How do you become a vegan chef, Christian? #veganuary2021
Many people use January to start the new year with lots of good resolutions. In addition to more sport and exercise, nutrition is often on the list of desired improvements. Veganuary - the word is made up of the word vegan and the English january - is a non-profit organization and campaign that encourages people around the world to go purely plant-based (at least temporarily). to feed. Because we all now know that a plant-based diet is not only one of the most effective measures to protect the environment and our climate, but can also avoid animal suffering and have a positive effect on our health.
The 31 day challenge is intended to provide an initial impetus to take a closer look at the topic and inspire people to simply try out a vegan diet for themselves. So you avoid animal products for the entire month of January.
We are using the month to inform you about the topic on Instagram and to share tips and tricks with you. The good thing is: Many Wholey team members have been eating vegan for a long time and have therefore gained a lot of experience.
Just like Christian! Christian Weber is a trained chef and worked for Wholey for a long time as a product developer. For several months he has been working on the VHY! project in Stuttgart, an exciting new concept that also focuses on plant-based nutrition. On his Instagram channel, Christian shares his recipes and encourages people to eat differently ;)
We asked Christian a few questions, because as a vegan chef he is basically an expert in the field.
Tell us how you came to work as a vegan chef? Were you first a chef or first vegan?
Christian: I have been a chef for 18 years. Vegan for about 8 years. There was a transition phase in which I still cooked “everything” but lived vegan… It works too, but it’s not so nice. Once you have a certain level of experience, you no longer have to taste meat and other animal products in order to prepare it. In addition to my training as a chef and over 10 years in star gastronomy, I am also a trained nutritionist and fitness trainer. For me, vegan is the essence of many thoughtful considerations regarding health, food waste and contemporary nutrition. My motto is always: From a technical point of view, we are already in the future and when it comes to eating, we are stuck in 1960. We eat too much, too processed, too animal and too fatty and I'm trying to change this with modern vegetable cuisine.
What is the response to purely vegan restaurants? Is the audience mainly vegan or do many omnivore guests also come by?
Christian: When it comes to vegan restaurants, it always depends on the offering. In restaurants that primarily offer fast food and meat substitute products, I think the audience is predominantly vegan. Because many people who don't want to leave out meat or cheese for taste reasons wouldn't really be keen on the vegan equivalent. Plant-based restaurants that focus on preparing vegetable dishes and plant-based fine cuisine are extremely well attended (depending on the region) and I think it's balanced here whether visitors live vegan or eat everything. For most people, curiosity about exciting, new dishes outweighs the idea of doing something for animal welfare. Furthermore, it is extremely important how the quality is in the restaurant. Unfortunately, vegan restaurants are often run by newcomers and the quality of the food is less convincing.
What does your pantry look like at home? What ingredients do you always have in the house?
Christian: To be honest, I'm not a good food keeper and everything in my kitchen is a little chaotic, but I always have a lot of different things on hand so that I can cook flexibly. Dry products in particular, such as grains, legumes and rice (white & whole grain) are always there. A must-have are quick-cooking grains such as couscous and bulgur, then canned chickpeas and beans. You will also always find variations of pasta, as well as various Asian ingredients such as miso paste, udon noodles and sushi rice. Also something that should never be missing: various nuts and dried fruits, which I use as toppings for salads, savory dishes and my breakfast.
Luckily, Veganuary encourages many people to try purely plant-based foods for a month. Do you have any tips or advice for beginners?
Christian: My recommendation is to go to the supermarket or organic market with an empty shopping basket and try to buy a mix of things you know (vegetables, grains, etc.) and things you've never tried before (perhaps these are currently salsify, spelled, parsnips, whole grain rice, lentil pasta, etc.). You can find thousands of recipes for these ingredients on the Internet, or you can read the instructions on the package and start experimenting yourself.
See Veganuary as a month in which you try as many new things as possible and learn what else the vegetable patch has to offer and if you feel like it, there's nothing wrong with topping it off with plant-based cheese or trying a vegan schnitzel. And if you eat something non-vegan for once...? Who cares???! Nobody is perfect!
For many people, giving up cheese is the hardest part. Do you already have experience making cheese yourself? Any tips?
Christian: I prefer to leave making my own cheese to the professionals and unfortunately I can't give any tips. I also particularly miss cheese, but I have fond memories of it and there is little that could come from it. Now there are actually really delicious cashew Camembert alternatives that I love. 1-2 alternatives to cheese slices are also great, but I don't think much of vegan mozzarella or something similar - as it is very far from the original and has little to do with cheese.
Your ultimate favorite dish?
Christian: I have and have never had a single favorite dish. I'm a little more open 😊 But pasta is definitely important. Good pesto and nothing more is needed. But since I have a soft spot for Japanese cuisine, miso soup, fried udon noodles and sushi are just as popular with me.
Thank you for your time and the interview, Christian! 🙌
For delicious, easy, vegan recipes, follow Christian on Instagram !
Leave a comment