Green goodness: kelp, kale, and California cuisine

A greener future: algae for energy
Replenishing with greens on the San Juan Islands, 2010*

I just finished a meal of kelp noodles with tahini sauce from “Raw Bites,” a closet-sized vegan raw food dispensary in   downtown L.A., where you can call (or text) in your order hours before lunchtime and have it delivered to an office within a few block proximity.  Oh, were you still re-reading the part about kelp?  Kelp, not kale**. That’s right. Another L.A. vegetable buzz word…no, not yet actually.  But perhaps soon, as these crunchy white-translucenty strands taste great with almost any sauce-savory or sweet- and are low in calories, and don’t contain fat or gluten.  Just calcium, iron and tons of minerals (like iodine which is great for glandular health/thyroid function.)    As I was eating this delicious concoction thinking about tomorrow’s ALOUD conversation with local chefs Ludo Lefebvre and Roi Choi I was wondering where, if anywhere, in the 373-page recipe/story book LudoBites sitting before me I’d find something vegan.  Ludo, you should know, is famous for his exotic and unconventional contemporary fusions that incorporate a French flare- things like cabbage-wrapped foie gras with kimchi consommé or veal with udon and sesame-seed miso.  Well, I opened the book and saw:

Recipe #1:  Brocamole
*Broccoli, grapeseed oil, cilantro, onion, tomato, jalapeño, limes, fleur de sel, and baked tortilla chips

How did I dare doubt?  This is California, ore better yet, Los Angeles.  We do things differently here which is precisely why I love this city.  The story continues in my post on the Library Foundation blog.  Read about the renegade chefs I’m prepped to talk shop with tomorrow.

*Algae from my aunt and uncle’s backyard.  I tasted it.  My uncle thought I was crazy.  I think he still does.
**While I am geeking out on my green dietary notes, wanted to recommend one of Trader Joe’s newest food items: the kale chips!  They’re loaded with savory spices and cashew nut butter and are absolutely delicious, if not a bit pricey at $4 a bag.  You can easily do a DIY version at home for less.

~ by maureenmoore on October 16, 2012.