A few weeks ago I wrote a blog on Vegan weddings and that here in Mallorca we are really happy to be able to fully help with vegan weddings…. and have top quality cruelty free suppliers ready and raring to go.
A lovely woman contacted me from the UK called Lynn Nicholson from www.veganfoodpimp.com. Lynn is a passionate vegan chef and foodie! So I asked Lynn to write a guest blog for me on vegan cooking and menu’s for events. Lynn likes nothing better than to knock the “taste-buds” off of non vegans and notices that on many occasions the food she cooks is so very tasty the guests don’t even think to ask where the animal products are!
As a vegan chef, I am often faced with “I have non-vegans who do not eat vegan food, what do I do? ”Well firstly, everyone eats vegan food, the only difference is the protein on the plate, so my job as a chef is to create food that proves that vegan food is not beige and bland, it is beautiful, delicious and filling.
I do have, and it is the only time I will say this, the advantage of having been a meat eater in the past so, I know what people are expecting. The secret is in the taste and texture. People love the taste and texture of food, if a plain piece of steak was served to anyone, without any seasoning, they would send it back, so this is the first step in creating food that everyone will love. I take great pleasure in watching people clear plates, to the point where they look like they have been washed, to then see their faces as they discover it was all 100% vegan. My goal as a vegan chef is to dispel the myths associated with vegan food.
I also point out to my clients who want a vegan menu at their events to remember that this is their event. To be honest, anyone who kicks
up a fuss about eating vegan food for one day, as a guest, really needs to learn some manners. I am quite sure that in a situation where the menu was based around any other situation, religion or allergies, people would respect and understand therefore any vegan event should be treated with the same attitude by non-vegans.
I work with clients to establish food that everyone will love. I want the wow factor every time. I want beauty in the presentation and I want the explosion of tastes. I want everyone to understand that vegan food is not based around tofu and mung beans, or pasta and insipid tomato sauce, it is about freshness, the best ingredients and of course, the ability to combine spices to match the food in a way that enhances the produce. I work with my sense of smell and taste. I have no interest in rules associated with certain herbs and spices, if it feels right I use it. I do not work within boundaries, I work with my senses every time.
As a vegan chef, there is simply nothing off the menu, it is back to taste and texture. The element of surprise when I see people eat smoked salmon and caviar canapes, their taste buds sending signals to their brain to question “is it vegan” means I have succeeded. When I watch someone fold up and eat their kebab wrap, the juices running down their chins, or bite down on a huge burger, I know they are completely unaware that it is 100% plant based.
My only disappointment is people who simply state “I do not eat vegan food” as if it is contagious. I actually, think they are afraid of liking it, so, when I am catering for my clients we do not make a big thing about it being vegan. The host knows, the vegans know, the rest, well, they just see beauty and dig right in and, every time, the plates are cleared by everyone proving that vegan food is more than just chips, salad and bread.
All food should be amazing, for me, cooking is love made visible, if I can bring love to the table, whatever your normal eating habits are, I have succeeded.
Lynn Nicholson
What a Great Post… big thank you to Lynn and if anyone would like to contact her or indeed me please feel free to call/wassap/facetime me on +34 676333065 of drop me an email [email protected] or find me on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/weddingsinmallorca/