The Culinary Institute of America

The Venerable Jeong Kwan Seunim is a Buddhist nun at the Chunjinam Hermitage at the Baegyangsa temple in Jangseong, South Korea. During a visit to The Culinary Institute of America’s Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit, she madeKorean tofu jang dressing, tofu noodles, and garden vegetables that she gathered at the gardens at The CIA at Copia. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

The Venerable Jeong Kwan Seunim is a Buddhist nun at the Chunjinam Hermitage at the Baegyangsa temple in Jangseong, South Korea. She visited The Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa to make her dish of fried tofu, seaweed, potato and lotus root chips with sweet and sour sauce. She combined special items brought from her temple with vegetables she growing in Copia’s gardens to make her dish. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

The Venerable Jeong Kwan Seunim, dubbed “The Philosopher Chef” by The New York Times, is a Buddhist nun and renowned expert on Korean temple cuisine. Her Buddhist cultural approach to eco-friendly eating practice has been shaped over centuries and handed down based on the foundation of Buddhist philosophy. Although first and foremost a Buddhist nun, not a chef, she has been cooking at her hermitage ever she became a nun at the age of 17. Jeong Kwan Seunim was featured in a 2017 screening of her appearance on Chef’s Table Season 3 on Netflix, at the Berlin Film Festival in the category of documentary film series. Since then, much of her philosophical wisdom in temple food cooking and eating practices has spread out to the world. The Chunjinam hermitage at Baekyangsa monastery has received a great number of visitors who travel there from around the world, seeking to learn from Jeong Kwan Seunim. Jeong Kwan Seunim became the recipient of the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Icon Award 2022. In this video, she shows us three different tofu dishes and talks about Buddhist temple cooking and sustainable eating practices. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

Jun Lee ‘10, executive chef and owner of two-star Michelin restaurant, SOIGNÉ, in Seoul, makes Barley Risotto with Cuttlefish, Pine Nut Puree, Corvina Flakes, and Barley Tea Clam Broth. Chef Lee prepares this elegant risotto with barley, rice, white wine, and pine nut puree to impart a slightly nutty flavor. He adds barley tea as a broth as a nod to the traditional Korean flavor palette and to add something familiar and comforting to the dish. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

Jun Lee ‘10, executive chef and owner of two-star Michelin restaurant, SOIGNÉ, in Seoul, makes sea snails with three seaweeds. The seaweed is topped with an abalone tartare. This is served as an amuse bouche. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

Jun Lee ‘10, executive chef and owner of two-star Michelin restaurant, SOIGNÉ, in Seoul, makes a variation on a South Korean favorite, ssam. “Ssam” means “wrapped,” and traditionally refers to meat, such as pork or beef, wrapped in a lettuce leaf. He serves his ssam as the starter for his guests, presented in a crispy tart shell with couscous salad, egg, garlic aioli, and micro herbs. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

We talk to Jun Lee ’10, executive chef and owner of restaurant, SOIGNÉ, in Seoul, about iconic Korean ingredients including barley rice, barley tea, seaweeds, and kimchi. SOIGNE is a two Michelin-starred restaurant with a theater-like dining experience, and a menu that changes every 3 months. Jun Lee graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 2010. While at the CIA, Lee worked at Thomas Keller’s three Michelin-starred Per Se, where he met Per Se head chef Jonathan Benno, whom he later joined on the founding team of Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Lincoln. After 4 years of living in New York City, Chef Jun Lee returned to his home country of South Korea. Following several successful pop-up restaurants in Seoul, Chef Jun Lee opened his first restaurant, SOIGNÉ. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

Welcome to the Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen, a first-of-its-kind educational video curriculum initiative, produced by The Culinary Institute of America and Pulmuone. The series documents the best of plant-forward culinary traditions in Asia. First stop: Korea. In many ways, Korean cuisine is uniquely suited to the plant-forward movement. Korean culinary history encompasses an immense collection of vegetable dishes. In this part of Asia, Buddhist monks and nuns introduced elaborate vegan temple cuisine over 1,600 years ago. In this chef’s tour of Korea, we’ll take a stroll through GwangJang market; we visit Michelin-starred restaurants SOIGNE, Joo Ok, and Mingles in Seoul; and meet the venerable Jeong Kwan Seunim, a Buddhist nun who talks to us about the philosophy behind her world-famous temple cuisine. Join us on this appetizing tour of South Korea as we reveal the innovative and inspiring plant-forward flavors that are attracting diners from around the world. Watch the full Asian Plant-Forward Kitchen: Korea documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/korea

Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America shows us how to make this delicious Indian-inspired tofu dish: seared tofu with pear chutney and spicy spinach sauce. You will love the creamy spinach sauce combined with the meaty tofu and pop of tangy chutney inside! Nasoya’s Extra Firm Tofu is the protein-packed star ingredient and lends itself to many other international dishes like this one. Get the Indian-Spiced Tofu with Pear Chutney and Spinach Sauce recipe!

Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America shows us how to make these flavorful and healthy roasted vegetables with baked teriyaki tofu. You can make this with any vegetables that are in season, but in this recipe Chef Toni uses a delicious combination of Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and butternut squash. Delicious year round, you will love this simple vegan dinner! The sweetness of the baked teriyaki tofu is the perfect pairing to any of your favorite roasted vegetables! Get the Roasted Vegetables with Baked Teriyaki Tofu recipe here!

These mouthwatering vegan enchiladas are packed with flavor and plant-based protein! Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America stuffs them with Nasoya Plantspired’s Garlic and Herb Toss’ables, black beans, zucchini, and butternut squash, then tops them with red chile enchilada sauce. You will love these deliciously smoky, hearty vegan enchiladas that are great for any meal of the week! Get the Vegan Enchiladas with Tofu, Black Beans, and Zucchini recipe here!

This sloppy "bo" is a fun, delicious, and vegetarian twist on sloppy joes. In place of ground meat in tomato sauce, this sandwich is filled with a plant-based tofu Bolognese sauce. Made with super-firm tofu, Nasoya Plantspired’s Classic Bolognese Sauce has the same meaty texture of ground beef, making it an ideal replacement for any animal protein. Rich and satisfying, this healthy spin on sloppy joes delivers the same great taste even meat lovers will enjoy! Get the Vegetarian Sloppy “Bos”recipe here!

These loaded sweet potatoes with caramelized kimchi, tofu crumbles, and a drizzle of gochujang crema are a healthy twist on loaded baked potatoes. The caramelization process transforms kimchi from tangy and crunchy, to deeply rich and savory with a jam-like consistency. For added protein, Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America tops the sweet potatoes with Nasoya Plantspired’s Zesty Mexican Style Superfood Skillet. It’s the perfect addition to a loaded sweet potato! Get the Loaded Sweet Potato with Caramelized Kimchi and Tofu Crumbles recipe here!

These vegan pan-fried Korean BBQ dumplings are served with spicy chogochujang mayo and delicious kale and mushroom salad. Made with Nasoya Korean BBQ Dumplings, you will love the combination of the sweet and savory dumplings, spicy, creamy mayo, and crunchy salad. Enjoy! Get the Korean BBQ Dumplings recipe!

These Mediterranean eggrolls with chermoula-roasted cauliflower are served with a deliciously spicy harissa dipping sauce. Crispy and flaky on the outside with a savory, aromatic filling on the inside, these eggrolls are made with Nasoya Vegan Egg Roll Wraps. Your guests will love these Mediterranean eggrolls as a fun and tasty shared appetizer. Get the Mediterranean Cauliflower Eggroll recipe here!

These delicious Molletes are like Mexican open-faced sandwiches, but made with a plant-based twist. Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America tops these Molletes with spicy crumbled tofu, refried black beans, salsa fresca and cilantro crema. For the plant-based protein, she uses Nasoya Plantspired’s Zesty Mexican Style Superfood Skillet. You will love this protein-packed, plant-based version of a Mexican classic! Get the Molletes with Crumbled Tofu recipe here!

You’ll love the sweet, spicy, and umami-packed flavors of this tasty pan-fried tofu! Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America shows us how to prepare perfectly crispy tofu using Nasoya’s Organic Super Firm High Protein Tofu, which she tosses in cornstarch before pan-frying. Simple and absolutely delicious, you will love this spicy glazed pan-fried tofu! Get the Spicy Glazed Pan-Fried Tofu recipe!

Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean salad traditionally served as part of a mezze, made with parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bulgur. Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America is making a grain-free version of this dish by using crumbled Nasoya Extra Firm tofu in place of bulgur. The secret to getting that perfect meaty texture is to freeze and thaw out your tofu beforehand. This extra step will also remove excess moisture and help absorb the marinade. This tofu tabbouleh with parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, chilies, and sumac is a delicious salad full of plant-based protein. Enjoy! Get the Tofu Tabbouleh here!

American sheep ranchers and their livestock are the unlikely heroes fighting climate change. Learn from American sheep producers how properly grazing these ruminants provides a holistic approach to land management, fights wildfires, and is a natural alternative to herbicides and pesticides in vineyard and orchard production. Find recipes and learn more about American Lamb at https://www.ciaprochef.com/americanlamb/

Tacos al pastor is a Mexican street food with Lebanese roots. These beloved tacos most likely evolved from shawarma spit-grilled meat brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. Tacos al pastor in Mexico are made using pork roasted on a spit, but in this version we make a plant-forward version: Portobello Tacos Al Pastor. Get the Portabella Tacos Al Pastor recipe here!

Katsu is a beloved Japanese comfort food, traditionally made with breaded chicken or pork, but today we’re going to use meaty portabellas for a plant-based version! Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will love the perfectly crispy and hearty mushroom katsu finished with a drizzle of sweet and savory katsu sauce. Get the Mushroom Katsu recipe here!

Mapo Tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan Province, and it features the famous spice from the region––the Sichuan Peppercorn––which imparts a truly unique tingling, numbing sensation and floral citrusy flavor. With savory bites of ground pork and mushrooms, fiery sauce, and soft and silky cubes of tofu, this dish has so much aroma, texture and flavor. It’s no wonder that Mapo Tofu is beloved in Sichuan and all over the world. Get the Pork and Mushroom Mapo Tofu recipe here!

Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern dish made of stewed tomatoes and peppers topped with eggs, feta cheese and herbs. For this shakshuka with a hearty twist, we’ll be using portabella mushrooms, which will serve as delicious and meaty cups for our eggs. Although it’s traditionally enjoyed for breakfast, this dish really is great for any meal of the day. Get the Portabella Mushroom Shakshuka recipe here!

Bibimbap is one of the best known Korean dishes. The name of the dish means “mixed cooked rice” and features crisped rice topped with colorful seasoned vegetables, Korean marinated beef, an egg, and a dollop of gochujang. In this vegetarian version, we make grilled mushroom bibimbap! This bibimbap is as beautiful as it is delicious, and is packed with flavor, color and texture. Get the Grilled Mushroom Bibimbap recipe here!

A banh mi is Vietnam's version of a baguette sandwich, and is beloved the world over. In this plant-forward version of the recipe, the sandwich is filled with a Southeast Asian-inspired mushroom coconut pâte, roasted mushrooms, pickled vegetables and herbs. The meaty sweet and spicy roasted mushrooms, savory mushroom pâte, tangy crunchy pickled vegetables, and refreshing aromatic herbs make this incredibly flavorful sandwich one of the best the world has to offer! Get the Vegetarian Mushroom Bánh Mì recipe here!

Looking for classic comfort food with a healthy plant-forward twist? This Mushroom and Cauliflower Bolognese swaps out the saturated fat in ground beef with richly flavored mushrooms and cauliflower. Serve the sauce over pasta garnished with chopped parsley and some Parmigiano Reggiano, or plant-based cheese for a vegan version. This decadent and rich bolognese-inspired sauce packs an umami punch, and we promise you won’t miss the meat! Get the Mushroom Cauliflower Bolognese recipe here!

These Middle Eastern-inspired turkey and cremini mushroom kebabs are served with herby grain salad and yogurt tahini sauce. While usually kebabs are made using ground beef, these kababs are made using a blend of ground turkey and mushrooms. The mushrooms boost the nutritional profile of the kebabs, while giving them a succulent texture and umami flavor. Get the Turkey and Mushroom Kebabs recipe here!

Savory and spicy, kimchi fried rice is a popular dish in South Korea that has endless variations. This kimchi fried rice recipe includes a mixture of ground pork and chopped cremini mushrooms for a savory, plant-forward twist. The tart and spicy kimchi, sweetness and heat of the gochujang, and the savory umami flavors from the mushrooms, make this kimchi fried rice a beloved dish all over the world. Get the Mushroom Kimchi Fried Rice recipe here!

Larb is a boldly flavored Thai salad traditionally made with minced pork or chicken, paired with a tangy lime dressing and served with lettuce leaves for scooping. In this plant-forward version of the recipe, we use a blend of minced mushrooms and chicken. The spicy, savory, tart and zingy flavors of this refreshing and incredibly delicious salad really pack a punch! Get the Mushroom and Chicken Larb recipe here!

Kibbeh are football-shaped croquettes traditionally made out of ground lamb or beef, herbs, spices, and bulgur. Popular all over the Middle East, Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon and Syria! This recipe for kibbeh uses a blend of cremini mushrooms and ground meat for a deliciously succulent texture and savory flavor. Delicious as a shared appetizer, side dish, or part of a mezze, these crunchy and hearty mushroom kibbeh are fantastic served with salted yogurt and a garnish of sumac and mint leaves. Get the Mushroom Kibbeh recipe here!

Your guests will love these Indian-inspired Spicy Mushroom & Lamb Meatballs with Fenugreek Curry and Cilantro Mint Chutney. These tender, spicy meatballs with rich, creamy, and aromatic curry and tangy chutney are a crowd favorite. Get the Mushroom Meatball recipe here!

The Culinary Institute of America is proud to present “Mushrooms in the Plant-Forward Kitchen,” a video education series developed to inform chefs about the many ways to incorporate mushrooms into global plant-forward cooking. In this series, we’ll demonstrate recipes like Korean mushroom bibimbap, Mexican street food-inspired mushrooms al pastor, Japanese mushroom katsu, and spicy Indian mushroom and lamb meatballs. The tuition-free videos and recipes are available on the plantforwardkitchen.org website, thanks to the generous sponsorship and support of the Mushroom Council.

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us how he makes this delicious and creamy Cauliflower Risotto with Seared Scallops. In place of traditional arborio rice, he uses cauliflower rice for a low carb twist on this classic dish. Adding LeGout® cream soup base brings a smooth, creamy texture and rich flavor to the risotto. Get the Cauliflower Risotto with Seared Scallops recipe here!

Adobo is a Filipino dish made with meat, seafood, or vegetables braised in soy sauce, vinegar, herbs, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, was inspired by this classic flavor profile to make a vegetarian twist on adobo with cauliflower and eggplant. The vegetables are braised in soy sauce, Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base and vinegar and aromatics. Savory, sweet, and tart, your guests will love this Cauliflower and Eggplant Adobo. Get the Cauliflower and Eggplant Adobo recipe here!

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us how to make three different dishes – Empanadas, Tacos, and Stuffed Eggplants– all using one versatile mushroom, quinoa, and walnut filling. For the base filling, the quinoa is cooked in Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base for extra flavor, then tossed together with chopped roasted mushrooms and sautéed chopped walnuts. Get the Roasted Mushroom, Quinoa, and Walnut Filling recipe here!

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us some plant-based techniques for building intense umami flavor for this delicious vegan Flatbread with Roasted Mushroom Sausage and Red Peppers. The vegan “sausage” is made with roasted mixed mushrooms, mixed with a dairy-free risotto made using Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base. It’s easiest to work with when the risotto is slightly overcooked and cooled. Meat lovers and vegans alike will love this flavor-packed pizza! Get the Flatbread with Roasted Mushroom Sausage and Red Peppers recipe here!

This Rice Noodle Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and Curried Quinoa is a delicious, colorful, healthy and hearty addition to any menu. Gluten-free rice noodles serve as the base of the bowl. They are sautéed with soy sauce and Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base. This instantly adds lots of flavor, color and aroma to the noodles. The noodles are topped with a scoop of curried quinoa made using Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base, and tossed with Hellmann’s® Lemon Za’atar Vinaigrette and curry powder. Topped with a tossed arugula salad and assorted roasted seasonal vegetables, your customers will love this hearty, produce-packed bowl. Get the Rice Noodle Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and Curried Quinoa recipe here!

Heena Patel is the chef and co-owner of Besharam in San Francisco. Chef Patel shows us the secrets to making patras, fried hoja santa leaves, served with micro greens, peanut chutney, and crunchy masala peanuts. “Patras” means “palm leaf layers” and is an Indian dish of fried leaves stuffed with a spiced chickpea flour batter. Her mom used to make the dish using taro leaves, but at her restaurant Chef Heena Patel uses hoja santa leaves. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Heena Patel is the Chef and co-owner of Besharam in San Francisco. Chef Patel talks about the inspiration she draws from her upbringing in Mumbai, and cooking vegetarian cuisine. She also talks about when to add spices so you don’t burn them, and how her version of culinary school was shadowing her mother, grandmother, aunts, and sisters in the kitchen. Her restaurant, Besharam, translates to “shameless” or “fearless.” This idea guides her everyday. The menu is filled with dishes that she loves and that represent her personal approach to cooking. Chef Patel demonstrates how to make ragda, which is a white pea curry used in many Indian street foods. She tops the ragda with potato patties, mint and cilantro chutney, tart and spicy date and tamarind chutney, and crispy sev. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Heena Patel is the Chef and co-owner of Besharam in San Francisco. Chef Patel talks about the inspiration she draws from her upbringing in Mumbai, and cooking vegetarian cuisine. She also talks about when to add spices so you don’t burn them, and how her version of culinary school was shadowing her mother, grandmother, aunts, and sisters in the kitchen. Her restaurant, Besharam, translates to “shameless” or “fearless.” This idea guides her everyday. The menu is filled with dishes that she loves and that represent her personal approach to cooking. Besharam is a regional Gujarati restaurant in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district. Roughly translated to mean “shameless,” Besharam features Heena’s bold interpretation of the flavors and dishes that were prevalent throughout her childhood in India, playfully reimagined within a California context. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Katina Connaughton is the head farmer and co-owner of SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, in Healdsburg, CA. She talks about her sustainable farming practices, biodiversity, and connecting the community to sustainable food systems. Katina Connaughton met Kyle Connaughton, her now husband and the co-owner of SingleThread, when they were teenagers. Katina leads farming for SingleThread Farm's twenty-four-acre property, greenhouses, heirloom orchards, bee hives, and livestock as well as the foraging program and floral department. Katina began her first foray into farming while living in a rural agricultural community in Hokkaido, Japan. She continued culinary gardening on a Victorian estate property in England before moving to Sonoma to complete her coursework in Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture. Katina was greenhouse manager for the Ag Program and Santa Rosa Junior College and has farmed at Davis Family Winery and The Barlow. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Renowned Chef Connaughton prepares onigiri, a Japanese snack of white rice formed into triangles and wrapped in nori. He prepares the rice in a Japanese clay pot known as a donabe, adding roasted and chopped negi onions, and red and yellow pepper varieties from their farm. He seasons this with a Japanese seven-spice powder, including toasted sesame seeds and togarashi chili powder. To finish, he adds a powdered nori that’s been dried for an umami seaweed flavor. The onigiri are given to guests at the inn when they arrive as a gesture of hospitality. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Acclaimed Chef Kyle Connaughton talks about the origins of SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, how he started his carrer as a chef, and some of his culinary influences. He also discusses the importance of sustainability and plant-forward cuisine. Kyle Connaughton is a chef, culinary educator, and cookbook author. He and Katina Connaughton, his wife, opened SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, in Healdsburg, CA, in December 2016. The restaurant received a perfect four stars from The San Francisco Chronicle in March 2017 and a James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Award in May 2017. It was awarded two stars in the 2018 Michelin Red Guide, one of only a few restaurants to earn the rating in its first year. The restaurant then received three stars just a year later in the 2019 Michelin Red Guide. SingleThread is also a member of Relais & Chateaux, an international organization of the world’s top restaurants and hotels. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Chef Yanelquis Penton is the Head Chef of Malibu Farm, a plant-forward restaurant located on the scenic Malibu Pier off the Pacific Coast Highway in California. She and Chef de Cuisine Norberto Gomez show us their butternut squash tacos with spaghetti squash and habañero salsa, and discuss how these vegetarian tacos placed 2nd in a Food and Wine competition in Texas, beating out their “meatier” competition. They also show us a menu favorite — the vegan coconut ceviche with vegan caviar. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/inside-the-plantforward-kitchen

Chef Yanelquis Penton is the Head Chef of Malibu Farm, a plant-forward restaurant located on the scenic Malibu Pier off the Pacific Coast Highway in California. In this video, she and Sous Chef John Robin Acuña show us two of their favorite menu items — hearts of palm linguini with plant-based meatballs and their grilled homemade huarache flatbread with ​​avocado, jalapeño ricotta, and spicy hot honey gastrique. Helene Henderson started Malibu Farm by teaching cooking classes, and serving farm dinners out of her home and backyard. Although her business has grown, Malibu Farm is still a locally-owned small business. They strive to provide fresh, farm-to-table food from Southern California. Their food is simply prepared, and uses lots of vegetables and whole grains. They believe there is no such thing as too much lemon. The restaurant offers as much local and small farm produce as they can. Malibu Farm provides the restaurant with eggs, persimmons, figs, lemons, pomegranates, apricots, Asian pears, carrots, beets, asparagus, fresh herbs and more. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/inside-the-plantforward-kitchen

Ignacio Murillo is the talented bartender at A.O.C. Wine Bar in West Hollywood. He crafts a unique and stunning cocktail menu based entirely on seasonal availability. Here, he shows us one of his favorite fall cocktails he calls, “The Sunshine.” The secret ingredient? A homemade beet liqueur made with golden roasted beets, turmeric, orange juice, brandy, vodka, water and sugar. To that he adds tequila blanco, lime juice, and homemade chile de árbol bitters. Murillo’s cocktails are delicious, inspired concoctions that are a perfect pairing with Chef/Owner Suzanne Goin’s seasonal market menu offerings at the legendary A.O.C. Wine Bar and Restaurant. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Ignacio Murillo is the bartender extraordinaire at A.O.C. Wine Bar in West Hollywood. He crafts a unique and stunning cocktail menu based entirely on seasonal availability. He shows us a favorite fall cocktail — the Bartlett Sour made with bourbon and poached pears. This drink contains a pear and white wine purée spiced with cinnamon, clove and bay leaves. Next he adds an orgeat syrup with almonds, water, and sugar. Combine that with bourbon, garnish with a beautiful dehydrated pear slice and… voilà! The Bartlett Sour! Murillo’s cocktails are delicious, inspired concoctions that are a perfect pairing with Chef/Owner Suzanne Goin’s seasonal market menu offerings at the legendary A.O.C. Wine Bar and Restaurant. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Suzanne Goin demonstrates her signature dish called “The Farmer’s Plate.” Made exclusively with seasonal produce available at the farmer’s market, this is one of the most popular dishes at her restaurant, A.O.C. It features red curry squash, green beans, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and summer squash, romanesco, a chickpea puree, walnut muhammara and a dollop of burrata. It is seasoned with lemon and olive oil, layered with dandelion, and served with grilled toast. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Renowned Chef Suzanne Goin discusses the original concept behind her restaurant, A.O.C, which she opened twenty years ago. She discusses her origins as a chef, including her first ever restaurant job when she was in college in Rhode Island, her job at Campanile, and how writing a letter to Alice Waters wound up landing her a coveted job at Chez Panisse. She explains how she came to embrace rustic farm-to-table cuisine, and the importance of forging symbiotic relationships with local farmers. Native Los Angeles chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Suzanne Goin is celebrated as one of the country's most talented and innovative contemporary chefs. Goin has been nominated for eight James Beard Foundation Awards, winning the coveted national award in 2016. Her culinary style takes an original approach to American and French traditions she mastered through extensive training. As a restaurateur, she runs three fine dining restaurants in the Los Angeles area: A.O.C., Lucques, and Tavern. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Seizan Dreux Ellis is the executive chef of Cafe Gratitude in The Arts District in Downtown LA. He shows us a popular salad called, “I Am Liberated” made with kelp noodles, arugula, basil hempseed pesto, cashew ricotta, Kalamata olives, green olives, heirloom tomatoes, and brazil nut parmesan. Chef Ellis gives all of the dishes positive affirmations for names, such as “I Am Confident,” and “I Am Liberated,” so that when customers place their orders, they are making a positive affirmation at the same time. Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!