Going Green
GOING GREEN The green generation has arrived- ecologically conscious, into locally grown food- and it’s changing the way we eat. Bowls have become the new plates, as we enjoy healthy grains and foods inspired by the East. Below, we selected our favorite bowls with an eco edge. We also learned about sustainability from Jennifer Houston, a vegan chef and co-owner of the iconic Fresh restaurants in Toronto. Scroll down for an interview with our veggie master, who lets us in on the ultimate dish to fill your bowls this summer.
The bridge bowl in the Urban Collection by Villeroy and Boch is a dramatic accent to any table. Available in multiple sizes, this porcelain collection is as durable as it is well designed.
The Simplicity bowl by Vera Wang is the perfect vessel to slurp delicious noodles, with friends and family, gathered around your table. This casual porcelain pattern is a versatile addition to your everyday dinnerware.
The A La Carte soup bowl by Rosenthal is an edgy take on fine porcelain. Made in Germany, its design is a perennial favourite.
The organic shape of the Sophie Conran coupe bowl is our choice to experience Jennifer Houston’s signature dish, The Beach Bowl. Read more on her philosophy in an exclusive interview below.
The Interview: Jennifer Houston of Fresh restaurants
How did Fresh restaurant become a part of your life? I met Ruth Tal and Barry Alper (the owners of Fresh) 20 years ago and within a couple of years I became a partner and have been in charge of everything food related.
As a chef do you feel constrained by being vegan? No. Not at all. There is a whole world out there of plant-based ingredients at your disposal; the old perception of vegan food being the equivalent of birdseed is disappearing. The thing that drives me most, is the taste. I’m not prepared to eat something with no flavour simply because it is good for me, or the planet. It’s not about sacrificing pleasure.
What inspired The Beach Bowl, your most popular dish at Fresh? The Beach came from the idea of a beach barbecue, where you grill all your favourite veggies over an open fire. Rather than have it on a skewer, we grill sliced veggies and put them on top of brown basmati rice or soba noodles, with a delicious sauce and yummy accents.
Sounds tempting. Tell us a little about your cookbooks: what have you learned in doing them? We have written five cookbooks over the last 16 years. We wanted to make the whole world of vegan food and juice more accessible to people. Lots of people think it’s strange that we share all our recipes, because they think it will mean that people will just make our stuff at home and not need us anymore, but we’ve found it’s the opposite.
Have you heard about the new vegan burger that mimics ground beef when it cooks? I am very interested to taste one, and I’m planning to make the trip to New York just for that. I really hope this is the start of something huge, and that the people who make it will be able to produce it in large enough quantities that it will soon be everywhere.
What comes next for Team Fresh? We are looking forward to bringing Fresh to more neighbourhoods in Toronto. We also enjoy partnering with like-minded people in other countries to bring Fresh to as many places as possible. There are two Fresh locations in Moscow, and one opening this month in Mexico City.
