In my childhood I remember the definition of a vegetarian was someone who did not eat meat. That meant that something was wrong, thus the person who could not eat meat had a health problem. Thank goodness they could eat fish!

Flash forward to when Chef Deborah Madison opened Greens on July 4th, Independence Day in 1979 in Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in the Marina District of San Francisco with views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Greens opened as the pioneering vegetarian restaurant that helped redefine plant-forward cuisine in the United States.

Before Greens, vegetarian food in the U.S. was often tied to health food stores, communes, or religious communities. Supposedly vegetarians were suspicious of butter, cream, and pleasure. Preferring to suffer with substitution of the good stuff.

Chef Madison changed the view of the foods we eat and how we prepared them. Focusing on flavor over excess, cooking styles over just boiling, and embraced the ingredients to create deliciousness all without the meat.

Chef Michael Natkin with his Herbavoracious website (2007) and his companion cookbook (2012) of the same name approached the real world of cooking vegetarian at home for a family.

Herbavoracious solved the weeknight question: "Do I have the time or energy to cook like this?" with the answer being "Yes, if it's unfussy, flexible, and built for real life."

What stands out about Herbavoracious is that it strips away ceremony and preciousness, assumes you are a busy, imperfect cook. You want to prioritize flavor density over presentation, embrace shortcuts, substitutions, and improvisation.

This is where vegetarian cooking stops being a project and becomes a habit. That's cultural change.

Much like Chef Deborah Madison helped shift how people think about vegetarian cooking with books like The Greens Cookbook, Chef Yotam Ottolenghi has had a major influence on how home cooks around the world approach vegetables and plant-forward meals through his cookbooks.

Instead of treating vegetables as side dishes or "meat placeholders," Ottolenghi puts them front and center—celebrating their natural flavors, textures, and diversity.

Like Chef Madison, Chef Ottolenghi isn't strictly vegetarian—he doesn't identify as vegetarian himself—but his work normalizes plant-forward meals for all eaters.

By making vegetable cooking exciting, he helped many cooks reduce meat consumption naturally because they wanted more veggies on their plates, not because they felt they should.

Today, my trend has been to reduce to a virtual elimination of red meats, which has been the hardest thing to do for me as I spent the last 30 years learning how to make the almost perfect NY steak. And finding proteins through a more mixed diet which does include fowl and fish.

And to eat as many foods that have fibre for gut health and fruits and vegetables. And apparently bright colors are better for you to,o! So when I can't remember what to eat, I look for color!

Black turtle beans are a variety of common black beans (a type of Phaseolus vulgaris) known for their small size, glossy deep black color, rich earthy flavor, and creamy interior when cooked.

They are a staple in Latin American, Caribbean, and Southwestern cooking. A plant-based protein, with fiber, iron, B vitamins, and antioxidants. An important ingredient to soups, stews, chilis, burritos, rice and beans, or mashed into dips and spreads.

The "FA Certified" label is separate from organic or non-GMO certifications—it's about broader ecological and social criteria rather than just the use of synthetic inputs. With an emphasis on protecting natural resources, reducing environmental impact, and supporting equitable practices along the supply chain.

FA certification doesn't by itself guarantee organic status unless the package also carries an organic seal.

Dried Pasilla Negro chili pods are the dried form of the chilaca pepper (Capsicum annuum), a long, slender chili that turns very dark and almost black when fully dried.

"Pasilla" means little raisin in Spanish, matching their wrinkled appearance and their deep, raisin-like flavor. A cornerstone of traditional Mexican cooking and prized for their complexity over their heat.

Pasilla chiles are grown primarily in central and southern Mexico, in the states Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Puebla, and Michoacan. They grow in warm, dry climates with lots of sun.

The peppers are harvested when mature, then sun-dried, which concentrates their flavor and darkens their color.

Outside Mexico, they're grown in smaller quantities in the southwestern United States, but authentic pasilla negro pods are most closely associated with Mexican terroir.

Pasilla negro chiles are mild to medium-mild (about 1,000-2,500 Scoville units) and known for flavors of dried fruit, cocoa, coffee, licorice, and earth.

They're typically wiped clean, lightly toasted, then soaked and blended into sauces.

Classic uses include mole negro, enchilada sauces, adobos, pozole, and slow-cooked stews, as well as pairing beautifully with beans, mushrooms, pork, duck, and chocolate.

They add depth and richness rather than sharp heat—think dark, savory, and soulful rather than spicy.

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi transformed home cooking at scale by making vegetable-forward cuisine irresistible, globally inspired, and visually exuberant, bringing plant-centric food into the mainstream imagination.

Lentils are small, lens-shaped seeds that come from plants in the legume family, Lens culinaris. They are known for their nutritional value, being rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a staple food in many cultures. Lentils come in a variety of colors, including brown, green, red, yellow, and black, each with slightly different tastes and textures.

Humans may have been eating lentils for over 10,000 years. Archaeological findings point to lentils being cultivated and consumed in the ancient Near East, particularly in the area known as the "Fertile Crescent". Some of the earliest evidence of lentil consumption comes from remains found at ancient sites, like those in the Levant, dating back to around 8000 BCE.

This makes lentils one of the earliest cultivated crops in human history, along with other staples like wheat and barley.

Lentils' ability to grow in a variety of climates and their high nutritional value has allowed them to be a global food source for millennia, and they remain a key ingredient in many cuisines around the world today.

Rich in protein, they provide an excellent plant-based alternative for everyone, supporting muscle growth, tissue repair, and overall body function. Lentils are also packed with dietary fiber, which promotes digestive health, helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and contributes to a feeling of fullness that can aid in weight management.

Additionally, they contain essential vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, folate, and B vitamins, all of which support heart health, bone strength, and energy production.

Consuming lentils regularly can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Their low glycemic index makes them ideal for blood sugar regulation, particularly for those managing diabetes.

Lentils are also rich in antioxidants, which protect the body from oxidative stress and inflammation. Beyond their health benefits, lentils are an affordable, sustainable source of nutrition, making them a great choice for both personal health and environmental sustainability.

The Tasmanian Honey Company Manuka Honey Bio-Active - 500g jar - Tasmania Creamier and milder than the "highly active" Manuka Honey, but rich in the almondy overtones and unique manuka fragrance you expect.

Julian's Manuka Honey is produced in Tasmania's remote wilderness, ensuring its clean healthiness.

I love these nuts! And though I eat them out of hand every day, I am really enjoying them the most in baked goods!

Just lightly baked and they make the perfect bite, crunch, and the flavor is just that much more than out of hand.

Probably the most beautiful walnuts you've ever seen with a buttery taste to match. All the health benefits of walnuts (Omega 3 fatty acids) with the addition of red polyphenols. The California organic red walnuts are a perfect upgrade to our recipes.

This oak-aged Trio Red Wine Vinegar from Katz Farms takes two years to make.

This terrific vinegar is crafted using the traditional "Orleans" Method.

It's a blend of carefully selected vintages of Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from the heart of one of the world's great wine appellations, the Sonoma Valley. "Trio" has been crafted to mirror the classic Meritage blends where small lots of selected red varietals are mixed to create wines of great structure and character.

The finished blend is well-balanced and full-flavored and retains the varietal characteristics of the grapes with nuances of cherry, raspberry and oak.

This vinegar will enliven your favorite dishes and create distinctive dressings and sauces. The Sonoma Trio is a favorite of many of America's top chefs. Try reducing it for sauces for meats or grilled peaches or figs, and use it in your next dressing.

A spicy twist on a classic recipe using Mama Lil's Peppers based on Michael Natkin's video, fabulous website and cookbook Herbavoracious.

The key to good egg pasta is the quality of the ingredients, especially the eggs.

This Deep Dark Dutch-processed dark unsweetened cocoa powder is in a class unto itself. We have removed less fat from our cocoa (22-24% fat content), which results in a more intense and immediate chocolate flavor.

This "service pack" of ChefShop cocoa powder is designed for commercial users like baristas, bakers, and gelato makers. It is sealed in a thick zip-lock style bag for production baking with a Plain Jane label. Like many of the foods and ingredients that go to the back of the house, the contents are more important than being pretty.

And price relative to quantity is also a crucial part of the commercial kitchen. So that is why we have chosen this cocoa, for the quality and consistency of product relative to the cost.

And that's what we have here in this bag of exceptional cocoa powder. The resealable bag keeps the cocoa powder fresh and it can last a good long time.