The recipes in The Conscious Cook are conscious in many ways, but also shine as illustrations that awareness can help us reach the heights, not bog us into tired old hippie-style recipes that taste like soaked cardboard. "There are no sprouts in this book, or in my refrigerator," states Chef Tal. "I don't like them. I like rich, hearty meals and I love cooking....I advocate a whole-foods diet consisting of unprocessed foods - it's the best thing for your body." The recipes are responsible to the environment and to health concerns, but also conscious of taste -they are luscious.
These are imaginative recipes applying classic techniques that made French cooking a culinary star to vegan ingredients. Chef Tal is so innovative that we see his name pop up in newspaper accounts of his creations, often done for his celebrity fans, such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen De Generes. Chef Tal has also broken new ground by bringing the first vegan dinner to the U.S. Senate. With 75 original recipes the most diehard holdout to a meat-based diet will happily discover that there is no need to have that chunk of meat on the plate.
Chef Tal begins by debunking some old myths about vegan food, ones that scare many away from a meatless diet. Stating that most people eat too much protein, he sets to rest a groundless fear of doing without animal protein, goes on to dazzle us with recipes that are so hearty, and so flavorful that even the most dedicated to meat won't notice that it's missing from the plate. He gives solid information about plant protein, about the ingredients often found in the vegan kitchen, about the superfoods such as blueberries, avocados, (to name but two staples of everyone's kitchen) then proceeds to the recipes.
And what recipes these are, innovative no matter what the kitchen. Beginning with Starters & Small Plates, perfect for "everything from a cocktail party to a Super Bowl get-together," Chef Tal offers recipes such as Twice-Baked Fingerling Potatoes with Crisped Dulse, or Grilled Artichokes with Caesar Dressing, or Fresh-Baked Focaccia with Caramelized Onions.
In the category of salads he offers recipes such as Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale with Roasted Tomatillo Dressing for a special occasion, a more relaxed Green Bean and Fingerling Potato Salad with Miso Dressing, or Heirloom Tomato Salad with Crisped Capers for casual moments. The crisped capers are a surprise and a delight - you will never turn back. In the soups category, he offers such recipes as a Tomato Bisque made with fire-roasted tomatoes (available on market shelves), or a Cream of Asparagus Soup made with nutritious cashew cream, not artery-clogging heavy cream. If you want a sandwich, either alone or with that bowl of soup, try Herbed Cashew Cheese Baguette with Tomato and Watercress, or a Mediterranean Chickpea Wrap spiced with cayenne and made hearty with the addition of potato.
Just as a meat entree of depth and richness will include a sauce and possible sides such as mashed potatoes, Chef Tal's entrees are a bit more complex in their ingredients and sauces, but each entree is including the side that you would ordinarily make separately. Try Peppercorn-Encrusted Portobello Fillets with Yellow Tomato Bearnaise and Mashed Potatoes, or try a Free-form Ravioli with Tofu Ricotta and Arugula Pesto. Free-form here refers to a lightly pinched, imperfect ravioli. Perhaps you're drawn to Paella with "Sausage," Nori-dusted Oyster Mushrooms, and Wine-braised Artichoke Hearts. The sausage is a packaged ingredient and Chef Tal offers a page for sourcing. Try Agave-lime Grilled Tofu with Asian Slaw and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
Desserts are often the artery-laden downfall of even the most responsible diner, but not under Chef Tal's hands. Chef Tal offers an array of wonderful options to top off the meal. There are recipes such as Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cake with Berry Sorbet, or Coffee Date Cake with Coconut Irish Cream Sauce. Try Lemon Pistachio Cookies with Wild Blueberries, or Seasonal Fruit in Papillote with Whipped Cashew Cream.
Throughout the book Chef Tal adds inserts, such as "My Favorite Greens" which offer suggestions such as tossing a few spinach leaves into a green soup to brighten the color, or "My Favorite Mushrooms," again offering tips as to taste and how to use each mushroom. In these pages, guest chefs work with Chef Tal, bringing together creative minds that are dedicated to great healthy eating. You may want to add one or two ingredients to your larder (such as agave nectar), and you may discover a world of prepared ingredients made by responsible leaders in the industry.
This is a rewarding book, not only in the great recipes, but in the feeling it gives when one knows one has eaten in a way that increases health and aids the environment.
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