahn, cor-
porate director of wellness for Detroit
Medical Center Hospitals; John Salley,
NBA champ and TV personality turned
vegan; and Jim Corcoran, co-founder of
VegMichigan.
Children's activities, exhibits and door
prizes also will be part of the annual
event, which drew more than 2,100
attendees last year.
"I focus on plant-based diets as
healthy, good for the environment, more
accessible than people may think and
not an all-or-nothing proposition:' says
Ronnen, 36, who catered the first vegan
dinner at the U.S. Senate as well as the
vegan wedding of Ellen DeGeneres and

Portia de Rossi.
"Even if people eat vegetarian just a
couple times a week, they (known as flex-
itarians) can have a tremendous impact
on their own health and the environment.
That's why it's such a win-win situation.
"There are so many good reasons for
people to eat this way these days, and it's
no longer a sacrifice. It's a step up. The
food has gotten better with a lot of retail
products that make the transition to eat-
ing this way better."
Ronnen, who divides his time between
homes in Los Angeles and Vancouver, has
been vegan for 11 years.
"I was vegetarian for a lot longer," says
the author, who will sign copies of his
book after his presentation. "I had one

Gardein "Chicken" Piccata

12 (2-ounce) Gardein frozen scaloppini,
pressed thin (with your palm, not a
mallet) and cut in half on the bias
Sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
substitute (original)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup vegan chicken or vegetable
stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped shallot
Pinch of sugar, if needed
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Season the scaloppini with salt
and pepper. Dredge in the flour
and shake off the excess. In a large

saute pan over medium heat, melt
3 tablespoons of the Earth Balance
with 3 tablespoons of the oil. When
they start to sizzle, add half of the
scaloppini and cook for 3 minutes,
until browned on the bottom; flip and
cook for another 3 minutes to brown
the other side. Remove to a plate.
Melt 2 more tablespoons of the Earth
Balance with 2 tablespoons of the
oil, heat until they sizzle, and cook
the remaining scaloppini in the same
fashion. Remove to the plate.
Reduce the heat under the pan
to medium-low and add the lemon
juice, stock, wine, capers, garlic and
shallot. Bring to a boil, scraping up the
browned bits from the pan for extra
flavor. Check the seasoning and add
more salt and pepper if needed. If the
sauce is bitter, add the sugar.
Return the scaloppini to the pan

and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until they
are heated through and the sauce is
thickened. Remove the scaloppini to a
serving platter and add the remaining
3 tablespoons of Earth Balance to
the sauce. Whisk vigorously. Pour the
sauce over the scaloppini and garnish
with the parsley. Serve immediately,
with sautéed spinach or braised
escarole. F 1

RECIPE REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT THE CONSCIOUS COOK: DELICIOUS MEATLESS RECIPES THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU EAT,
WILLIAM MORROW, NEW YORK, 2009.

42

March 24 g 2011

of those nagging vegetarian friends who
was constantly talking about it, and I
finally decided to do it.
"I turned vegan after my father
became lactose intolerant and showed
me a lot of alternatives to dairy"
Ronnen, who conducts master work-
shops at Le Cordon Bleu College cam-
puses nationwide, says he feels better and
has been able to maintain a great weight
because of the food choices he has made
and an exercise routine that includes
gym workouts and yoga.
Food choices motivated his career.
"I had two parents who were foodies,"
he recalls. "We ate everything from all
over the world. When I became vegetar-
ian, I would go back to the restaurants I
knew, and I felt I was eating a bunch of
side dishes put together as entrees. That
really frustrated me.
"I decided to go to culinary school
(National Gourmet Institute) because
I wanted to take matters into my own
hands and see if I could push this kind of
cuisine to the next level.
"By studying traditional French culi-
nary techniques, I was able to create veg-
etarian food that was more satisfying to
people who eat meat and people who like
meaty textures and rich dishes."
Ronnen's approach was to add flavor
with more healthy fat, although much
less than is used in the traditional North
American diet, diverse plant protein and
exotic spices.
Building his career were experiences
at many restaurants, such as Sublime
in Fort Lauderdale, Madeleine Bistro
in Los Angeles and Candle 79 in New
York City. When Chrissie Hynde of the
Pretenders opened her Ohio restaurant,
VegiTerranean, in 2007, he assisted.
Ronnen went on to team up with the
company Garden Protein that produces
Gardein, a meat substitute now in 11,000

Vegan Way on page 44

