Salad In a Roll and Salad In a Salad

The Chefs: Hilary and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Refreshing salad rolls stuffed with avocado, cucumber, and shredded carrots, a spicy medley of curried tofu, eggplant, and potatoes, and a side salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. 

The Goods: After a decadent Monday, during which I gorged on homemade chocolate-raspberry cupcakes, courtesy of Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria, and shared about 30 menu items during a highly indulgent lunch with my roommate at vegan Japanese restaurant Cha-Ya, I decided that today I was going to go green—not in the carbon-footprint sense, but in the "salad day" sense. Sometimes a big pile of lettuce and veggies is all it takes to feel like, in the words of Lil Wayne, a milli. Plus, with Vegan Drinks this Thursday and party season just around the corner—I'm trembling with excitement for the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods—I've got to keep things balanced with a fresh, wholesome lunch here and there. Grab your tickets today for the aforementioned bash, and I'll see you at the Cinnaholic cinnamon roll bar! 

Vegan Valentine's

The Chef: Chloe Coscarelli 

The Menu: An incredible, three-course Valentine's Day-themed feast from our star guest chef, Ms. Chloe Coscarelli. We started the meal by sipping on delicious pomegranate lemonade and dining on a delightful roasted beet and arugula salad tossed in a sweet champagne vinaigrette. Our light and fresh salad was paired perfectly with a crisp and flavorful artichoke-pesto crostini. As if we weren't already in culinary heaven, Chloe's main course was a to-die-for farfalle pasta dish complete with wild mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, served in a rich, savory almond-cream sauce. For dessert, Chloe prepared some of the best bite-sized, cream-filled cupcakes we've ever tasted, and since she's amazing like that, she also delighted us with decadent raspberry chocolate tiramisu. Yep, we are dead from excitement.

The Goods: We always love having guests here at the VNHQ, and today Chloe and her lovely mother—and assistant—Shelley Coscarelli pretty much made our day. We heard about Chloe recently after she won a panini contest in Los Angeles with her vegan mango masala panini recipe. Chloe has worked at a variety of vegan hot spots including Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco and Counter Organic Vegetarian Bistro in New York City. To say that we were floored by the food and by the company would be an understatement. Not only did Chloe serve us an awesome feast, she and Shelley brought Valentine's Day decorations for the occasion! Yes, we're officially fans of this up-and-coming vegan chef extraordinaire.  

Raspberry Chocolate Tiramisu and Cream-Filled Love Bites

Chloe, Kristen, Liz, Abigail, Lyndsay, Colleen, and Shelley