Amanda Cohen is the James Beard-nominated chef and owner of Dirt Candy, the Michelin-starred vegetable restaurant in New York City's Lower East Side. Dirt Candy was the first vegetable-focused restaurant in New York City, and a pioneer of the plant-forward movement. Dirt Candy was also the first restaurant in the city to eliminate tipping and share profits with its employees. In this interview, Chef Amanda Cohen talks about how diner perceptions have changed, as well as the creative process in developing her whimsical vegetable dishes.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Amanda Cohen from Dirt Candy

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Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja is a James Beard Award Finalist and serves a Middle Eastern menu at Shukette restaurant in New York. Her plant-forward dishes draw on the rustic, vibrant flavors found throughout Morocco and Tunisia. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ayesha is the daughter of an Indonesian father and Italian mother. She talks about her culinary influences, and her penchant for taking inspirations from classic dishes with unique flavorful ingredients.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shukette

Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, in Brooklyn, shows us how she makes a’ash reshteh, a classic Iranian stew. This intensely aromatic and rich stew is made with beans, lentils, noodles, herbs, the liquid from strained yogurt, and liquid whey. The a’ash reshteh is topped with mint oil, more liquid whey and onion chips.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

A’ash Reshteh at Sofreh

Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, in Brooklyn, shows us how she makes anarbij with cauliflower steak. Anarbij is a fragrant stew from northern Iran, made with an abundance of herbs, pomegranate molasses, onion, and ground walnuts. She serves the stew as a hearty vegan entrée at her restaurant plated in a shallow bowl and topped with a grilled cauliflower steak brushed with pomegranate molasses.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Anarbij with Cauliflower Steak at Sofreh

Nasim Alikhani is chef/owner of celebrated Persian restaurant, Sofreh, in Brooklyn. Growing up in Iran, Nasim Alikhani was a passionate cook from childhood, spending the first years of her life in the kitchen alongside her mother. When she departed after the revolution, it was by re-creating the dishes of her youth that she was able to feel connected to home. It took Nasim 25 years to realize her dream of opening a restaurant, and, in the summer of 2018 at age 59, she opened Sofreh to great critical acclaim. Chef Nasim Alikhani strives to create a hospitable, dinner-party atmosphere in her restaurant. She talks about the plant-forward traditions of Iranian cuisine and her love of cooking with herbs.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh

Samuel Yoo is chef/owner of Golden Diner in New York City’s China Town, and shows us how he makes a vegan chili crisp wedge salad. He delights in taking a traditionally creamy dish and transforming it into a vegan creation, and this salad is no exception. He tops the iceberg lettuce wedges with vegan ranch dressing, vegan blue cheese, mushroom bacon, diced tomatoes, and a generous amount of chili crisp.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Amanda Cohen from Dirt Candy

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