What's new in vegetarian cooking? Ruth Tal and chef Jennifer Houston's reFresh: Contemporary Vegan Recipes from the Award-Winning Fresh Restaurants cookbook and a spate of tantalizing recipes, that's what. The Fresh restaurants are some of the most popular in Toronto, whether you're vegetarian, vegan or just looking for a terrific meatless meal that's sure to satisfy even the biggest appetite. The food, as the name suggests, is fresh, clean and leaves you feeling happily and healthily sated. Spiced just right, the food in the eateries as well as in reFresh is sure to set your tastebuds singing!
I recently had a chance to interview Fresh owners Ruth Tal and Jennifer Houston (also the head chef) about their new book, what they do and why they do it so well. If you're ever in Toronto, do as locals and globe trotters from all points near and far do and have a meal at Fresh- your body will thank you for it!
Food Trends (FT): Ruth, how long have you been a vegan and for those that don't know- what exactly is a vegan (vs. vegetarian)?
Ruth Tal (RT): I have been a vegan for sixteen years. A vegan is someone who chooses a diet that excludes all animal products - this includes meat, fish, fowl, dairy and eggs. Some vegans will even exclude all leather products in their wardrobe. A vegan will, hopefully, include a diet diverse and abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
FT: When you started out selling juices, did you ever imagine your "Juice for Life" would grow into Fresh? (Note: Ruth started out making natural fruit juices at a little seasonal juice bar before moving to the Queen Street Market as Juice for Life before venturing into the restaurant world).
RT: I always hoped and dreamed that our healthy and delicious food and juice would be enjoyed by many, many people. My intention has always been to make this wonderful way of eating as accessible as possible thereby inspiring people to eat this way at home often. I think we have achieved this.
FT: Jen and Ruth, describe for those that don't know your place, what Fresh is, what it serves, and who frequents it?
RT and Jennifer Houston (JH): Fresh is a popular vegetarian restaurant with a gourmet juice bar located in Toronto, a food lover’s city. Our menus offer over 75 dishes that include salads, rice and noodle bowls, veggie burgers and wraps. Our juice menu offers power shakes, immune and energy elixirs, espresso shakes and fruit and vegetable cocktails. Our customers represent a diverse cross-section of the city: young, older, affluent professionals, students, musicians, artists, families and all styles of dress and genders.
FT: Jen- when did your interest in vegetarian fare blossom and is that the way you eat now?
JH: I was living in Scotland and started working at a vegetarian restaurant. Around the same time, three things happened- mad cow disease started showing up in humans for the first time, there was a big outbreak of E.coli amongst some guests at a party, and there was a big scandal at the supermarket chain Tesco, in which some disgruntled employees were caught putting everything they had swept off the floors into some ground beef. All of these things happened in about a two-week span, and I just realized that I didn't want to eat meat anymore. Once I decided this, I realized that I had never really liked it anyway. I moved back to Toronto and was vegan for a couple of years when I first started working at Fresh, but then I went on a holiday to Italy and started eating dairy again. I wanted to have pizza the way it was meant to be. I still eat dairy, but haven't had meat since I lived in Scotland, about 11 years ago now.
FT: How do you come up with your recipes? What's your inspiration?
Ladies of Fresh: Ideas for recipes come from everywhere. The best ideas usually come if I go to bed hungry! While I lie there trying to fall asleep I think about what I wish I could eat. This is how I came up with the Ninja, which is now one of our best selling menu items.
FT: Do you believe in sustainability, organic produce or do you have another mantra you live by when crafting the Fresh menu?
Ladies of Fresh: Our menu is built on a foundation of whole grains, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, spices, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy products. We have always prepared our foods from scratch right in the restaurant and have always chosen fresh, high quality ingredients to work with. When you get up from the table after eating at Fresh, you aren't laden down, you're energized. When crafting the Fresh menu, we take the best ideas from world cuisine and "Fresh-ify" it- meaning, make it vegan, make it simple, make it fast, and most of all, make it taste great.
FT: Jen and Ruth- what are your favourite top 3 dishes that you serve and why?
Ladies of Fresh: The following represent what we have become known and loved for. Fresh, delicious, creative and colourful food that fills you up, satisfies and leaves you energized.
- California Classic Salad with House Dressing.
- Ninja on Brown Basmati Rice
- Green Goddess on Soba
FT: Favourite drinks?
1. All Green Vegetable Cocktail
2. Skinny Dip Protein Shake
3. Antioxidant
FT: When you crave comfort food, what is it?
RT: Ripples Potato Chips.
JH: Spaghetti with Ragu Mushroom Sauce straight from the jar, and vegetarian meatballs.
FT: What do you think when chefs like Susur Lee call you food the way of "the future?" (Note: I recently spoke with Chef Lee and he tells me that at home, he eats vegetarian when possible - the lighter the better!).
Ladies of Fresh: Gratified that he appreciates us and what we are striving to do: to serve fresh, simple wholesome food. This is what we are all about.
FT: Is your goal to nourish customers or nourish and educate without being preachy?
Ladies of Fresh: To lead by example rather than preach. To show that being healthy and nourishing your body is the hip thing to do. Also, that you don't have to sacrifice pleasure to eat healthy.
FT: What does the future hold for you two- do you have plans to expand beyond Toronto?
Ladies of Fresh: There are a couple of more neighbourhoods in Toronto that are calling out for a Fresh location. We are happy to oblige. We continue to evolve and refine what we do and how we do it. In the next 3 to 5 years we would like to expand to Vancouver, B.C. and share Fresh with that wonderful city.
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