Native eating places shake up menus for vegan problem

Jan. 29—If you consider vegan meals, pizza, tamales or cinnamon rolls often do not come to thoughts.

However a handful of native eateries hope to vary that perspective within the upcoming Santa Fe Vegan Chef Problem.

All through the month of February, the eating places will probably be providing a wide range of menu choices made with zero animal merchandise of their meals — the idea for veganism — starting from connoisseur dishes to home-style meals.

“It is type of a enjoyable factor the place we get out into the group and actually dispel the myths that vegan meals will be boring and bland and tasteless,” mentioned the problem organizer, Victor Flores.

A number of the eating places participating within the problem, like Alicia’s Tortilleria, usually serve up non-vegan choices and are attempting their hand at vegan meals for the primary time.

The inconspicuous little diner on Rufina Circle sells recent tortillas and has a wide range of Mexican dishes, together with menudo, barbacoa and, after all, tacos. Proprietor Alicia Saenz mentioned she plans to start out making plant-based variations of among the dishes she already serves, together with vegan enchiladas, potato flautas and black bean tostadas.

“We simply wish to have a bit of bit extra choices for everybody,” Saenz mentioned in an interview.

These participating within the problem mentioned there are typically only a few vegan restaurant choices in Santa Fe and certain even fewer that supply conventional Mexican fare.

Saenz mentioned including vegan meals to the tortilleria’s menu was unthinkable when her dad and mom ran the place. Now that she’s the proprietor, although, she began trying into providing plant-based dishes after a number of clients, who usually wandered in after visiting Meow Wolf, requested if there have been any vegan choices.

“Our reply is generally, ‘Not likely; our tortillas are vegan, although,’ ” Saenz mentioned.

The problem is organized by Vegan Outreach, a nonprofit that goals to cease animal struggling by encouraging individuals to go vegan. Flores mentioned the purpose of the competitors is to encourage each cooks and clients to attempt plant-based choices and open their minds to a culinary expertise they might have by no means had earlier than.

Clients will be capable to vote on who they suppose cooked up the very best vegan meal, and on the finish of the month, one prepare dinner will probably be named the winner of the Santa Fe Vegan Chef Problem.

The Vegan Chef Problem was began in 2010 when a vegan named Eleni Vlachos realized there weren’t many locations she may eat in Durham, N.C. That is when her pal, chef Shirle Hale-Koslowski, advised they problem the world’s omnivorous culinary connoisseurs to create plant-based dishes.

After catching the eye of Vegan Outreach in 2011, it turned a nationwide occasion with cities everywhere in the U.S. participating, together with Washington, D.C., Albuquerque and Santa Barbara, Calif.

A number of the different companies participating within the native competitors, just like the Plantita Vegan Bakery, have already devoted themselves to utilizing no animal merchandise of their meals and wish to present individuals how delectable their treats will be.

“You may nonetheless have a cookie or a muffin that is moist and scrumptious,” mentioned Plantita Vegan Bakery’s proprietor, Thomas Kamholz.

Kamholz opened his made-to-order bakery about two years in the past after he seen there was a necessity for extra vegan meals in Santa Fe and makes all the pieces from scratch himself.

“There’s not a ton of choices on the town, and one factor that I felt like was underrepresented was vegan baking,” he mentioned. “Like, I do not actually know the place to go get vegan cookies. There’s a number of spots that exist, however they do not have quite a lot of choices.”

Although Kamholz’s complete menu may simply match into the problem, he determined to make one thing new he will probably be serving all through the month. That features a inexperienced chile pizza with cashew-based mozzarella and chocolate cinnamon rolls.

Hannah Levbarg, the proprietor of the “luxurious vegan ghost kitchen,” Liberty Gourmand, mentioned she is not fairly positive what she will probably be making for the problem however hopes it should encourage extra individuals to speak in confidence to vegan meals.

“We might like to see extra of the standard companies increasing their menus, opening their minds a bit of bit to be extra sustainable, and you already know from my facet I would love to achieve a brand new buyer base however my may not find out about me,” she mentioned. “Apart from that, something that will get extra animals off extra plates sooner is a plus for me.”