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As promised, here are some pictures of the chef’s creation to make you drool

To view the full menus click here

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Upcoming Event: Berkeley Vegan Earth Day

Winner - Jay Astafa

Appetizer

ramen crusted smoked cauliflower, chrysanthemum-umeboshi plum pesto, chrysanthemum herb salad, orange-sake vinaigrette

Entree

spinach pappardelle with sun dried tomato-burdock root sauce, grilled oyster mushrooms,
red wine red cabbage, and rice cracker Parmesan

Dessert

chocolate black bean cake with avocado chocolate frosting, coconut whipped cream, coconut-pomegranate molasses sauce

Jillian Love

Appetizer

Petite English Cucumber Cup with Raw Cashew Cheese, Minced Chopped Chrysanthemum and Crushed Asian Rice Crackers, Cold Ramen Ginger Salad, Served with A Creamy Lemon Chrysanthemum Sauce and Sriracha Spiced Medjool Date Umeboshi Plum Sauce and a Heart Shaped Carrot Chip.

Entree

Dinosaur Kale Ribbons in a White Miso and Red Pepper Cream Sauce topped with Coconut Carrot Mash served with Coconut Butter Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms with Pineapple Ginger Teriyaki. Ornamental Salad of Carrot, Red Pepper, Red Savoy Cabbage and Pickled Burdock in a Light Citrus Cider Vinaigrette.

Dessert

First place dessert in the Vegan Iron Chef Competition!
Fresh Strawberry Mandala with Spiced Pomegranate Balsamic Sauce, Vanilla Coconut Whipped Cream, Walnut Maple Praline Crunch Cake and a Smoked Paprika Black Bean Fudge Sauce

Chef AJ

Appetizer

Fresh Spring Roll filled with shaved asparagus, carrots and chrysanthemum leaves served with 2 dipping sauces, a pickled umeboshi plum date sauce and a creamy cashew chipotle sauce.

Entree

Oyster mushroom stuffed with risotto simmered in a sundried tomato red bell pepper coulis over a bed of braised red cabbage cooked in champagne vinegar and topped with a piece of breaded and fried burdock.

Dessert

a date sweetened black bean/oat chocolate truffle dusted with coconut pudding, served with a warm berry compote with a pomegranate molasses reduction and coconut whipped cream.

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Upcoming Event: Berkeley Vegan Earth Day

Congrats to Jay Astafa for winning the 2014 Vegan Iron Chef Competition!

Check back soon for the full event recap with the menu and pictures.

Tofurky needs help preparing artisan sausages and serving them up to attendees. Must be friendly and enjoy engaging with the public. Pay is $15-$18 hour. Please email [email protected] with your interest.

• Alicia from Well.Fed. will be providing appetizers featuring Field Roast & rhizocali Tempeh
• Miyoko Schinner from Miyoko’s Kitchen will be providing cheese platters
• Genuto will be giving away small cups of three of their newest flavors: Caramel Mocha, Strawberry Rose Water and our Peruvian Simply Dark Chocolate!

Once the word gets out, tickets for this event will sell out! (Tasting menu sold out, and only a handful of reserved tickets left)

This edition of the Vegan Iron Chef e-cookbook features recipes submitted by renowned vegan chefs throughout North America. We asked them for recipes of their favorite “Comfort Food” dishes, the
theme of this year’s event.

In addition, world-class chefs and Vegan Iron Chef competitors Eric Tucker, Phil Gelb and Lisa Books-Williams provided the recipes they devised during this year’s event, found exclusively in this ecookbook!

These exciting dishes blew the judges away with their high degree of culinary creativity, visual appeal and extraordinary flavors. Impress your dinner guests with these gourmet twists on old classics, provided by some of the best chefs on the continent!

Download the e-cookbook by clicking HERE

All the decor was made with organic local produce

Delicious spread at the pre-competition reception

Secret ingredient was tea!

Panel of judges: Colleen, Miyoko, Nicole, & Minh

Competing Chefs: Eric Tucker, Phil Gelb, & Lisa Books-Williams

Chef Lisa Books-Williams was named the winner of SF’s First Vegan Iron Chef Event!

Here is Lisa’s winning menu:

Lisa’s Raw Vegan Appetizer Trio

~Kohlrabi Apple Slaw with Creamy Cashew Dressing

~Coconut Noodle Udon with Dashi

~Luscious Live Dumpling filled with a Cashini Mirepoix and Wilted Greens

and served with a special Dipping Sauce

Lisa’s Raw Vegan Dessert Trio:

~Coconut Cashew Ice Dream topped with Candied Blood Orange Ginger Chili

Peel and Cardamom Pistachios

~Cacao Truffle

~Sesame Almond Ball

Winner: Chef Lisa Books-Williams!

Want to buy a limited edition Vegan Iron Chef Apron?

Cost is $30 (includes shipping). Email me for more info!

AMC 1000 Van Ness Parking garage – 1000 Van Ness

(800-231-3307)

(enter on O’ Farrell just before Polk) – 2 blocks from UUSF

Open 6am to 12:30am Sun-Thurs.

1 hr $6, 12 hr. $20

Sutter Plaza Garage - 1388 Sutter - 2 blocks from UUSF

(415-775-0132)

(enter on Sutter Street between Van Ness and Franklin)

Open 7am to 7pm ($20 maximum)

1 Daniel Burnham Court Parking Garage – 2 blocks from UUSF

(415)474-4586

(enter 1237 Post Street)

Open 7am to 11pm, 1 hr $6

1200 Van Ness Garage

(415)713-8855

Open 6am to 10 or 11pm, 1 hr $6

Japan Center Garages 4-5 blocks from UUSF

enter 1610 Geary Blvd - Main

Open 5am to 2:30am Mon-Fri, 7am to 3am Sat & Sun

enter 1650 Fillmore St. – Annex

Open 6:30am to 1:30am Seven days/week

($1 to $3.50 per hour, daily max $20 – early bird specials)

1. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a chef?
About 5 years old.

2. What’s your favorite cuisine?
New American and Global Fusion Cuisines

3. Who or what is your inspiration for cooking?
My first inspiration to cook came from watching Martin Yan’s PBS cooking shows on the weekends as a kid. Nowadays the wonderful bounty of locally sourced seasonal ingredients that we have access to in the Bay Area gives me continuous inspiration.

4. Are you self-taught or did you go to culinary school?
A bit of both; learned quite a bit growing up from my family and working in restaurants, as well as graduating with honors from the California Culinary Academy.

5. Do you use measuring spoons and cups or go by feeling?
When I’m baking I use measuring devices, every thing else I typically eyeball measurements.

Leave a comment and tell us if you use measuring spoons or go by feeling!