New Hampshire Veg Fest

This past weekend I had the honor of presenting a workshop called "Dress for Success: How to Create Tantalizing Vegan Food to Win Over the Masses" for the New Hampshire Veg Fest. I enjoyed meeting some very excited new vegans and people curious about eating healthier.

The consistent message among all those I spoke with was that they were thrilled to attend a conference like this not just for the educational experience, but to know that there is a growing community of likeminded individuals who they can connect with. I feel this is absolutely critical when making the vegan transition. It always helps to have a vegan buddy for support! (Feel free to friend me on Facebook if your vegan support system needs a little boost!)

My presentation focused on tricks and techniques for making food look appealing on the plate. Since we "eat with our eyes," I feel that plating food is probably the most important skill to learn in order to convince a skeptical nonvegan to give something new a try. If it looks beautiful, most people don't even ask what it is - they just want to dig in!

This was the case with the food I presented. The menu featured Cornmeal Crusted Tofu with Spring Cleanse Quinoa Salad, Spicy Horseradish Cashew Creme Sauce and Parsley Pistou. I demonstrated how to present the food four ways, from casual to ultra gourmet all dressed up with pretty edible flours and curly scallion ribbons.

It only takes a few extra minutes to make food look fabulous, so why not have some fun with it? All it takes is a squeeze bottle and a little bit of playful inspiration. If we can play with our food, that makes it all the more enjoyable!

All of these recipes are featured in my new cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats, which is now available through Amazon.com. There are over 100 gluten-free recipes just like these as well as more insider tips about creating culinary balance through color, taste and texture, which is essential to a satisfying meal.

Plating #1

Plating #2

Plating #3

Plating #4